At the supervisors meeting April 28, East Allen Township Manager Deborah Seiple indicated the township was not aware of any proposals for airport-owned property in the township. A local resident asked supervisors to confirm rumors Rockefeller Group had acquired 156 acres of land in the township.

“At this point, you have more information than we do. There have been no proposals presented, and we have not been in contact with anyone from the developer,” Seiple said.

In August of 2015, Rockefeller Group was approved for a warehouse development along Willowbrook Road in Allen Township. The property is owned by Lehigh Valley International Airport. After months of fitful starts, the project appears to have the necessary legal agreements in place to proceed. The warehouse is built for FedEx Ground.

In conjunction with the warehouse, street improvements and widening will be made along Willowbrook Road, Race Street and Airport Road.

The project was sold in an effort to reduce debt incurred by legal problems created by the airport’s previous board.

The latest rumors contend the remaining property controlled by the airport is under agreement with Rockefeller Group to continue expanding warehouse development in the area. Part of the airport property, an estimated 156 acres, is in East Allen Township.

“The property is zoned agriculture. Warehouses are not permitted under the AG (agricultural) designation. Any changes to the present zoning would need to be brought before the board,” Chairman Roger Unangst said.

In other action, the board approved a contract for street repairs totaling $477,000. The winning bidder is Asphalt Maintenance Solutions.

The board approved restricting brake retarders on Airport Road. The township received a letter from the manufacturer of brake retarders, Jacobs Manufacturing Company, saying the colloquial name Jake Brake could not be used on any signage.

“The signs we use do not have any specific product language and are approved by PennDOT,” township Engineer James Milot said.

Brake retarders are officially called compression-release engine brakes.

Unangst asked the board to consider action against large trucks parking in unauthorized areas. According to Unangst, crews repairing Route 512 used his business’ parking area as a staging area.

“Most of the truck traffic we have is for warehouses in two locations,” he said.

Trucks park in unauthorized areas waiting for their turns at the dock. Unangst asked for action that requires warehouse owners to plan for mandatory staging areas.

Township resident Rebecca Sutton asked the board for a waiver from isolation requirements for a septic system on her property. The existing septic system failed, and the owners have plans for a new system, but its location is in violation of the requirement to be 100 feet from the existing well.

Milot explained the well on the property is located in the center of the property at the site best able to prevent contamination from other sources. Sutton reported the 200-foot-deep well is recently new, three years old and conforms to existing standards.

The board granted the waiver as long as the owners would sign an indemnification agreement with the township.