HARMONY — After nearly a year, members of the borough's planning commission are a step closer to finding out if a stormwater management plan for a local church parking lot is sufficient.

During Tuesday's meeting, Calvin Presbyterian Church representative Jim Willard asked the board to retroactively approve the church's demolition of a house and extension of a parking lot, an issue that has weighed on the commission since August 2018.

The church's project has already been completed, Willard said, but no representative met with the commission to receive change-use approval or to present a stormwater plan.

Willard said the borough informed him he would only need a building permit to demolish the house. He added there “was no attempt to subvert” the commission.

“I think we would have been here (to receive approval) if that would have been conveyed to us at the beginning,” he said.

The church's project added no impermeable space, Willard argued, as the garage and house were already connected to the parking lot via asphalt.

“Everything you said could very well be correct, but we need to make sure that it is,” Commissioner Jeff Byko said.

Minutes from borough council meetings indicate that the borough has been aware of the work performed by Calvin Church since at least August 2018. The commission had contacted the church and Williard numerous times since then, minutes indicate.

“Nobody wants to strong-arm a church, but let's pretend it wasn't a church,” said Commissioner Chuck Welsh. “What would we be doing? Would we take some kind of legal action?”

Harmony's land use ordinance permits the borough to collect up to $500 in fees each day a building is out of code.

Following discussion, the commission agreed to ask the borough engineer to examine the adequacy of the church's stormwater management plan in light of its completed project.