UPPER MILFORD SUPERVISORS
Upper Milford supervisors reluctantly gave final approval to plans for the Chestnut Street Wellness Center at the April 6 meeting. The vote was 2-1, with supervisors Chairman George DeVault opposed.
The plans for the center had been a topic of lengthy discussion at a meeting last month, with traffic at the entrance to the center a major concern.
Last week, Supervisor Robert Sentner initially made a motion to oppose the plan, but supervisors were warned by Solicitor Marc Fisher that because they had initially approved the plan last month, they could be subjecting themselves to a lawsuit. DeVault had opposed the plan at that meeting also.
The center, which will be occupied by two physicians, is being proposed by Pro-Cere Constructors LLC on the site of the former Blue Butterfly Tea Room and gift shop. The plans are to remove the tea room building and add on to the existing gift shop building.
In other action at last week’s meeting, after discussion with parties who have been taking part in Emergency Services Steering Committee meetings, supervisors directed township staff to put together a framework formalizing committee as a regular township board. Involved in the committee meetings have been representatives of the ambulance corps which serve the township, Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator James Krippe, as well as the township’s two fire companies.
Supervisors also heard a presentation from Township Manager Daniel DeLong about the need to develop a plan for a sewage system for the village of Old Zionsville. DeLong said there are a number of small lots in the area with septic systems which have limited life spans. In a telephone interview, DeVault said approximately 100 properties would be affected.
He stressed the discussion was very preliminary, with any action probably four to five years down the road.
In other business, the board approved a letter to Lehigh County supporting the county’s bid for a Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant to buy a parcel of land on South Mountain from the borough of Emmaus.