South Whitehall opponents of Ridge Farm were distressed not only by the content of the applicant’s report at the Oct. 31 meeting, but also by the lack of a visual component and silence in response to their questions.

The huge screen suspended over the stage at Springhouse Middle School remained blank during the lengthy meeting.

To begin, Attorney Jim Preston, representing Kay Builders, offered remarks on potential traffic effects from the proposed 780 housing units and commercial buildings on Huckleberry Road.

“There are no negative impacts along Huckleberry Road,” Preston said.

Traffic planner Rob Hoffman added his conclusions.

“There will be no detrimental impacts when you compare no-build condition with build condition on Huckleberry Road,” stated Hoffman.

As he referred to intersections along the road, residents were looking for the Ridge Farm plan to appear on the screen but it never did.

People appeared to be stunned to hear that a large project with all traffic entering and exiting on Huckleberry Road would not increase the traffic

Manly Offutt, of Molinaro Drive, commented.

“It doesn’t make any sense that there would be no impact,” Offutt said.

South Whitehall planner Gregg Adams explained traffic issues will be reviewed at the land development phase.

Resident Dave Burke said Huckleberry Road is more like a “country” road and asked who would pay for its improvements.

John Chaya, who resides along Huckleberry Road, heard an official mention the mobility access, a walking path which runs north and south through the development, might later be used as an emergency road.

Originally the pathway was listed as a road, but with its 9-1/2-percent grade, was considered too steep for safety purposes, reported Chaya.

“If it ever becomes a road again, insist that it be at the 6-percent SALDO slope,” Chaya said.

Throughout the public comment, safety issues were a recurring theme.

Tom Utsch, of Congress Street, commented.

“The burden of proof is on the developer to satisfy public safety concerns.”

He added remarks on the evening’s ambience.

“This had the maximum amount of obfuscation that could be made in this hearing,” Utsch said.

Resident Sue Shortell also commented on the proceedings.

“Tonight leaves me speechless,” she said. “I have never seen such a poor presentation.”

Engineer Jason Englehardt told The Press he was not asked for the plan to be shown on the screen, as the focus was supposed to be on Huckleberry Road.

“I have it in my computer,” Englehardt said.

“I could have put it up if they had asked for it.”