North Whitehall Township officials opened a conditional use hearing Feb. 9 at the board of supervisors meeting for a proposed mixed-use development by Tuskes Homes Inc., on a 114-acre property at the intersection of Mauch Chunk Road and Cedar Crest Boulevard.

Township Solicitor Rocco Beltrami explained the application, filed Nov. 26, 2025, is governed by the zoning ordinance in effect at the time of submission, despite the township adopting a new zoning ordinance on Dec. 1, 2025.

An extension granted by the developer Jan. 6, allowed the hearing to proceed beyond the Municipalities Planning Code’s 60-day requirement.

The 114-acre property is owned by Indian Creek Farm LLC and is zoned primarily planned commercial with a portion zoned suburban residential.

The hearing addressed two conditional use requests: Up to 30,000 square feet of commercial/retail space, proposed in two 15,000-square-foot buildings and a centralized wastewater treatment plant to serve the development.

Township Manager Randy Cope explained, “This specific development is requesting a treatment plant conditional use because of the density of the project. A treatment plant is required because there are no nearby regional systems within a service area to connect to.”

No members of the public requested formal objector status.

Attorney Greg Edelman, representing Tuskes Homes, outlined the project scope and introduced multiple exhibits, including site plans, traffic documentation, landscape plans, and engineering reports.

He noted residential components of the project are permitted by right and will be reviewed later during the land development phase.

Project engineer Anthony Tallarida, accepted by the board as an expert in civil engineering and site design, testified that the overall proposal includes: 324 residential units (single-family homes, townhouses and apartments), commercial retail buildings totaling 30,000 square feet, a wastewater treatment facility, roadway realignment at Mauch Chunk Road and Cedar Crest Boulevard, internal roads and utilities.

Tallarida testified the commercial component complies with township conditional use standards, including parking, access, landscaping, traffic circulation and compatibility with surrounding areas.

He also said stormwater management facilities will be designed to meet township and state requirements during the land development process.

Traffic impacts will be addressed in later testimony and no hazardous materials or nuisance-generating uses are proposed, according to the applicant.

The hearing continued with additional witnesses and testimony, including details on traffic and wastewater treatment.

The hearing concluded with the admission of final exhibits into the record and the incorporation of all prior township exhibits.

The board then reviewed recommended conditions from the planning commission and township staff.

Conditions included compliance with all township review letters; operation of the wastewater treatment plant by a Pennsylvania DEP–licensed operator rather than a homeowner’s association; adequate access for sludge hauling vehicles and making all testimony, plans and exhibits presented at the hearing binding on the applicant unless later modified during land development review.

Additional conditions require payment of recreation impact fees and a contribution to the township’s traffic impact study fund prior to plan recordation.

Following discussion, the board approved the wastewater treatment plant conditional use subject to the stated conditions.