Washngton Township supervisors have given conditional final approval to the Antioch Church plan for the old White Christmas Tree Farm on High Hill Road.

There were complaints from residents saying they had not received notices of zoning hearings.

Supervisors were asked if the township would enforce deed restrictions. Engineer Roy Stewart, of Keystone Consulting Engineers, Wescosville, said it does not.

Solicitor John Ashley said the township will enforce zoning hearing board restrictions.

To get a deed restriction changed requires a zoning hearing.

Antioch Attorney Kimberly Freimuth said the deed restrictions will be the same as the zoning restrictions.

If they are the same, Ashley said, the township would enforce them.

Supervisors were asked what would happen if a new owner would want to turn the three buildings into apartments.

That would require a new land development plan, Stewart said.

Permission could not just be given by the supervisors without zoning approval, Ashley said. A zoning decision can always be appealed within 30 days.

Ashley said everyone within 300 feet of the property should have been notified of the hearings at the time of the first one in 2010.

Yet one man, whose property abuts the church property, and one across the street, said they had not been notified.

Ashley said it had been up to the church to provide the names of people within the 300-foot area.

Freimuth said there will be a maximum of 72 people and only for a week at a time.

Supervisors were asked about the adequacy of the sewage system for 72 people.

Ashley said a sewage plan would be a condition of approval and it also requires Department of Environmental Protection approval.

Residents wanted to know if it would be a taxable property or exempt on religious grounds.

The building would be exempt.

This led residents to complain the township makes it difficult for tax-paying businesses but supports a non-taxpaying church.

The plan received conditional approval, with the conditions being a highway occupancy permit and the Keystone Consulting comments in a letter dated Aug. 6.

In other business: Northern Lehigh Future Focus thanked the board for a $300 contribution toward printing a historical-markers brochure, which it hopes will be a valuable, educational asset.

Citizens Fire Company requested and received its 2012 budgeted donation of $5,000.

A nuisance ordinance includes such items as cesspools and wells that are not covered properly, excavations for buildings left open more than 30 days, fire damage not cleaned up within 120 days, unregistered motor vehicles kept in the open or lawn equipment that can be heard more than 40-feet from a residence.

Anyone not in compliance will receive a notice from the township. If nothing is done, the township can go on the property to abate the nuisance at the owner's cost. The board adopted the ordinance.

George Kern, emergency management director, received his annual allocation of $500.

Carl Hamm had previously discussed a swimming pool filled with brown water.

Zoning Officer Jason Yaich said the water was treated by the county to prevent mosquitos.

He said there is a phone number posted on the back door for questions.

Michele Roth complained about weeds obstructing sight at Route 873 and Best Station Road.

Secretary JoAnn Ahner called PennDOT but received no results. She gave the phone number to Roth to call.

Resident Ed Zeigler thanked the township for cleaning defaced road signs.

He told the board his quarry may contain an airplane with five missing people in it. He had a diving crew bring up a car and plans to do so again to look for the plane.