As a first order of business Sept. 8, Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors voted to appoint Jerry Pritchard to the recreation board.

The position had been posted for approximately three weeks; supervisors received one application. The term for the position is five years; however, since Pritchard is filling a vacancy, it is possible his term may be less than five years.

In other business, the planned resort residential community and subdivision and land development ordinance changes, as they pertain to the Jaindl tract, were reportedly mailed to each board member with no response.

Developer David Jaindl has requested the ordinance be approved by October, at which point his proposed Lehigh Valley Spa and Resort project, planned on the 600-acre former Mary Immaculate Seminary land, off Cherryville Road, will be sent to both the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and back to the township planning commission.

Under the new agreement, Jaindl would not be getting credit for recreation improvements on the property and will pay the recreation fee.

The supervisors want to be sure the roads and intersections are wide enough for ladder trucks. Jaindl’s team told supervisors computer simulations have ensured the trucks would fit and noted ladder trucks are the easiest to maneuver because of their short wheel bases.

Cindy Miller, member of both the board of supervisors and the planning commission said, “Planners already spent too much time, with seven-hour meetings and such. They just really put a lot of time into it. I understand it needs to go back, but I wouldn’t expect them to spend a lot of time on it.”

The board also discussed the condition of baseball fields after use by some. There is no policy that says people coming in to rent the ball fields should return fields to the same state they found them in, and it is not being done, supervisors agreed.

The result is the next team needs to put work into the field before it can begin. The board said the fields should be left in good condition and suggested upping the rental charge to prompt people to clean up and take care of things.

Concerning the short-term rental ordinance, the definition of bed-and-breakfast has been changed to include a clause saying the owner must reside on the premises and a hotel must have an office on site. The new ordinance is not quite ready for review.

Bids for the construction work at the Cherryville intersection were due Sept. 17. A representative from Turkey Hill will attend the next meeting to share changes to the company’s plan for the area.

New pricing and schematics have been drawn up for the maintenance building construction; however, the architects have yet to deliver what the township is looking for. The purpose of the building is to have as much storage as possible and not lose the 100-foot length while still staying within budget.

The subject of house number visibility was revisited with no decision being made. It was mentioned some older people may have trouble making changes to their existing house numbers and suggested an Eagle Scout project could bring aid to those in need.

The liquor license hearing for Family Food has been set for Nov. 9.

The zoning board reported it is running into grading issues simply because things aren’t being done to plan, and the ordinances need to be enforced or changed.

Police reported there has been an uptick in domestic violence and drug-related incidences. It was specifically reported they are having problems with firearms on Mountain View Drive. On the upside, they say many businesses are being supportive to police.

The Lehigh Township supervisors next meet Sept. 22.