With the May primary election campaigns in mind and the freedoms for the reason Memorial Day is observed, Salisbury Township officials were advised to not limit political speech.

The result is a limitation on political campaign signs is being eliminated from the proposed new zoning ordinance in Salisbury.

The draft of the ordinance had stated there would be a limit of two signs per candidate or issue.

"I don't think you can limit political speech," Atty. John W. Ashley, the township Board of Commissioners and Planning Commission solicitor, said at the May 13 meeting of the Salisbury Township Planning Commission in the Salisbury Township Municipal Building meeting room.

"The safest course is: If you want to put up politicians' signs, you can put up as many as you want," Ashley said.

"We could put under there [political signs section of the ordinance]: not regulated," Cynthia Sopka, Salisbury Township director of planning and zoning said.

"America was founded on political free speech. And the courts have been pretty protective of that," Ashley said.

The size of political signs will also not be regulated.

It was noted the placement of political campaign signs cannot restrict views of motorists operating vehicles nor inpede vehicles' right-of-way.

Stephen J. McKitish, Jr., Planning Commission vice chair, urged Sopka to check with other area municipalities concerning policies on political campaign signs.

To speed up the laborious zoning ordinance review process, the Salisbury Township Planning Commission will hold a workshop, 6:30 p.m. June 5, in the township building meeting room. Since it is a workshop, no votes are expected to be taken.

Changes discussed may be voted on at the Planning Commission's next meeting, 6:30 p.m. June 10.

The line-by-line reading of the updated Salisbury Township Zoning Ordinance continued at the May planners' meeting.

Other changes to the zoning ordinance were also discussed by planners and Ashley at the May meeting.

The Health Care Overlay District supercedes previous R-2 and R-3 Zoning, said David J. Tettemer, Salisbury Township consulting engineer of Keystone Consulting Engineers.

"The R-2 and R-3 means nothing. The [Health Care] Overlay District governs. Everything is the Overlay District on that site [Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest]," Tettemer said.

For damaged or destroyed structures, a permit must be issued within 12 months after the incident and work is to begin within 18 months of the permit issuance.

Two parking spaces will be required for a low-impact home business occupation. If more are requested an appeal would need to be made to the Salisbury Township Zoning Hearing Board. A general home business occupation requires a zoning application.

A passage concerning requiring water connections was stricken.

"It seems it should be under the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance. It shouldn't be in the zoning ordinance," Ashley said.

Many of Ashley's recommendations, some of which were the change of one word, or the elimination of one word, were incorporated.

Most of Ashley's recommendations discussed by planners at the May 13 meeting were based on a March 14 review letter by the attorney to the planners. Recommendations from a Feb. 5 letter by Ashley have been incorporated.

Salisbury has adopted a new comprehensive plan, which lays out the philosophy of township land use. The township has also updated its SALDO.

The zoning ordinance is seen as the law to carry out and enforce the SALDO. The zoning ordinance is approximately three years in the making.