The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners by a unanimous 5-0 vote at its July 10 meeting tabled a resolution to approve the Conditional Preliminary-Final Plan with 10 waivers and two deferrals for Vistas at South Mountain.

Township Commissioner Alex Karol made the motion, seconded by Commissioner Alok Patnaik, to bring the resolution to a vote.

Tuskees Homes is proposing to build 88 rental town houses and one single home at 1030 E. Emmaus Ave., 1108 E. Emmaus Ave. and 1210 E. Emmaus Ave.

It is the second time in a row at successive township meetings commissioners voted to table the project proposed for the former Salisbury Township School District property on the township’s east side.

The township planning commission voted 3-2, with two members absent at the April 23 meeting, to recommended approval of the project to commissioners.

Township commissioners voted 4-0 with one commissioner absent at the June 26 meeting to table a resolution to approve Vistas at South Mountain.

In the municipal building meeting room, which was filled with an estimated 35 township residents with only a few empty seats for the July 10 meeting, a new concept was mentioned to better control traffic in the vicinity of the apartment complex near Honeysuckle Road and Gaskill Avenue.

Traffic volume and flow at the proposed development and the safety of school students traveling to and from nearby Salisbury Elementary School, 1400 Gaskill Ave., has been a concern of the township planning commission, township commissioners, township police department and township residents.

The elementary school is said to have 452 students enrolled.

Residents have also expressed concerns about potential stormwater runoff problems into Trout Creek.

Representing Tuskees Homes, operating as Vistas at South Mountain Holdings, LLC, at the July 10 commissioner’s meeting was Attorney Michael E. Peters, shareholder, Eastburn and Gray, PC, Attorneys at Law, Doylestown Office.

“There was a lot of discussion regarding our proposal. Our engineer and your engineer have both been in touch,” Peters said before the commissioners’ vote.

“Those discussions must involve PennDOT [Pennsylvania Department of Transportation]. We would ask that the board table so that we can meet with PennDOT,” Peters said.

“Thank you for trying to make this safer,” Karol said before the vote. “I’ve had countless residents who have contacted me.”

According to a source close to the discussions, under consideration is a traffic calming device, which would be a median strip, as well as turning restrictions at East Emmaus Avenue and Gaskill Avenue.

PennDOT has jurisdiction of Emmaus Avenue, which is a state-maintained highway.

Officials did not elaborate on details of the traffic calming concept at the meeting because the proposal is under discussion.

The proposal is expected to be presented at the next township meeting, 7 p.m. July 24, in the meeting room of the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave., when commissioners will again consider the Vistas project for an up-or-down vote.

PennDOT officials turned down a request from township officials for a traffic light at East Emmaus Avenue and Gaskill Avenue. Representatives of Tuskees Homes have said the firm would pay for a traffic light there.

“PennDOT has not approved a signal,” Stan G. Wojciechowski, department head, Municipal Engineering Services, Barry Isett & Associates, Inc., township consulting engineering firm, said at the March 27 commissioners’ meeting.

Previously proposed for the East Emmaus Avenue and Gaskill Avenue intersection is a mast-arm-mounted flashing warning device and a pole-mounted flashing warning device, which would be an automatic activated system with the mast arm out over the road.

There is a stop sign on Gaskill Avenue at East Emmaus Avenue. There is a stop sign on Honeysuckle Road at East Emmaus Avenue.

Among the residents who spoke before the vote at the July 10 meeting, Amber Sams expressed environmental concerns.

“They do meet all the definitions,” Attorney Jason A. Ulrich, partner, Gross McGinley, LLP, township solicitor firm, said before the vote.

The property, in the R3, Medium Low Density Residential and the CR, Conservation-Residential zoning district, is vacant land. All dwelling units will be within the R3 zoning district boundaries.

Township approval of the project is conditional on Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection approval.

“It [the development] meets the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Act 167 and [the developers] are working with the Lehigh County Conservation District and the NPDES,” Wojciechowski said at the Jan. 22 planning commission meeting. NPDES is a permitting system regulating sources of water pollution. “They’re [the developers] also showing a reduction in runoff,” Wojciechowski said.

“A containment pond is going to be designed,” Justin Q. Massie, professional engineer, Terraform Engineering, said before the vote.

“I have two large [water retention] basins on site. Three-quarters of the site is getting into that basin. We only have a three-in-one infill. It does discharge into Trout Creek. It’s a very small discharge that will be let out,” Massie said at the Jan. 22 planning commission meeting.

The overall lot size of the project is 48.5197 acres. Lot No. 1 is 46.7965 acres with frontage along East Emmaus Avenue. Lot No. 2 is 1.1903 acres with frontage along Honeysuckle Road.

Township commissioners voted 4-0, with one commissioner absent at the March 27 meeting, to accept a time extension to July 31 for the Vistas at South Mountain Preliminary-Final Land Development Plan.

Salisbury Township School District sold the property Oct. 25, 2023, for $1.45 million to Tuskes Homes.

The property was taken by eminent domain by Salisbury Township School District in 1967 as a site for a senior high school.

Salisbury Township officials had considered purchasing the property in 2008 to connect it to Franko Farm Park.

A project for 70 to 90 homes for those age 55-plus for the property fell through in 2005.