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FEBRUARY 20-26, 2025
Lehigh Township Supervisors receive Updates on resort And spa, parks and Sanctuary status By LAURA KLOTZ During the Feb. 11 Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors meeting, Matthew Pennoni of Pennoni Associates was in attendance to answer supervisors’ questions in regard to taking over the current project of editing township zoning ordinances. After their questions were answered, supervisors agreed to accept the contact with Pennoni. Following, the board heard from representatives of various subdivision plans in the township. Carl and Linda Becker requested the approval of their subdivision plan. Township Engineer Michael Muffley explained that the planning commission had discussed the Becker plan during their Feb. 10 meeting and saw no problems with it, so the board granted conditional approval. Three other subdivision plans were also discussed and approved by the planning commission, and supervisors therefore granted extensions of time for plan approval to Tyler and Emily Landis, Keith and Karen Hantz and Billy Carter. Next, Lehigh Township Municipal Authority requested an extension of time for plan recording in regard to the booster station being constructed in Pennsville. They are currently awaiting the plans from the design engineer. The extension was granted until the end of the year. Nicole Gallio, representing the Jaindl corporation, appeared be-
fore the board to provide an update on the Lehigh Valley Resort and Spa. They have had some difficulty coordinating design efforts between different consultants, but expect to be bringing an updated plan submission to Muffley before the August deadline. They are also working with various contractors to ensure there are no issues. Muffley reported that the Riverview Drive self-storage plan was discussed at the planning commission meeting. A plan will be presented to supervisors in March, and once zoning ordinance updates have been made, a public hearing will be advertised to make those updates known. Under recreation, Sandra Hopkins reported that Northern Lehigh will hopefully be holding their first baseball game of the season on March 18 at Bryfogle Park. St. Nicholas Church will be using Delps Park on June 7 for a stargazing event. The board discussed possibly hiring a parks consultant but came to no consensus. The wall being constructed at Bryfogle Park is nearly finished. Supervisors then authorized Muffley to meet with members of the recreation board and review the water problem regarding the tennis courts at Danielsville Park. Under public works, Public Works Director Frank Zamadics was not present, but submitted a Continued on page 7
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East Allen supervisors look for ways To prevent tractor-trailer queuing on Residential streets
By KERI LINDENMUTH Following an altercation between a township resident and a tractor-trailer driver that turned physical, East Allen Township supervisors are asking their experts to prepare an updated ordinance to ban tractor-trailer parking on residential roads. An ordinance from 1974 already bans commercial vehicles from parking on township streets; however, Township Manager Brent Green said during the Feb. 13 Board of Supervisors meeting that he wants more modern lan-
guage that will hold commercial businesses responsible for an increasing number of violations. Recently, tractor-trailers have been queuing in front of neighborhood homes instead of inside their warehouse developments. In some cases, residents have been blocked from leaving their driveways. Green reported that one resident was struck in a recent altercation with a truck driver parked outside their property. Numerous violations have been reported on Silver Crest Road and Chrisphalt Drive; however, the
issue of tractor-trailer standing is township-wide. A parking study needs to be conducted before the ordinance can be updated. Supervisors hope the parking study and updated language will be ready for a March vote. With these updates, Green hopes the township can issue violations directly to the companies generating the traffic and not just the drivers themselves. Tractor-trailer parking is also causing headaches for residents of Continued on page 3
Allen Township residents report ‘Heavier, noisier’ tractor-trailer traffic By KERI LINDENMUTH During the Feb. 11 Allen Township Board of Supervisors meeting, Kreidersville Road resident Larry Hiestand asked supervisors what steps could be taken to alleviate increased truck traffic on the residential road. Hiestand has counted as many as 400 tractor-trailer trips per day passing his house, from as early as 5 a.m. until the late evening hours. He said the heavy traffic rattles windows, shakes houses and poses safety risks for him and his neighbors. “It is really difficult to get out in the street and cross the street to the mailboxes,” he told supervisors. “Just being out front is a little scary sometimes.” Kreidersville Road is a state road, which means it falls under PennDOT’s supervision. However, Hiestand says he has contacted
the state agency several times over the last year. Those calls have gone unanswered. “They’re not here, so they don’t care,” he said. “I think the township officials need to get together with the generating companies and put together a plan,” he continued. Supervisors have also noticed increased truck traffic in the area, with Supervisor Dale Hassler suggesting that the reopening of the Howertown Road bridge is the main driver. Kreidersville Road offers drivers a shorter route than Seemsville Road, saving them time and gas. Township Manager Ilene Eckhart said the township will contact the companies in the area. Other township safety concerns discussed during the meeting include the replacement of an old guardrail on the Snow Hill
Road Bridge. Engineer Michael Schwartz said the existing guardrail is “pretty deficient” compared to current standards. The rail must be at least 87.5 feet long, with posts every 3.5 feet. The current rail has posts every 12 feet and is “significantly shorter” than the minimum requirement. Schwartz estimated that updating the guardrail would cost around $150,000. “I don’t think anyone is going to force your hand to [update] it,” he told supervisors, “but it seems Continued on page 9
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