A minor lot subdivision has been approved along East Emmaus Avenue in Salisbury Township.

There are two existing lots and two existing houses. There will be one new lot and one new house.

A combined driveway will provide access.

The Salisbury Township Planning Commission voted 6-0, with one planner absent, to approve a minor lot subdivision for a 4.2-acre lot at 1524 E. Emmaus Ave. and a 3-acre lot at 1550 Herbert St. Richard Schreiter made the motion. Glenn Miller seconded it.

Barbara Litzenberger owns both lots, which are in the R-3 Zoning District.

Litzenberger will be allowed to adjust the lot lines of the two parcels to create a third lot for a new residential property.

Township Consulting Engineer David J. Tettemer, of Keystone Consulting Engineers, Inc., read from his April 2 review letter, saying he had no objection to waivers having to do with items depicted on the plan, including the scale of the plan (1 to 60 feet, rather than required 1 to 50 feet), not showing natural features within 100 feet of the plan, not depicting sanitary sewer and water lines, and the lot depth to width.

Planners voted 6-0 to approve the waivers. Richard Hassick made the motion. Miller seconded it.

Planners voted 5-1 to approve one deferral for curb and sidewalks. Dr. William Licht made the motion. Schreiter seconded it. Charles Beck, planners chairman, voted against the deferral.

Tettemer said there are no curbs and sidewalks along the south side of East Emmaus Avenue in the vicinity of the lots.

A Pennsylvania Department of Transportation waiver was said by Tettermer to have been obtained for lots one and three to share a driveway.

Emmaus Avenue is under PennDOT jurisdiction.

"We defer to PennDOT," Tettemer noted.

Municipal water is provided for the 1524 E. Emmaus Ave. property. Well water is provided for the 1550 Herbert St. property and Lot 3.

Connecting to municipal water, which is available on the north side of East Emmaus Avenue, is at a distance of 300 feet. "Costs may be excessive" and would require boring underneath the highway, which PennnDOT would not allow, Tettemer said.

Salisbury Township Director of Planning and Zoning Cynthia Sopka said her comments were "primarily administrative."

Sopka said connecting the new lot to municipal water would not be cost-effective. "They could have their own lot well," Sopka said.

Public sanitary sewer service is provided and available to the lots.

Because of a PPL right-of-way, street trees cannot be planted along this portion of East Emmaus Avenue, Tettemer said. Five street trees are required. One tree is to be planted. "You don't have street trees," Tettemer said of that area of East Emmaus Avenue.

Following the subdivision approval, planners discussed the Zoning Ordinance update for approximately one hour, concentrating on the Health Care Overlay District in the vicinity of Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest.