The Dec. 13 meeting of the Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission began with the announcement long time planning commission Vice Chair Irvin Keister would not apply to renew his planning commission term, which expires Jan. 1, 2017.

“I encourage all residents to get involved in their local government,” Keister said

“The best part of being a part of the planning commission was working with all the planning commission members and that is what I will miss the most,” Keister said.

Five applicants appeared before the planning commission.

The first applicant to present was Michael Kline, of Sweetwood Drive, who presented a plan to put in a small three lot subdivision. There were a number of waivers Kline talked about. The first two waivers had two do with stormwater and sanitation systems. The third and fourth waivers involved carbon area feature maps. The fifth waiver involved a cartway along Sweetwood Drive while the sixth involved front end improvements.

One of the front end improvements contested was putting in a curb and sidewalk. The applicant said there is a path in the woods children living on the property can use to get to bus pick up and drop off points.

The planning commission had concerns about pedestrian access since the path running through the woods only connects the three properties. This would be no help if there were any additional properties being developed. The applicant felt it is very unlikely the surrounding land would be developed. The planning commission explained the applicant would have to either let the public use their path in the woods or put in a sidewalk the public can use.

Additional waivers involved planting street trees on Sweetwood Drive and minimal disturbance of slope.

The next applicant was the Signature Personal Care and Memory Care facility. The nursing home and care facility wants to increase the number of units on the property from 80 to 83. The applicant also wants to set the maximum number of tenants at 120 and mentioned the exterior would remain the same. The planning commission accepted the changes to the plan.

Next the planning commission discussed the Farr View Subdivision. The property is 54 acres and includes 17 lots ranging from two to three and a half acres. The applicant agreed to add pathways along the frontage of the property. A parcel of land would remain open for stormwater with street trees or another type of buffer along major roads.

A major concern was water supply when it came to fire prevention since the development was too far away from a fire hydrant. The applicant said all the homes should have sprinkler systems in them. The planning commission replied the fire department would not be able to use water in the stormwater area when fighting fires. The fire department would have to shuttle water using a tanker truck, which the Lower Macungie Fire Department does not currently have.

The next topic discussed was the Dries subdivision. The applicant requested the relocation of the 100 and 500 year flood -plain lines. The applicant said what is on the official map is not accurate. The applicant was going to appear in front of the zoning board to ask for a zoning variance. They would be requesting variance and zoning relief from the zoning board.

The applicant argued Taylor Pipe Company filled in their property which changed the river’s location. They hoped the Federal Emergency Management Agency would correct the problem when updating the map. When FEMA updated the maps, the agency did not factor in river relocation. The applicant argued their land was not able to be used as zoned. The planning commissioners said more information about the footprint of the property was needed before coming to a decision.

The final topic discussed was an amendment to the zoning ordinance. The amendment would allow the township to not be bound by zoning ordinances.

Planning commissioners felt it was not right to exempt the government from something the public is asked to do. The planning commission ruled against the exemption 5-1. There was one abstention.

The Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission meets on the second Tuesday of each month and will next meet Jan. 10, 2017. The 7 p.m. meeting is held in the township municipal building.