To the Editor:

State Sen. Pat Browne, R-16th, has introduced a bill to demolish the buildings on the 195-acre property at the Allentown State Hospital in East Allentown.

Lehigh County commissioners over the years have built a $50 million jail, enlarged the county courthouse and built new administration offices. For the past four years, the commissioners have authorized various studies on the Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehabilitation facility, including a report co-authored by the retired CEO of Phoebe Home on Cedarbrook.

After four years, there seems to be no direction for a future Cedarbrook that is needed for Lehigh County citizens. Cedarbrook provides a safety net for the elderly and disability patients in our county.

It would be wonderful to relocate outdated Cedarbrook to facilities on the land of the former Allentown State Hospital. There is also a need for the outdated Harrison-Morton Middle School. Maybe the county and the Allentown School District could get together and prepare a bid to develop new facilities on the site if Brown’s bill is passed by Harrisburg to demolish the buildings.

This could be the best use of the East Allentown land.

Joseph A. Ludrof Jr.

Lower Macungie Township