Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners denied a request to rezone nearly 50 acres of land in the northern tier of the township from low to medium density, after neighbors opposing the plan filled the room at the board meeting Oct. 14.

Joseph Iudicello, representative of the residuary trust of Andrew Yastishok, said the trust owned 155 undeveloped acres bordered by Spruce and Spring streets, Egypt, that was zoned R1, or very low density. The trust had requested a 49.9-acre section at 4500 Spruce St. be rezoned from R1 to R3, or medium density.

Iudicello said under R1 zoning, the property could only be developed at a minimum into 1-acre lots, which he called “a waste of the land.”

He said under R3 zoning, the land could be developed with single-family homes on 12,000-square-foot lots for a total of 80 to 90 units. He said the section of the property has access to gravity sewer and public water. He said the adjacent Meadow’s Edge is zoned R4.

The zoning change request also included asking for the remaining 29 acres on Spruce Street and 12 acres on Spring Street, currently R1, to be designated OS1, or open space.

During public comment, resident Ribello Bertoni said this was the third time the property had been before the township for rezoning, and it had previously been denied.

Bertoni said the property has major issues with traffic, as vehicles from the proposed 80 to 90 homes would feed into narrow streets where it is hard for two cars to pass. He also said stormwater runoff on the site could back up and flood neighbors’ property when there is heavy rain.

Resident Denise Rogers asked about the impact of children in the proposed homes on the school district.

“Is Whitehall equipped to handle extra students?” Rogers asked.

Resident Cathy Walker said the property is a “beautiful piece of land that’s being farmed.”

“It’s insulting to say that it’s wasted,” she said in response to Iudicello’s earlier comment.

In other business, commissioners tabled a request from Belmont Glen Condominium Association, which asked that a fence on the property be removed.

The township required the split rail fence when the development was built in 2007 to deter pedestrians from an overflow swale. However, over the years, the fence has deteriorated, and now members of the condominium association want it removed. They have agreed to an indemnification agreement with the township that would not hold the township legally liable if someone is hurt.

However, Jason Ulrich, township attorney, said the township would still be at risk of liability despite the indemnification agreement. He said because the area abuts Whitehall property, the township could be brought into litigation if the association ran out of money.

Commissioner Joseph J. Marx Jr. suggested the association put warning signs in place of the fence, but Philip Ginder, board vice president, said mostly children played in the area and they wouldn’t read a warning sign.

He suggested a natural buffer, such as a row of arborvitae, be planted along the swale.

The board decided to table the resolution. Lisa Pereira, attorney for the association, said she would work with Frank Clark, township engineer, to come up with a plan to plant some type of shrubs.

“I would rather get it right than take a vote on it now,” board President Dennis Hower said.

The board set trick-or-treat night for 6-8 p.m. Oct. 25, with a rain date of Oct. 26.

Marx also announced there will be several memorial services held in the township Nov. 11 for Veterans Day.

Services are 10 a.m. in Cementon, 10:30 a.m. at the Doughboy statue in Egypt, 11 a.m. in Egypt Memorial Park, 11:30 a.m. at the veterans memorial at the municipal complex and noon at Egypt Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7293.

Marx also said volunteers were needed to help with maintenance on the Ironton Rail Trail. Mayor Michael Harakal Jr. said the trail attracted 196,000 people last year.