Upper Milford Township supervisors, at their May 19 meeting, approved a draft of a referendum question to be placed on the November ballot, asking residents to approve a modest increase in the earned income tax to fund the conservation and protection of open space in the township.

The four-page question refers to the protection of undeveloped land, including forests, farmlands and other open spaces. Township Solicitor Marc Fisher said the question has to be that long, by statute, in order to include as many of the potential types of land to be purchased as possible.

Supervisors said the open space committee will be preparing educational material about the ballot question to be distributed to voters.

The tax increase recommended by supervisors is .1385 percent, which means an annual tax increase of $138.50 for someone earning $100,000.

If the proposal is approved by voters in the fall, it will be in effect for five years, at which time another referendum will ask whether voters favor continuing it. If it is defeated in November, supervisors will have to wait at least five years before putting the question to voters again.

Supervisors’ deadline for adopting an ordinance approving the question is mid-July, so they plan to adopt the final version at their second meeting in June.

In other action, supervisors approved the final plan for Phase 1 of the Fields at Indian Creek, the proposed 55 and over community on the site of the former Indian Creek Golf Course. The approval includes a number of contingencies, but Township Manager Daniel DeLong said it is “narrowing down the outstanding issues.”

The plan includes improvements to three bridges on the property on what is planned to be a pedestrian walkway. The developer, Kay Builders, will make the improvements and states the cost will not exceed $100,000. This amount will be deducted from the $143,000 the developer would owe the township in lieu of dedicating a certain amount of open space in the development.

Supervisors also asked staff to prepare bids to sell property at the intersection of Shimerville and Mill roads. The township had purchased the property several years ago for safety reasons, because the house on the property interfered with the traffic sight lines at the intersection.

DeLong said the township spent $114,000 on the property, between purchasing it and all the costs associated with the demolition. Supervisors were not sure how much money they could get for it now, but Sentner said the township should not hold on to it.

Supervisors also received a list of items the recreation committee would like to see the township undertake. The list includes a full-size soccer field at Churchview Park and a T-ball field on the land adjacent to the township building.

The recreation committee also cites problems with dog waste at Jasper Park in particular and suggests installing signs and making waste bags available to dog owners.

The toilets at Lenape Park are also a problem, the committee said, suggesting they be locked at night. DeLong said that is already happening.

He said he can get the engineering department to come up with cost estimates for the new fields. Sentner asked the recreation committee’s requests be kept on the agenda as old business until they are addressed.