A new assisted living facility has been given the go-ahead for construction by the Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners.

By a vote of 4-0, with one commissioner absent at the Oct. 24 meeting, the board approved the preliminary-final land development for Legacy Place, 2051 Bevin Drive.

The Salisbury Township Planning Commission had voted 5-0, with two planners absent Oct. 8, to recommend commissioners approve the preliminary-final land development plan for Legacy Place.

The developer, Posh Properties, is to build a personal care home and assisted living memory care facility on a 2.45-acre vacant tract at Bevin Drive and Regent Court in the C1 Office-Laboratory zoning district.

Jeffrey J. Ott, of Ott Consulting, Inc., representing Posh, told commissioners that the plan is for two one-story buildings with 40 beds total and 10 parking spaces on the southeast corner of Bevin and Regent, about 350 feet west of Lehigh Street. There would be a single access road.

The plan for the site in western Salisbury near the borough of Emmaus was first presented at the March planners' meeting. Extensions of time for the planners' approval process were granted several times. Planners reviewed the plan again in October because of changes to the storm water collection system.

The matter of storm water run-off, which has been a concern of residents who live in the vicinity of the proposed facility, was raised by Commissioner Joanne Ackerman.

According to Ott, storm water run-off will be reduced from 6.7 cubic feet per second to 3.7 cubic feet per second. At other times, runoff will be reduced from 14.3 cubic feet per second to 8.4 cubic feet per second.

"When we reviewed this plan, we were very cognizant of the runoff at Regent Court," said David J. Tettemer, township consulting engineer, of Keystone Consulting Engineers, Inc.

Storage tanks to collect the stormwater will be located underground. The stormwater will be released through a timed sprinkler system.

"There will still be problems there. This will not eliminate them," Tettemer said.

Ott displayed an artist's rendering of the facility. "The goal is to make it residential," Ott said.

"I think you succeeded," Board President James Brown said. "It has curb-appeal."

As part of the approval, commissioners backed the planners' recommendation for waivers to combine the preliminary and final plan, for certain site slope restrictions and for a flat base for the underground storage tank and deferrals for sidewalks and street trees at an intersection.

Previously, a bank and office building was proposed for the site.