What seemed to be a fairly routine item on Monday's Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners workshop agenda resulted in the commissioners questioning the work of a state agency.

The discussion involved allowing PennDOT a small piece of land at the Wood Street Playground in Fullerton. A vote on the matter will take place during the commissioners' August meeting when a second reading is held.

"I'm not voting on anything until I know what's going on with PennDOT," Commissioner Dennis Hower said.

The board has been critical of PennDOT's work on road and bridge projects in the past. The commissioners, in particular, have taken issue with Penn-DOT's scheduled closure of the Fifth Street Bridge.

Currently, PennDOT wants a sliver of land from the playground for its Route 22 widening and bridge project. The township would receive $1,000 for the land.

It is the second time Penn-DOT is seeking a small area of the Wood Street play site, according to Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr.

Hozza told the board if it chooses to vote against the land transfer, PennDOT would seek legal action through Lehigh County Court to have the property taken by eminent domain. If this occurs, the township would not be allotted the $1,000, but still have to surrender the land.

Hozza said Fullerton Avenue improvements are slated for 2015-17. Another two years would be required for the widening and bridge work on Route 22.

Hozza said the project is federally funded.

"That's our ace in the hole," he told board members.

Hozza said if the township is not satisfied with the work, local, federal elected officials should be contacted.

"If you vote no, you're going to vote for potential litigation," Hozza said.

"Someone got to have a harness on those [Penn-DOT] people," Commissioner Vice President Phil Ginder said.

Ginder added a Penn-DOT representative attended an earlier commissioners meeting, explaining the proposed improvements for the Route 329/Route 145 intersection at Egypt.

According to Ginder, there was "not a whole lot of interest in what we were saying."