The Salisbury Township Planning Commission has recommended approval of revisions to the Girl Scouts’ Adventure Place at Mountain House project.

Planners voted 6-0, with one planner absent at the June 25 meeting, to approve the revisions.

Planner Holly Weiss made the motion, seconded by Planner Jessica Klocek, to bring approval of revisions to a vote.

The planners’ recommendation for approval is expected to be on the agenda for a vote at an upcoming township board of commissioners’ meeting.

The previously-approved land development project at 2638 W. Rock Road submitted by Girl Scouts of Eastern PA, Inc., proposes to expand the existing nonprofit, private, recreation facility and convert an existing single-family, detached dwelling into camp activity space (Persing House). The installation of supporting infrastructure is proposed.

The previously-approved new activity building (Mountain House) has been removed from the project.

Salisbury Township Zoning Hearing Board approval for the project was granted April 16.

The 17.6503 acre property is in the CR, Conservation Residential zoning district, west of the Interstate 78 interchange at Summit Lawn on South Mountain.

The Girl Scouts acquired 2660 W. Rock Road, known as the Persing House, which is 3,238 square feet, in 2021.

The Persing House property purchase was 40 acres, 38 acres of which the Girl Scouts sold to the Wildlands Conservancy.

The old building will remain as is. None of the front portion of the property will be changed. The footprint of the Persing House will not be altered.

“It’s our position that the existing driveways are sufficient for FedEx type deliveries and passenger cars,” Salisbury Township Zoning Officer Kerry Rabold said in reference to her June 23 review letter of the project.

Persing House will be renovated for use as meeting rooms, with bathrooms added and a trading post for the sale of Girl Scouts’ items.

“This plan is about converting that structure. It’s a lot less disturbance. A lot less to remove. Pretty much a low-impact plan,” Attorney Stephanie A Kobal, shareholder, Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba Attorneys At Law, representing Girl Scouts of Eastern PA, Inc., said at the June 25 planners’ meeting.

In the previous plan, an estimated 27 trees were to have been removed. In the new plan, it’s estimated one tree would be removed.

“Nothing that we are proposing is in violation of your trees ordinance,” Kobal said.

“My property borders the project on three sides,” Jacqueline Straley, a Summit Lawn resident said. “I just want to talk with you about the trench to put it out the back rather than digging a 650-foot trench. I don’t want the trench going down my side of the road.”

“It isn’t. It’s on the opposite side,” Stan G. Wojciechowski, department head, Municipal Engineering Services, Barry Isett & Associates, Inc., consulting engineering firm for Salisbury Township, said.

“The DEP [Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection] dictated the sewer system,” Justin Q. Massie, project manager, Terraform Engineering, LLC, Bethlehem said, adding, “We believe that this is the best use.”

The DEP approved the project’s sewage facilities planning module, which is required for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, in a Feb. 8, 2024, letter to township officials. The DEP required a drip-irrigation system.

“We want to have the previous waivers recorded on the plan,” Rabold said.

Klocek made a motion, seconded by Weiss, to bring the waivers to a vote, which were approved 6-0.

Township commissioners voted 5-0 at the July 25, 2024, township commissioners’ meeting to approve the original Adventure Place plan. Approval of the plan by commissioners was recommended by the township planning commission at its March 27, 2024, meeting.

The township zoning hearing board voted unanimously at its March 9, 2020, hearing, which was the third and final hearing, to approve the project. Township zoners reviewed the project at Feb. 4 and Feb. 18, 2020, hearings. The project was first presented at the Salisbury Township Planning Commission Dec. 10, 2019, meeting.

Township zoners limited camp attendees to 55 to 80 Girl Scouts. Hours for the camp were set at 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekly June to mid-August. The camp is not open to the public.

Staffing for Mountain House is estimated at six persons, mostly on a Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Girl Scouts have owned and operated Mountain House since 1942.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania represents nine counties, has 25,000 Girl Scouts members, owns 1,500 acres and has a $20 million annual budget.