The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners is expected to consider a vote on a medical marijuana dispensary zoning ordinance amendment at the 7 p.m. Oct. 26 township meeting in the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.

The agenda for the Oct. 26 township meeting, includes, under New Business, the topic, Ordinances: Zoning Ordinance Amendment to include Medical Marijuana Facilities. Commissioners would need to approve and second a motion to vote on the ordinance. Public comment can be taken prior to the vote.

A public hearing on the proposed amendment was held before the Oct. 12 township meeting. Salisbury Township Solicitor, Atty. John W. Ashley, chaired the approximate five-minute hearing, for which no one from the public spoke.

“I see on the hearing, no comments, so we can conclude that,” Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said at the Oct. 12 hearing.

Added Ashley, “I see that there are no comments so we will close the public hearing.”

The hearing was for a “Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment to include Medical Marijuana Facilities” in the township.

When it was asked, “Has anybody made an application?,” Salisbury Township Director of Planning and Zoning Cynthia Sopka said, “No. We did have a planning commission meeting concerning this.

“There is a facility in Allentown being retrofitted for a medical marijuana facility,” Sopka added.

In Lehigh County, a permit was issued to Mission Pennsylvania II, LLC, for a dispensary at Emmaus Avenue Plaza, 2733 W. Emmaus Avenue, Allentown. The site, which is a modified stone farm house that was once the location of Mario’s Pizza, is in the vicinity of Interstate 78 and South 31st Street, not far from a portion of Salisbury Township.

In Northampton County, a permit was issued to GuadCo, LLC, Brooklyn, N.Y., for a location at 1309 Stefko Blvd., Bethlehem.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health awarded two permits June 29 for dispensaries in the Lehigh Valley.

While a medical marijuana facility is not in the immediate offing for Salisbury Township, entities that receive a permit allows for three medical marijuana dispensaries per one permit.

Salisbury was considered as a location for a medical-marijuana facility because Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest is located in the township Medical Overlay District, which includes Cedar Crest Professional Park, with medical offices across from the hospital along Cedar Crest Boulevard.

Dispensaries are expected to be in operation in spring or summer 2018.