The Salisbury Township Planning Commission learned about progress on the updating of the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance and Zoning Ordinance at the May 14 meeting.

Charlie Schmehl, vice president, Urban Research and Development Corp., township consultant for the SALDO and zoning ordinance update and comprehensive plan, addressed planners and township officials.

A new draft of the zoning ordinance was to have been delivered May 16 to township officials for review.

The draft is being revised to avoid conflicting definitions with the SALDO and stormwater ordinances.

The draft includes new provisions addressing impacts on springs, seeps and high-water table soils and to require buffers along creeks and wetlands. The provisions would apply regardless of the size of the lot. Salisbury will continue to have some of the strictest steep slope provisions in Pennsylvania, it was stated in the revisions' report.

The Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Council recommends solar zoning provisions of the Penn Future organization.

The STEAC is also recommending provisions concerning wind turbines. The draft allows wind turbines that are 90-foot-tall in residential districts and 150-feet-tall in commercial and industrial districts. Both ordinances require setbacks from lot lines equal to the maximum extended blade height. This works out to a one-acre lot for a turbine. The draft also has noise limitations.

One piece of zoning ordinance still outstanding is the Health Care Overlay District. According to Schmehl, Lehigh Valley Health Network officials said issues have been addressed with hospital neighbors. A new draft of this section of the ordinance is expected.