Odyssey of the Mind , Page 16
The Home News Your Local News
FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6, 2019
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Concerns about traffic at Proposed Lehigh Township resort By JOE KORBA A special joint session of the Lehigh Township Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors was held on February 19 to discuss the resort property, Lehigh Valley Resort and Spa, being built by Jaindl Land Co. on the 600acre grounds of the former Mary Immaculate Seminary at 300 Cherryville Road. The proposed first phase of the development includes a 206-room hotel, an event venue and a “farm-to-table” restaurant. The second phase will include residential development for a 50+ senior community. J. Scott Pidcock, of the Pidcock Company, a Civil Engineering Firm representing the Jaindls, spoke about the project and addressed some concerns. “This is a big project, too big to speculate about,” Pidcock said. “We are post concept and working on the details,” he continued. Pidcock
tied the development of the former seminary, a structure built in 1939 to be a Catholic School of theology, to other noted properties in the area. “We read about architecture in the Lehigh Valley being taken down, like Martin Tower. The market doesn’t reward re-purposing old buildings, but what you have in Lehigh Township is worth saving,” he said. The first issues discussed had to do with rainwater management and retention basins. The Planning Commission and the Supervisors both agreed to waive a requirement for a four-foot high fence around a basin that will continually be full of water and serve as a water feature near an event barn, be bordered by vegetation and have a gentle sloping grade. “This isn’t going to be a water hole, but rather a beautiful feature,” Pidcock said. They also waived gradient requirements
for a second basin that is going to hold water for irrigation. A flood-plain study for the creek along Indian Trail Road was deferred until deemed necessary. The sewer plant would also need to be expanded to accommodate the seminary being re-purposed into a hotel, which would require the Township giving up about three quarters of an acre for the expansion. Both boards decided to table further discussion of the sewage treatment plant, which would include a land-swap or cash from the developers. One of the biggest points of contention was the road improvements slated for Cherryville Road to accommodate the resort. Planning Commission Chairman David Shulman pressed Pidcock on how many people could be at the resort at any one time, to Continued on page 2
Former Mary Immaculate Seminary at 300 Cherryville Road.
To market to market
submitted by ANN MARIE THOMAS Sacred Heart School recently hosted its annual 3rd Grade Marketplace. Third graders produced and sold goods to other students, teachers, parents, and grandparents. This project was the culmina-
tion of an economics unit in which the students learned firsthand about supply and demand, goods and services, expenses and profit and much more. Together this year’s class raised $875, which they donated to the Penn State Thon for the care of children with cancer.
Moore Twp. Planning Commission approves Plans for Fire Damaged Home Ordinance
By HANNA O’REILLY The Moore Township Planning Commission met on February 25 for their monthly meeting. The board went through the reorganization for positions with John Becker as chairman, David Frey as Vice President, and Jason Harhart as secretary. Aqua America Pennsylvania is moving forward with their plans to replace two water tanks at the Christian Springs and Evanwood Station properties. The water tanks on the properties did not meet the updated property re-
quirements and will be increasing in size. Evanwood’s tank will be expanding to 15,000 gallons and Christian Springs will be expanding to 20,000 gallons. Both tanks are currently underground Continued on page 3
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