Sunrise Lake to expand

DINGMAN - Sunrise Lake on state Route 739 is expanding with 49 additional homes lots. Robert Ramagosa of Sunrise Ventures, owner of the development, earlier this month presented a preliminary planning map to the Dingman Township Planning Commission. The new area near Sunrise’s Sprint Lake totals 82 acres. Ordinarily 10 percent of the land would be required green space. “The 8.2 acres required for ‘open space’ which is not shown on the map is a credit we will be getting from the ‘park,’” said Ramagosa. The “park” is the proposed new 103- acre Dingman Township Recreation Park located a few hundred feet from Route 739 on Log Tavern Road. Ramagosa won concessions in donating land to the project. The park borders both Sunrise Lake and Gold Key Lake subdivisions. The expansion project still lacks state highway access as well as agreements related school bus access. Ramagosa said he had not yet filed his Highway Occupancy (highway access) Permit because he is in negotiations with PennDOT over other issues. “We have been using certain access roads to get into my property for 34 years and now PennDOT wants to take this away from me. They also don’t want me to request any future access from any state highway,” claimed Ramagosa. The commission directed the developer to show he has filed for the permit before his application is final, regardless of other negotiations. Additionally, no state highway school bus parking area was shown on the new map. But Ramagosa said there are plenty of bus stops inside the development. “As far as I’m concerned the people in Sunrise pay the same school taxes as those that live outside and they ought to demand that they get the same individual pick ups as others do. They shouldn’t have to drive their kids to specific areas and have to wait around for the school bus,” he said. “As long as the developer, the school district, and the township all agree that this plan is satisfactory, it will be accepted by us,” said town solicitor John Klemeyer . Ramagosa will need to apply for a waiver of the required school bus access areas and parking areas near Route 739. The township will require approval documentation from the school district.