A dispute about the handling of the updating of the Salisbury Township Zoning Ordinance erupted at the Oct. 8 township Planning Commission meeting and spilled over into the Oct. 10 township Board of Commissioners meeting.

The concern prompted a nearly one-hour, closed-door executive session by township commissioners and officials Oct. 10, a statement by the township manager and a recommendation by a township resident.

The disagreement apparently arose over the pace of adoption of the ordinance, part of an overhall of township regulations concerning development that began with the adoption of an updated township Comprehensive Plan. The Subdivision And Land Development Plan is also being updated.

The agenda for the Oct. 8 planners' meeting stated: "Review of Zoning-SALDO amendments - action to be taken regarding recommendation to send the Zoning Ordinance to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission for review and comment."

The agenda continued: "Also, we need to evaluate a date for the Zoning Ordinance public meeting."

At the Oct. 8 meeting, planners received several sheets of zoning ordinance changes from consultant Charlie Schmehl, vice president, Urban Research and Land Development, Inc. and balked at taking action.

Township Manger Randy Soriano, who attended the planners' meeting, urged the board to approve sending the ordinance to the Lehigh Valley planners.

Township Planning Commission Chairman Charles Beck, as well as Vice Chairman Steven J. McKitish Jr. and Planner Glenn Miller, said they wanted more time to review Schmehl's changes, which none of the planners had seen prior to the Oct. 8 meeting.

The planners disagreed with Soriano's urging them to act on the ordinance, which planners, Director of Planning and Zoning Cynthia Sopka and Schmehl have been working on for about two years.

Prior to the kerfuffle, township resident Adele Clemmer told township planners, "I would like to express my thanks to you. Nobody got exactly what they wanted but that's compromise."

"We've reviewed it and it's worked out pretty good," said Chuck Siuciak, who, along with Clemmer, is a member of the Neighborhood Advisory Council.

Miller had suggested formation of the Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest and neighbors' advisory committee, which met frequently concerning the Health Care Overlay District and Transitional Overlay District, intended to help safeguard residents' home values.

At the Oct. 10 commissioners' meeting, Clemmer issued and read from a letter which stated, "We would also suggest that you listen to the recording of the Planning Commission meeting."

Clemmer, a former planning commisson member, recommended planners and Sopka hold a public workshop "to finish the new zoning ordinance."

The letter was signed by Clemmer and Susan J. Hoffman, vice president, marketing & public affairs, Lehigh Valley Health Network. Hoffman is one of the LVHN representatives attending planners' and residents' meetings.

McKitish was the first planner to express concern about approving the ordinance at the Oct. 8 meeting.

"I don't think we can discuss it and act on it now. It seems like some of these questions are fairly major," McKitsh said.

"Each one of us has to have a final version to look at," McKitish added.

"Let's send them [LV Planners] what we all agree with," Miller said.

"The concern of the hospital is: At what point does it stop?" Atty. Timothy J. Siegfried, LVHN counsel, said. "There has to be some finality."

At the Oct. 10 commissioners' meeting, Clemmer began speaking at 7:45 p.m. and presented a second letter which she did not read aloud, saying it "is more appropriately discussed in executive session."

"What happened?" Commissioner Debra Brinton asked Clemmer, who was at the Oct. 8 planners' meeting.

"There was a difference of opinion as to whether it [the zoning ordinance] should go to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission [for review]," Clemmer said.

"There was a heated discussion, which got out of hand, to say the least," Clemmer said of the Oct. 8 planners' meeting.

"You could see the tension building. And at the Tuesday meeting, it exploded. It was a shouting match," Clemmer said.

"There are some ramifications with some members of the planning commission. I would hate to see them leave," Clemmer said at the Oct. 10 commissioners meeting, which Beck also attended.

"We didn't have enough time to look at it [the errata sheets] because we got it that day," Beck said.

Commissioners adjourned for executive session 7:50 p.m. Oct. 10, returning to the Muncipal Building meeting room nearly one hour later at 8:40 p.m.

Soriano said, "My nature is that I sometimes get a little excited. It had no reflection on the planning commission. I was just expressing my opinion about the process.

"Whatever I said don't take it personal. It was not meant to be confrontational," Soriano said.

"I know the neighbors worked together. And that was a blessing," Soriano said.

"Two years a year longer than it should have been," Board of Commissioners President James Brown said of the ordinances update.

"It seems to me that the commission has been working for a very long time. Tuesday, it just came to a head," Brown said.

"Something has to be done to accelerate this process," Charles Clemmer said. "If you just work out the process, it's going to take another six months."

Brown instructed Sopka to discuss the matter with Schmehl.

"I'm willing to sit down with Charlie [Schmehl]," Sopka said.