A new office building has been proposed at an office park at Fish Hatchery Road and Oxford Drive (24th Street) in Salisbury Township.

The two-story, 34,000-square-foot office building would be built at 2451 Parkwood Drive, the location of The Pidcock Company.

J. Scott Pidcock, P.E., R.A., presented the plan to the Salisbury Township Planning Commission, which voted 7-0 to table it at the April 12 meeting.

Stephen J. McKitishJr., planners’ vice-chairman, made the motion, seconded by Glenn Miller, planners’ secretary, to table the plan.

“It’s pretty and still relatively park-like,” Pidcock said of the location.

After the presentation, Pidcock told a reporter for The Press groundbreaking for the project is planned for late summer with completion expected in Spring 2017.

The building would be built on the approximate site of a building near Interstate 78 formerly occupied by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. That building will be demolished. The proposed building is in a C-1 Zoning District.

David J. Tettemer, Salisbury Township consulting engineer of Keystone Consulting Engineers, Inc., did not recommend approval of the plan until several points were addressed in his April 6 review letter to planners, which contained 17 comments. Among these are:

There are two parts to the project. The first includes a lot-consolidation plan.

The minimum setback is 35 feet. Proposed is a 30-foot setback. Planners would need to grant a variance for this. However, an apparent typo in the recently-adopted township zoning ordinance regarding setbacks might make this point moot.

A site capacity analysis is required.

No earth moving is allowed on slopes more than 25 percent. Responded Pidcock, “There is no disturbance planned in steep-slope areas.”

A variance is needed for proposed spray irrigation, which would use underground pipes. Pidcock noted, “We’re using some of the hilly areas for irrigation.” The flat-roof building downspouts would collect water, which would flow to the pipes under the parking lot, which is to be expanded.

Tettemer said he had no engineering objection to combining the preliminary and final development plan.

The township police, fire and public works departments have reviewed or are reviewing the plan. Pidcock said he met with Salisbury Township Fire Inspector Sgt. Donald Sabo Jr. “We did review the turning template. It is acceptable,” Pidcock said.

Tettemer recommended PPL and the City of Allentown be informed of the project.

Lehigh County Conservation District Erosion and Control is required.

A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit is required.

An operation and maintenance agreement is needed.

A deferral for sidewalks was previously granted.

A deferral for shade trees was previously granted.

Cynthia Sopka, Salisbury Township director of planning and zoning, concurred with Tettemer’s concerns in her April 6 review letter.

Township planners next meet 7:30 p.m. May 10 in the township municipal building when the plan for the Pidcock office building project is expected to be on the agenda.