During the Allen Township Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, April 25, supervisors reviewed the preliminary final plans for the expanded Stone Ridge Subdivision at Route 329 and Savage Road. However, one critical component was missing from the plans, which caused supervisors to table their decision altogether: sidewalks.
This plan, which has gone through “five or six” different iterations according to Township Solicitor Lincoln Treadwell, was previously reviewed by the township’s planning commission. It proposes over 80 residential units, as well as commercial frontage. The commission ordered developers to revise the plans to include sidewalks. They also ruled that the property’s developer should be responsible for installing them.
However, the plan submitted to supervisors on April 25 did not show sidewalks. Instead, it included a note that said sidewalks would be deferred until land development and provided by “others.”
“It was very clear that the planning commission did not recommend deferring the sidewalks,” said Township Engineer Stan Wojciechowski.
Developers also did not include any planning commission notes from past plans, which they promised to work into this most recent subdivision plan.
Treadwell suggested that supervisors table their decision on this plan until he can understand why sidewalks have not been included. Supervisors agreed to table their discussion but did bring up their concerns regarding a proposed Wawa, which would be developed within the plan’s commercial parcel.
The proposed Wawa, discussed before the board in the summer of 2022, would sit at the southwest corner of Savage Road and Route 329. The 6,000-square-foot convenience store would feature three vehicle entrances, including one on Savage Road next to the proposed Stone Ridge residential properties.
Supervisor Dale Hassler said he’s been observing the layout of other Lehigh Valley Wawa locations. Most of them direct traffic into commercial areas. He cited Wawa locations on MacArthur Road, Route 191 and Schoenersville Road.
“Bringing that [entrance] road onto Savage Road, next to a park and next to housing, is going to be a bad thing,” he said, adding that traffic should be directed toward Route 329 instead.
Savage Road has already become a traffic danger for some drivers.
“We have more accidents at Savage Road and Route 329 now than we do at the Kopper Penny,” Hassler added. “It is something developers need to be aware of.”
In other news, supervisors approved the inter-municipal cooperation agreement with East Allen Township for sanitary sewage transmission from the Northampton Area School Project, currently in development in East Allen. This agreement will provide sewer service from the school project, through Allen Township, to Northampton Borough for treatment. A new manhole will be constructed at Cesanek Road and paid for by the school district.
The school district will pay a $16,900 tapping fee and a $1,500 annual transportation charge to the township.
During the meeting, supervisors also approved security improvements to the fire company building on Howertown Road. New surveillance cameras and door controls will be installed. The township had been awarded a grant of up to $20,000 to complete these upgrades. The current project estimate for this cloud-based security system is $14,784.
Finally, supervisors approved a short-term lease with R.E. Pierson Construction Company. The company will be renting a portion of the fire company’s parking lot and placing a construction office trailer there for the duration of the Howertown Road Bridge Replacement project.
The company will also be tapping into the fire company building’s electricity. The monthly rent to the township will be $1,000.
The next Board of Supervisors meeting will be Tuesday, May 9 at 6 p.m.
