At the Hanover Townshp Council’s July 20 meeting, a resident had complained the new sewer replacement program in Chestnut Grove had required the removal of a row of arborvitae that had acted as a noise and sight barrier. The neighborhood is located behind the Day’s Inn Motel on Airport Road.

On Aug. 3, township Engineer Albert Kortze presented council with several options to remedy the situation.

“The 6-foot vinyl fence was included in the bid for about $11,000,” he said. Other options included a double-sided vinyl sound barrier fence, 8 feet high, at a cost of $42,000. Pre-cast concrete panels would run close to $80,000, he said. Extending the 6-foot fence to 8 feet would be around $16,000.

Kortze contended, however, that the row of arborvitae had not been a noise deterrent.

“You need a row of trees about 50-foot wide to be an effective noise deterrent,” he said.

Councilman Bob Heimbecker proposed that council postpone a decision until the next meeting.

“I don’t really want to spend $42,000 on a fence,” Chairman Bruce Paulus said.

Rickie Bonn, president of the Chestnut Grove Homeowners Association, was at the meeting.

“The 6-foot fence is better than what we had before,” she said. “The trees never really kept anyone out. They could always cut through.”

In other business, township Manager Sandra Pudliner noted preparations are underway for a Sept. 14 drug awareness meeting. Several local people actively involved in drug awareness programs will be speakers.

Council awarded its 2016 Road Resurfacing Program to Bracalente Construction Inc. of Northampton. The winning bid was $155,534.78, subject to a review by Kortz. Four companies had bid on the project. The township has a history of dealing with Bracalente and is confident that the bid can be approved.

Paulus asked township Solicitor Jackson Eaton to draft regulations on the location of cell towers in the township. Although council routinely approves cell towers in business areas, there is new legislation pending that will grant cell towers the same status as a utility.

“The proposed new law gives cell tower owners wide authority on where they can locate their towers,” Paulus said. “When they are treated as a utility, they can put a tower up on private land.”