With a large turnout expected for the next meeting of the Salisbury Township Zoning Hearing Board, 7 p.m. Feb. 4, when a proposed building project for the Girls Scouts’ Mountain House Day Camp is expected to be reviewed, the meeting location has been changed to the cafeteria of Salisbury Middle School, 3301 Devonshire Road.

Meanwhile, a letter from a Girl Scouts official about the Mountain House project was received by Salisbury Township residents who live in the Summit Lawn vicinity of the day camp atop South Mountain.

The zoning hearing venue was changed after an estimated 60 residents nearly filled the meeting room seating area of the Salisbury Township Municipal Building at a Salisbury Township Planning Commissioner meeting when the Girl Scouts project was thought to have been on the agenda.

There were concerns about accommodating another large crowd not only in the meeting room seating area in the municipal building, but also in the parking lots at the township municipal building and adjacent public works and public safety buildings.

The Salisbury Township Zoning Hearing Board regularly meets in the township municipal building meeting room.

At the Jan. 7 zoning board meeting, Atty. Kent Herman, former vice chairman, was elected board chairman, succeeding Todd Laudenschlager, who was elected vice chairman.

Herman is expected to chair the Feb. 4 zoning hearing. Also expected to attend are zoning board members Joseph Kovach and Ronald Evans. As of deadline for this article, there’s a vacancy on the five-member zoning board following the resignation of Edward Hare.

Also expected to attend the Feb. 4 hearing are Salisbury Township Director of Planning and Zoning Cynthia Sopka, Salisbury Township Zoning Board Solicitor Atty. Victor Cavacini and Salisbury Township Consulting Engineer David J. Tettemer.

As of the deadline for this article, those representing the Girl Scouts at the Feb. 4. zoning hearing have not been announced.

Representatives of the Girl Scouts did not attend the Dec. 10, 2019, planners’ meeting. The Girl Scouts’ project sketch plan wasn’t discussed or made public at the Dec. 10, 2019, meeting.

A copy of the Girl Scouts’ letter to residents was forwarded by a township resident to The Press.

The letter, which is not dated, is addressed “Dear Neighbor” and is from Babette Racca of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. According to the GSEP website, Racca is senior adviser of capital assets for GSEP and a member of the GSEP senior management team.

“We have learned there has been some misinformation circulating regarding the nature of our plans,” the letter states.

“The building we are planning has a relatively small footprint (approximately 3,600 square feet). This is smaller, in fact, than some homes in the area.

“The building is not a commercial building. While you will not be able to easily see the building from West Rock Road, the ‘Girl Adventure Place,’ as we are calling it, will sport a rustic design to blend with our other buildings and the character of the neighborhood,” the Girl Scouts’ letter continues.

“Since the main purpose of this building is to better serve girls who already use the camp, there will be almost no impact on local traffic.

“In addition, GSEP has selected a building site with relatively few trees, many of which are nonnative or diseased and need to come down. GSEP is also evaluating the planting of new native trees to offset the removal of any trees.”

The Girl Scouts’ letter to the neighbors continues: “Our project is limited to one building (which will be built into a natural slope), stormwater infrastructure and a small parking area.

“The building will provide flush toilets, showers, girl activity space (for indoor activities, crafts and singing), a few staff work stations and a small trading post.

“As you may know, Mountain House currently does not have flush toilets, showers or truly climate-controlled and winterized space. Therefore, these improvements are necessary for sanitary reasons and shelter in the event of cold-winter weather.

“GSEP will also provide work spaces for a limited number of employees who currently regularly visit and work at Mountain House (approximately four to six employees at any given time) and a small trading post to replace the current trading post.”

According to a copy of the agenda of the Feb. 4 zoning hearing, the 2638 W. Rock Road appeal of Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, Inc., is for a special exception to construct a 3,600-square-foot building, “being an expansion of a special exception use and a favorable interpretation to permit an existing cabin to remain as a nonconforming structure.

“In the alternative,” states the hearing board agenda, “applicant requests a variance for the structure to remain within the required side yard setback (6 feet required; 2 feet exist).

“The property is located within the CR, Conservation-Residential Zoning District,” according to the agenda.

At the Dec. 10, 2019 planning commission meeting, it was stated the Girl Scouts’ plan proposes construction of a two-story building, 12 new parking places, driveway widening and a new on-lot septic system on the 15.37-acre Mountain House tract along the south side of West Rock Road, west of the Interstate 78 Summit Lawn exit.

The site has existing on-site water facilities and no existing latrine sanitary sewage facilities, it was stated.

The Feb. 4. zoning hearing agenda states any interested parties may attend the meeting and be heard, and those who have questions before the meeting may contact the township office at 610-797-4000.

Plans for the Girl Scouts’ project are available for review during regular township office hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Those interested in seeing the plans are asked to contact the office in advance to set up an appointment.

The Girl Scouts letter to neighbors states:

“GSEP recently submitted a concept plan (also known as a sketch plan) to the township for preliminary feedback. Our understanding was that we would have the opportunity to meet with our neighbors at a zoning hearing early in the new year, where we would share more in-depth information about our thoughtful plan.

“We were not aware that some neighbors were expecting us to attend the recent planning commission meeting held Dec. 10 [2019]. If we had understood that expectation, we would have been present, as we are very excited about improving our service to the community and we are looking forward to sharing information with you.”

The Girl Scouts letter also states:

“We are planning improvements at our camp to enhance our mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. The primary purpose of our project is to enhance the experience of girls from South Mountain and in the Greater Lehigh Valley who love Camp Mountain House.

“For more than 50 years, girls have experienced nature and grown as individuals at Mountain House. Our summer day camp helps girls learn to value nature. On weekends during the school year, girls visit Mountain House with their troops to explore trails and enjoy outdoor activities.

“GSEP staff work at Mountain House throughout the year, leading educational programs, working as camp counselors and maintaining the property. Troop leaders and environmental educators also visit Mountain House periodically throughout the year.

“GSEP has a history of natural resource preservation, and we appreciate the role that our 15-acre property plays in conserving land on South Mountain by protecting the area from large scale housing development.

“We teach girls to be thoughtful inhabitants of the earth and to be future advocates for preservation of natural resources. As you know, our Mountain House is heavily forested, and GSEP intends to keep it that way.”

In the Girl Scouts letter, Bracca concludes:

“If you would like to learn more about our programs and plans, I would be very happy to speak with you. Call me at 267-293-7284, or email me at bracca@gsep.org.”

There are two other items on the Feb. 4 zoning hearing agenda:

•1923 S. Bradford St. Appeal of Emmanuel Fellowship Church of Allentown, Inc. for a variance to construct a 122.72-square-foot addition “with an insufficient front yard setback (20 feet required; 0 feet proposed) located within the C2, Neighborhood Commercial Zoning District.”

•1746 Greenwood St. Appeal of Victor & Nabila Youssef for a variance to subdivide their lot creating two lots with Lots 1 and 2 “having insufficient lot size (30,000-square-foot required; 27,355-square-foot and 21,948-square-foot proposed) and with Lot 2 having insufficient lot width (150 feet required; 138.49 feet proposed), located within the R1, Rural Residential Zoning District.”