Supervisors in Lehigh Township will meet with members of the township’s building committee at their regularly scheduled supervisors meeting on Feb. 27 to discuss options for a proposed maintenance building in the township.
The decision comes after members of the board agreed at their Feb. 13 meeting to have a face-to-face meeting with members of the committee to discuss the direction of the project after two options were presented by committee member Chip Hazard.
Hazard, along with Township Solicitor David Backenstoe and three other members of the building committee, have been in talks with multiple firms to get a sense of what a new maintenance building could cost the township. As of February, Hazard had talked with representatives of J.G. Petrucci Company and Watkins Architect.
Hazard informed the board that the committee recommended the township work with Watkins Architect to carry out the first task outlined by the company, which would offer the township a budget number, a schematic floor plan and a program outline. The cost, Hazard said, would be $3,800 for the first half of task one.
The costs for Petrucci’s services for task one was $3,125. Hazard said that the costs proposed by Petrucci at later stages in the project were “way too much money.”
“We’re recommending Watkins Architect,” Hazard said. “His costs, we thought, were more clearly defined—he’s got $3,800 for task one to do the budget, and he’s got the simple 5 percent and 2 percent for the follow-up costs.”
Watkins Architect designed a maintenance building in Maxatawny Township that is similar to what building committee members in Lehigh Township are looking for.
Backenstoe said that Watkins Architect comes “highly recommended” from multiple other municipalities in the area.
Supervisor Cindy Miller questioned whether or not the township is in a place to get a quote based on building specs and affordability.
“Do we really know what we want this building to be? Are we at that point that we want him to give us a quote? Do we know? I haven’t seen what the committee came up with as far as the building specs.”
Miller said that the board of supervisors hasn’t had a discussion about building plans or specifications with the committee and suggested that the two meet before making a decision.
“I think we need to sit down with the committee and we need to hash out what you came up with with what you want in the building,” Miller said. “I think we need to talk about what we’re looking at here.”
The board agreed to discuss the matter at their next public meeting.
In other business, the board of supervisors accepted the withdrawal of a plan that would have brought a Dollar General to the intersection of Route 248 and Blue Mountain Drive. There was no reason given for the plan withdrawal, according to the township.
The withdrawal comes after proposed development at the township’s Cherryville intersection has been delayed repeatedly, frustrating supervisors and township residents alike.
The board will next meet on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
