The Salisbury Township Zoning Hearing Board approved a change in hours for a business operated by Craig Belles and CMB Properties, LLC, 1507 Lehigh Ave.

The business, which pertains to logging and wood chips, is along East Susquehanna Street, roughly east of Fairview Road. In a technicality, the property was advertised in the zoning hearing notice as being located at 1507 Lehigh St.

Seven residents who live in the vicinity of the business attended the two-hour May 11 zoning hearing. Most complained about noise allegedly emanating from the business.

Zoners voted 4-1 to grant a variance to expand the operating hours of a nonconforming use as approved by special exception of the zoning hearing board Nov. 4, 2020.

The operating hours will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

A condition of the zoners’ approval is signs must be posted stating the hours of operation.

Previously, the operating hours were 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 a.m. to noon Saturday.

There are no operating hours Sunday.

The property is in the R4 Medium Density Residential Zoning District.

In explaining the business, Belles, under questioning by Attorney William G. Malkames, representing him at the May 11 zoning hearing, said, “We dump wood chips there, logs there and that gets moved to another place.

“It’s a transfer station. We’re only on this property maybe one hour a day,” Belles said.

“The trucks come off Susquehanna. I don’t use Fairview out of concern,” Belles said. “The wood chips get dumped there every day.

“Sometimes, the guys are done at 3 (p.m.), sometimes 4 (p.m.), sometimes 5 (p.m.),” Belles said, later noting, “We do not have set hours. It’s not like an office.”

Belles said two trucks per day stop at the business.

“When someone dumps a truck, they’re not there more than 20 minutes.

“We’re basically in the process of making the property look better. We have a log truck and we’re taking it off-site,” Belles said.

One resident, Donna Mokris, said a truck’s backup signal warning beeping could be heard 5:35 a.m. May 7 and 5:33 a.m. May 9. “Yesterday [May 10], they were there at 5:15 a.m. I heard the backup beep 27 times,” Mokris said.

“I’m not aware of them being there that early,” Belles said.

“What have you done to block out the noise pollution?” Mokris asked.

Belles said, “I’m gong to be more proactive.

“The main reason I’m here is that if I get the hours extended, I’m going to abide by those hours religiously,” Belles said.

Under questioning by Malkames, it was said by Belles he would agree to post a sign stating the hours of operation for the business.

“I drive by there several times a week. There are large logs there,” zoning board Chairman Attorney Kent Herman observed.

“We’re in the process of removing all the scrap wood off the property,” Belles said.

The Salisbury Township Zoning Hearing Board is next scheduled to meet 7 p.m. June 8, in the township municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners is next scheduled to meet 7 p.m. May 26 in the township municipal building.