PALMER TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING

FEBRUARY 21, 2005

 

A regular meeting of the Palmer Township Board of Supervisors was held on Monday, February 21, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room of the Palmer Library with four supervisors present.  Dave Colver was absent.  Also present were the Township Manager, Public Services Director, Planning Director, and Township Solicitor.  Joe Nixon from the Morning Call, and Chris Pollock from the Express Times represented the news media.  Vice-Chairman Lammi convened the meeting and led those present in the Pledge to the Flag.

 

2.   APPROVAL OF DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS – FEBRUARY 21, 2005

 

      INFORMATION

 

      The reports will be provided at the meeting.

 

      DISCUSSION

 

      On motion by Panella, seconded by Smith, and agreed by all, the Board approved the disbursement of funds for February 21, 2005.

 

3.   APPROVAL OF MINUTES – FEBRUARY 7, 2005

 

      DISCUSSION

 

      On motion by Smith, seconded by Mitchell, Lammi abstaining; the Board approved the minutes of February 7, 2005, as written.

 

4.   AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ESTATE OF DORIS M. REMALY AND SELVAGGIO ENTERPRISES, INC.

 

      INFORMATION       

           

                  The Board needs to approve/disapprove the agreement.

 

                  DISCUSSION

 

      Bruno said previously there was a deferral request until such time that the developer would be ready to develop the property.  Bruno said now the agreement is signed by the developer and the Remaly Estate.  Bruno recommended passage of the agreement and said the Township Engineer also recommended approval.  Mitchell said he thought we were giving them a deferral until the township deemed it necessary to widen the road.  Lammi said if we defer now and then we want to improve the road later we can withdraw the deferral.  Bruno said that is correct in the typical case.  Lammi said the wording in the agreement is a deferral.  Bruno said he will look into this further and bring it back to the March 7, 2005 meeting.  

5.   REZONING CONSIDERATION FOR MELHEM PROPERTY

 

      INFORMATION       

           

The Board needs to discuss whether they will entertain the request to rezone the property at South 25th Street and Williamson Street.

 

DISCUSSION

 

Bruno said he received a letter that was addressed to Bob Smith, requesting rezoning of the Melhem property.  It’s up to the Board tonight if they would like to entertain that request.

 

Dan Cohen, Attorney for the developer, said they meet with the township planning representatives a few weeks ago.  Cohen said at that meeting the parties, more or less, agreed it would be easier to develop if the zoning was changed.  Cohen said this would allow some affordable housing in a high density development.  Cohen said there will still be a need for some variances down the road.

 

Panella asked how large of an area are we looking at.  The Board reviewed the plan.   Lammi said this came before the Planning Commission several times and said it’s a difficult piece of land because of the deep slope.  Lammi said it was agreed it would work better with townhouses in the one area and that would also give us some affordable housing in the township.  Lammi said changing it to HDR it is also consistent with that area.

 

Cohen said it wouldn’t be a large number of townhouses.  Bruno said two quads were discussed at the Planning Commission meeting.  Bruno asked if his client would be willing to submit a land development plan concurrent with this request.  Cohen said they would.

 

On motion by Panella, seconded by Smith, and agreed by all, the Board agreed to entertain the request to rezone a tract of land located on South 25th Street and Williamson Street from its current zoning classification of Medium Density Residential to High Density Residential, conditioned upon the developer submitting a land development plan and the developer establishing an escrow of $5,000.

 

6.   NETHERLAND BULB COMPANY SECURITY RELEASE

 

      INFORMATION       

           

The Board needs to approve/disapprove the security release of $21,650.

 

      DISCUSSION

 

On motion by Smith, seconded by Mitchell, and agreed by all, the Board agreed to approve the security release for the Netherland Bulb Company in the amount of $21,650.

 

7.   GLENMOOR REALTY, L.P. ESCROW RELEASE

 

      INFORMATION       

           

The Board needs to approve/disapprove the escrow release for Glenmoor Realty.

 

      DISCUSSION

 

      On motion by Smith, seconded by Panella, and agreed by all, the Board approved the Escrow release for Glenmoor Realty, L.P. in the amount of $199,200.

 

8.   CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATUS

 

INFORMATION       

           

Bob Daws said the Citizens Advisory Committee is no longer holding meetings.  Bob Lammi recommended the Board discuss the future status of the committee.

