Residents attended the Upper Milford Township Supervisor’s meeting May 3 to quiz a developer about issues, including stormwater drainage, which have them concerned. Alan Severance, treasurer of the Mink Estates Home Owner’s Association, was one of the residents.

Severance, who said he and others had unsuccessfully tried to prevent the sale of the property to the developers, were primarily there to make sure the developers “follow all of the rules.”

Scott McMackin, of Cowan and Associates, represented the developers and spoke with the residents and to the supervisors.

The development, informally called the Kohler Tract, is the Fields at Jasper Ridge. McMackin said plans call for 123 twin homes and townhouses off of Mill Road near the intersection of Mink Road and Stole Road.

McMackin said the development’s stormwater runoff plan, “will significantly improve runoff on the property.”

One resident wanted to know from where the water supply would come. Supervisor Robert Sentner said Lehigh County Authority would provide the water via a water main running down from Buckeye Road.

In other business, supervisors and fire company officials discussed the need for a township procedure to deal with controlled burn fires that result in fire calls which commit millions of dollars in fire equipment to respond to a “campfire.” Fire official Matt Kline from Fire Department Station 19 in Old Zionsville and fire official Jason Tapler from Fire Department Station 28 in Vera Cruz both expressed frustration at taking time off from work and potentially having to go to the magistrate because of “neighbor-on-neighbor” disputes about minor fires such as burning trash or “campfires.”

“We are sending $4 million dollars worth of equipment rolling out for a campfire,” Tapler said.

In a surprise visit, Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong attended the meeting.

“I’m here if you need anything – just ask,” Armstrong said. “I come from municipal government; we have the same problems.”

“You’re the first county executive who has visited us,” Sentner said.

Also attending the meeting was Matthew Szuchyt from the office of state Sen. Pat Browne, R-16th.