Allen Township Board of Supervisors set up the first regular meeting of July in the fire hall expecting a large audience. Instead, the crowd was sparse, but the meeting with Jaindl-Watson’s development team proved to be helpful.

At Allen Township Planning Commission’s June 18 meeting, the commission members forwarded a list of changes they negotiated with the developer and asked the supervisors for guidance. The meeting between Jaindl-Watson and the supervisors was set for July 10.

For the first revision, the developer proposed extending a public water line 5,000 feet to serve residents in and around East Allen Gardens. The alternative was proposed rather than make improvements to Mud Lane.

Supervisors agreed with the recommendation of the planning commission to approve the revision.

The next item on the list was a commitment from the developer for more open space. The original plan called for five acres of dedicated open space around a wetlands area. David Jaindl addressed the new commitment to 40.33 acres.

“We heard suggestions made by residents for a natural environment. We rearranged some of the buildings to accommodate more open space,” he said.

Supervisors asked for a clarification because there is a possibility that the land could be used at a later date for warehouse development. Jaindl confirmed there were no intentions to further develop the land and agreed to a conservation easement prepared by the township solicitor that would protect the woodlands in perpetuity.

The board accepted the change with the understanding that details of the conservation easement would be worked out between the developer and the township solicitor.

The existing Seemsville Road interchange with Route 329 is changed to a point 650 feet east. The exact location was chosen by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The new intersection would be signalized. The new Seemsville Road would be on property belonging to the Northampton Area School District.

Allen Township, through the developer, would be responsible for maintaining the street and the traffic signal. The issue is that the new street/intersection and the stoplight are in East Allen Township.

“We can’t just set up a road and a streetlight in another municipality without their OK,” Vice Chairman Dale Hassler said. “It would be discourteous.”

Supervisors agreed to set up a meeting with East Allen Township and to ultimately draft intermunicipal agreements that would allow for maintenance on the new Seemsville Road, the stoplight, a connector road between Seemsville Road and the new Seemsville Road along with a stormwater detention facility required in the plans.

Supervisors suggested the meeting be a public meeting between the two municipalities. Township Manager Ilene Eckhart will request the joint meeting.

Chairman Larry Oberly suggested the cleanest way to handle the development is to adjust the boundary between Allen Township and East Allen Township to the centerline of the new Seemsville Road. East Allen Township would give up the land between Seemsville Road and the new Seemsville Road. Since the property belongs to the school district, East Allen collects no revenue from the property. Residents living along Seemsville Road are Allen Township residents. The property east of Seemsville Road to the intersection of the new Seemsville Road is owned by the school district, so no houses were ever built there.

A companion item is to eliminate a crossroad from Seemsville Road to the new Seemsville Road. The road would end in a cul-de-sac as planned, but residents would need to drive up to the intersection with the new Seemsville Road. Improvements to the intersection of Seemsville Road and the new Seemsville Road would need to be made to accommodate better sight lines for right-turning traffic.

The last consideration was for sidewalks within the development. The developer asked for a deferral of sidewalk requirements. The proposal is to include sidewalks from the bus stop to the warehouses and around the warehouses. Additional sidewalks would be added as needed. Supervisors agreed to the deferral.

The latest timeline is to have the revised plans finalized in time for the planning commission’s meeting in August. The plans would be reviewed and forwarded to the supervisors. Supervisors could vote on the plans at their first meeting in September.

“We can’t finalize what meeting we would vote on the plans,” Oberly said. “We need time to analyze them.”