 

DISCUSSION

 

      Lammi said this committee has become dormant and he feels because the committee was established by a previous Board of Supervisors, the Board should decide its future.  Lammi said he would like to talk to Mr. Daws and see if there are any other individuals interested in participating on this committee before we make any decisions.  Lammi said he’d like to hold off on a decision until after he can further investigate the matter.  The Board agreed.

 

9.   SENATOR WONDERLING - MUNICIPAL OUTREACH SURVEY

 

INFORMATION       

           

The Board needs to discuss items to include in the survey response.

 

DISCUSSION

 

      Anckaitis said Amanda Jensen, Planning Director, had put in front of them a completed survey with thoughts from the staff.  Anckaitis said it can be changed as the Board sees fit.  Lammi said Jensen’s list included the items he felt were the top three projects.  Lammi said regarding the transportation issues he also put down issues regarding the major redevelopment planned in Bethlehem Township at Freemansburg Avenue and Route 33, and how that will impact our township.  Lammi said he also included the Route 248 and Park Avenue future road improvements.

 

      Smith said he agrees with Lammi about the Freemansburg Avenue issues.  Smith said that’s something we’ll have to consider, how it will affect the Stones Crossing area.

 

      Lammi asked Jensen to talk to Howard Kutzler at Bethlehem Township regarding the impact of traffic to Palmer Township.  Jensen will add Freemansburg Avenue and Route 248 and Park Avenue items to the survey.

 

10. PUBLIC COMMENT

 

      None

 

11. REPORTS

 

Solicitor

·        Bruno said at a previous meeting Mr. White, 38 Country Side Court, came to the Board asking to enter into a fence agreement related to placing a fence on his property in a storm drainage easement.  Bruno said the White’s have paid all the costs associated with the agreement.  On motion by Mitchell, seconded by Smith, and agreed by all, the Board authorized the Chairman to sign the agreement.

 

·        Bruno had two litigation, one real estate, and one personnel item for executive session.

 

Manager

·        Anckaitis gave the Board a letter from Penndot regarding the driveway entrance to the community center.  Anckaitis said Penndot agreed the drive should be classified as a driveway.  Anckaitis said Tom Adams and Brian Dillman gave good rationale to Penndot regarding the drive being classified as a driveway.

 

·        Anckaitis gave the Board a packet of information from Lehigh Valley Hospital.  Anckaitis said Lehigh Valley Hospital has asked if the township would participate in a summer walking program.  Anckaitis said the hospital will do all the tracking of information.  Anckaitis said all the township needs to do is agree to participate, and indicate where our drop off point will be for participants to drop off log sheets.  Anckaitis said we would only need to tally the log sheets and fax the information to the hospital representative.  Anckaitis said the hospital will do all the advertising and promotional work.  Anckaitis said the hospital will be tracking miles walked by different municipalities.  Lammi asked if there was time to put something in the township newsletter and Panella said it was too late.  Lammi said he’ll put something on the website.

 

Public Services Director

·        Adams said the traffic lights at Northampton Street and 25th Street, Northampton and Corporate Drive, and Northampton and Sales Street should be up and running in about two weeks.

 

Planning Director

·        Jensen had the Zoning Hearing Board agenda and asked the Board if they had any issues with the agenda.  Lammi questioned the sign requests and asked if the Board had any problem with them going to the Zoning Hearing Board.  The Board was okay with the requests.

 

Supervisors

·        Lammi said he was pleased to see a news release from the Secretary of DEP and Secretary of Transportation regarding the sinkholes along the Bushkill Creek.  Lammi said they are finally becoming very proactive versus reactive.  Lammi said it appears that they’ve made arrangements to purchase and transport materials so once a sinkhole is noticed they will jump right on it and try to seal it very quickly.

 

·        Panella asked for verification regarding the new Emergency Municipal Services Tax and how it would apply to someone who paid one amount in one municipality and later that year began working in another municipality that charged a different amount.  Anckaitis said under the old OPT tax if they could show they paid the tax to another municipality, we wouldn’t charge them again.  Anckaitis said with the Municipal Services Tax if an individual paid Forks $52, and then they become employed here, I told Panella we’d charge them $10 for our OPT.  Anckaitis said since I made that statement Senator Boscola has sent out clarification on the new Municipal Services Tax and it says the OPT tax no longer exists.  Anckaitis said, in this case, they would have paid their Emergency Municipal Services Tax for that year to the previous municipality.

 

      On motion by Mitchell, seconded by Panella, and agreed by all, the meeting was adjourned at 7:40 p.m. with two litigation, one real estate, and one personnel item for executive session.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Robert G. Anckaitis

Township Manager