At the Aug. 6 meeting, the South Whitehall Board of Commissioners took a moment to recognize Township Manager Tom Petrucci for achieving a prestigious professional milestone.

This was added to the agenda in order to formally acknowledge Petrucci’s accomplishment of earning the Credentialed Manager designation from the International City/County Management Association– a distinction held by just over 40 professionals in Pennsylvania and approximately 1,300 nationwide.

Board members praised Petrucci for his leadership, dedication to public service and commitment to professional development.

The ICMA designation is awarded to local government managers who meet stringent standards for education, experience and ongoing training.

“This is a truly amazing accomplishment,” Board of Commissioners President Diane Kelly said. “It places you among an elite group of public servants and is a testament to your perseverance, integrity and the positive impact you’ve had on both our staff and our community.”

Also discussed at the meeting, the board approved extensions for two phases of the Ridge Farms development, located at 1802 N. Cedar Crest Blvd.

The project includes multiple apartment buildings and town homes, along with substantial roadway improvements, a temporary traffic signal and a new access point on Cedar Crest Boulevard.

First approved in November 2023, the developer returned to request additional time to address engineering details and coordinate with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation on roadway work.

The board approved a nine-month extension for Phase 1B, which is west of Cedar Crest Boulevard, involving complex PennDOT-regulated improvements and a 12-month extension for Phase 1C, which is less tied to roadway permitting because it will connect to Buchman Street which is existing.

Jason Englehardt, a representative for the developer noted Phase 1B is aiming to break ground as early as September, pending pre-security agreements and final documentation.

Township officials expressed the importance of staggering the two phases to avoid overlapping final steps like document recording and permit processing.