Upper Nazareth Township Meetings

Upper Nazareth Supervisor’s meeting – November 15, 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS/EVENTS

Former Supervisor Andy Donello passed away recently. Township representatives spent a few minutes remembering Andy and expressing appreciation for his service

Leaf pickup in the township began on October 30^th and will continue as long as it’s needed

November 18^th – Last day in 2023 to use the Yard Waste facility on Friedenstahl Ave

December 1^st – 7:00 PM Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Municipal Building. Santa will attend and there will be music and free cocoa

PUBLIC COMMENT

Several residents from Farmview Estates spoke against a request from the Chrin Corporation to change the zoning on Tatamy Road parcel J8-21-2A-0432 from Medium Density Housing to L-1 Light Industrial. Residents were concerned that this meant another warehouse would be constructed in the area, but Supervisors insisted that plans are commercial business and light manufacturing. Supervisors will take a vote on the proposed ordinance at their meeting on December 6^th.

I made a statement about how the property owner knew the zoning designation when the land was purchased and is not entitled to any changes. I also related the history of sinkholes in the area as the parcel is classified as Karst geology. Previous issues with dewatering of the Bushkill Creek, paving and constructing large warehouses has caused the collapse of the Stockertown/Tatamy bridge, the destruction of 4 houses in Palmer Township and the closure of Tatamy Road for 3 months in 2021 to repair large sinkholes in the drain field next to the Amazon warehouse. Recently, Palmer Township taxpayers had to repair a bridge on Hollo Road and fix an oxbow in the creek near Route 33.

A 2^nd Street asked, if the Supervisors approved the change, could the development morph from its proposal of commercial space to something else, such as a warehouse?

A Silo Circle resident said she was concerned about traffic and noise from any new development and said she was against any new warehouses.

Another 2^nd Street resident complained that cars are cutting through  Farmview Estates and that she is also concerned about noise, traffic, dust and gravel. The parcel is next to the Intermediate School and it would not be appropriate to put a warehouse there. Increased traffic would threaten those students who walk home after school. She requested that the Supervisors represent the residents on this issue.

Scott Sylvanius said the property owner will do a presentation on the project on December 6^th and requested everyone in attendance come to that meeting.

Gary Asteak said that this issue came up because the property owners applied for this change and that December 6^th was sure to be a big night.

A 5^th Street resident said she doesn’t want affordable housing to be built on that site.

A Silo Circle resident said the township needed to be careful about what kind of development could be placed near a school.

Several Silo Circle residents complained about the noise from the Amazon warehouses. Even at night they can hear the beeping and unloading of the trucks. The new development could change the dynamic of the whole neighborhood.

A resident from Penn Allen Road, who looked a bit stunned by the discussion, said he was again any new warehouses, but he wanted to request that a Stop sign be installed at Penn Allen and Martin St. Recently there was a head-on collision at the intersection. He was informed that the first step would be to have the Police collect data in the area to see if a stop sign was warranted.

Linda Stubitz, who serves on the School Board and lives on Manchester Way, reported that Chrin did a presentation on the project at the School Board meeting and that a recording is available on the NASD website. She said the project includes small businesses and offices and that the building is proposing a traffic light be installed on Tatamy Road which would help with traffic. Chrin came to the School District because they need approval for an emergency access route which would go through the Intermediate School. The School Board may vote on this on November 28^th.

The Township reported that they haven’t spoken to the Superintendent about this issue yet.

ENGINEER

The Engineer reported on the completed Traffic Study at Daniels Road and Knauss Road. He said the crash analysis did not warrant installing signal lights but recommended redoing the striping to better define the road at the fork. A more expensive fix would include realigning Knauss Road. Gary Asteak reported that Bushkill Township has bought the property at the fork which was the site of a bad accident last year.

MANAGER

Approval to advertise the 2024 meetings for re-organization, the Board of Supervisors, the Planning Commission, the Zoning Board, Recreation and Environmental Advisory Committee

PLANNING & ZONING

The Supervisors voted to reject a plan to redevelop the building at 373 East Lawn due to a problem with the preliminary plan requirements, 22A Section 403. The builder is expected to resubmit the plan

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Bryan Sayago reported that the EAC is considering 3 properties for land preservation

PUBLIC WORKS

Approval to accept a resignation letter from a full-time employee

Approval to advertise for a new full-time employee

POLICE DEPARTMENT

Approval to purchase 10 Vehicle Printers from L-Tron Corp for $6,398.30

Approval to put a 2010 Ford Crown Vic and a 2017 Dodge Charger up on Muncibid

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Township agencies assisted the bomb squad with removal of explosives at a house on Neville Way on November 8^th

FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Chief thanked Lisa Klem for applying for an LSA grant to replace the pumper/tanker truck.

Becky Bartlett covers these meetings because citizens have a right to know what their government is doing.