The Moore Township Board of Supervisors met on Thursday, September 9 to discuss proposed ordinances and amendments.
The first ordinance discussed was a draft ordinance prepared by solicitor David Backenstoe stating that the township intends to vacate Trapper Road.
Vacating a road simply means that it would be removed from the township’s road maps and that they would give up public interest in it. Backenstoe explained that private use of the road, if any, would still be able to continue if and when the road is vacated.
The township plans to vacate the half-mile road because it has never known where the road actually is nor has it been maintained. Therefore, the board of supervisors approved a motion to move forward with the ordinance and schedule a hearing at their next meeting.
Next, the board discussed an ordinance prohibiting trucks on West Dell Road between Copello Road and Moorestown Drive.
This ordinance was drafted after a traffic study demonstrated the road does not have suitable conditions to support truck traffic. The ordinance will not affect school buses, emergency vehicles, or trucks for local deliveries.
The final ordinance discussed at the board of supervisors meeting was the ever-popular warehouse ordinance. The ordinance was drafted after residents expressed their dismay at a proposed warehouse sketch plan in the Southmoore Golf Course area.
Many eyes, including the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, township residents, and Backentstoe, have gone over the ordinance and so the ordinance was ready for adoption at the meeting. The board of supervisors approved a motion to adopt the ordinance; however, the ordinance will not have an effect on the proposed Southmoore warehouse as a plan was submitted prior to the ordinance being adopted.
The board also discussed a potential substation project and their plans for the American Rescue Plan (ARP) money.
Met-Ed, an electric utility company, got in contact with the township a few months ago after they purchased property at the intersection of Point Phillips and Williams Road. They intend to construct a substation there to provide electricity to their customers.
Solicitor Backenstoe said the township does not have a lot of information on the project, and they may not get any more as the project is regulated by the Public Utility Commission (PUC). Pennsylvania law states that the PUC preempts the township in these situations, unless construction of a building is proposed. This means that Moore Township has no authority to regulate the project or impose zoning and subdivisions regulations.
The Moore Township supervisors made and approved a motion that would allow Engineer Kevin Horvath to look into the project using the information the board has and getting in contact with the project’s engineer; this is to ensure there is nothing the township needs to take care of.
As for the ARP funds, Township Manager Nicholas Steiner stated that the township’s website is outdated and does not support operating systems and browsers on mobile devices. The current website was created by NAStudios, who are willing to update the website for approximately $4,500; the board supported this idea and approved the motion.
Finally, the board of supervisors set their October and November meeting dates. They will meet on Thursday, October 7 and Thursday, November 4; both meetings will be held at 6 p.m. in the Klecknersville Rangers Fire Hall, on Mountain View Drive.
