At their March 23 meeting, the Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors discussed a proposed amendment to the zoning map. The area in question is north of Locust Drive, east of Cherryville Road, south of Lehigh Drive, and west of Cherry Road. This land is currently a village residential (VR) lot, but would become agricultural/rural residential (A/RR) with the amendment, as recommended by the planning commission to standardize the area.
The board passed a motion to advertise the zoning change for the area south of Lehigh Drive, west of Locust Drive, north of Cherry Road, and east of Beil Circle as depicted on the map amended at the meeting. According to township solicitor David Backenstoe, the change must be advertised and signs must be posted in the affected area for no less than seven days, but no more than 30 days.
Next, the board granted approval to the fire company to form a committee to begin the search for a firetruck to replace Engine 4712. At this time, the board is not authorizing the spending of any money on a new truck; with the COVID-19 pandemic and unplanned purchases, the board of supervisors has to work with the fire company to come up with enough money to buy the truck when necessary.
In other business, the Cherryville intersection project is making progress with the relocation of poles; however, a pre-construction meeting with PennDOT is still needed before construction can begin. The board is still waiting on the final set of plans and estimates for the new maintenance building as well.
Teel Road residents expressed their concern about a fellow resident’s construction project. The property has two parts, an upper residential home and a lower farmland. The resident is creating a second driveway with a permit to improve land from the township, supposedly for farm equipment.
However, the other residents are concerned that the owner will use it to run a landscaping company out of, which would be in violation of the current zoning regulations in the area; they are also concerned about ecological concerns, especially with water runoff and rerouting. Finally, their biggest concern is that the farmland portion of the property is in dispute between the former owners and the purchaser, and it seems the litigation went against the current owner.
The board agreed to send Zoning Officer Elizabeth Gehman and Township Engineer Phillip Malitsch out to take a look at the project and surrounding area.
The next Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 13 at 7 p.m. in the municipal building; an ordinance proposing bed and breakfast criteria will be discussed.
