Supervisors purchase 25 acres for nature preserve
Upper Milford supervisors, at their June 2 meeting, purchased two parcels of land totaling 24.9 acres from Chris Fulmer.
The land, along with adjacent land already donated to the township by Harold Fulmer, will create a 35-acre tract to be known as the Harold G. Fulmer Nature Preserve.
The two additional parcels were a vacant lot at 3750 Quarry Drive, for which the township will pay $100,000 and a second tract at 3641 Main Road East, at a price of $288,000. There is currently a tenant on that land.
Supervisors also announced at their next meeting, June 16, they will adopt an ordinance which will officially place the open space referendum on the November ballot. The referendum, which has been extensively discussed in the past few weeks, will ask voters to approve a .1385 percent increase in the earned income tax to finance the acquisition of land for the preservation of open space. The full wording of the referendum can be found on the township website.
In other action at the June 2 meeting, supervisors:
·Approved a maximum 35 mph speed limit on Sweetwood Drive between Macungie Mountain Road and Stone Croft Circle. Residents of Sweetwood Drive had asked for the speed limit and agreed to pay for the signs.
·Announced three requests to include land in the agricultural security area: One from Mr. and Mrs. Charles Peters Jr. to add 21.9 acres at 5621 Chestnut St.; one from Ms. Barbara E. Peters to add 20 acres at 5633 Chestnut St.; and one from the estate of Richard Fleming to add 25 acres at 7661 Beryl Road. The requests were expected to be acted on at the June 7 meeting of the Agricultural Security Advisory Board.
·Approved entering into an intergovernmental wastewater transportation agreement with Lower Macungie Township and the Lehigh County Authority to share sewage lines. This action is part of what is required to approve the Fields at Indian Creek age-restricted development at Cedar Crest Boulevard and Chestnut Street.
·Approved promoting part-time public works employee Dakota DeLong to full time to fill the vacancy left by the recent resignation of Cody Schmeltzle. Supervisors noted he is no relation to Township Manager Dan DeLong.
· Met in executive session for nearly an hour at the beginning of the meeting to discuss real estate, personnel and litigation.