The flower tent set up annually at the South Mall has been approved for the location for another five years.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners voted unanimously 5-0 to grant the conditional use following an approximate 15-minute hearing that was part of the Feb. 27 township meeting.

Commissioner Rodney Conn, seconded by Commissioner James Seagreaves, moved to bring the matter to a vote. Approval was recommended by the township planning commission.

Salisbury Township Solicitor Atty. John W. Ashley officiated at the hearing, which was recorded by a court stenographer.

Jim Pompa, of Palmerton, doing business as Cornerstone Consultant, Co. LLC, received approval to operate the tent on the mall parking lot, north of the Starbucks store.

Pompa said he has been setting up the tent and selling flowers there for the past 10 years. The location is in the township’s general commercial zoning district.

According to Pompa, the 30-foot-wide by 50-foot-long tent is flame-resistant. Tables are set up inside. Signs are affixed to the exterior. There are “No smoking” signs.

Tent sides are dropped at night and secured.

Fire extinguishers are mounted on tent poles. The township fire inspector visits the tent to make sure the fire extinguishers are mounted properly.

Employees would use bathroom facilities at Starbucks.

Depending on weather, the tent would operate April 1-12 for the Easter holiday and May 23-June 23 for Mother’s Day and the spring season, Pompa said. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are no lights in the tent.

“I presume you have a clean-up crew?” Ashley asked.

“You’re looking at him,” Pompa replied.

Salisbury Township Chief of Police Kevin Soberick, when asked by Ashley if there have been any problems with the flower tent, answered, “Not at all. They’ve been fine.”

None of the commissioners nor audience members had questions.

In other business at the Feb. 27 township meeting, commissioners voted 5-0 to:

- Approve a resolution to appoint Barry Isett & Associates, Inc., 85 S. Route 100, as the township’s primary building code official, effective April 1. Conn made the motion, seconded by Commissioner Heather Lipkin, to bring the resolution to a vote.

The resolution states “the township was recently notified of the sale of CodeMaster Inspection Services, the township’s building code official, to Barry Isett & Associates, Inc.”

The resolution states the agreement is to expire Jan. 1, 2021, or until a successor has been appointed.

The fee schedule adopted for 2020 remains in effect for building plan review and inspection services.

Prior to the vote, Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said, “It is my intention to put this out for an RFP. So, this will only be in effect till the end of the year.”

- Approve a motion to authorize Kirk Summa, LLC to conduct fire department audits of Eastern Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company and Western Salisbury Fire Company. Commissioner Joanne Ackerman moved, seconded by Conn, to bring the motion to a vote.

Prior to the vote, Bonaskiewich said the estimated cost of the audit would be $5,000 to $6,000.

“It would be my plan to do this every three to five years,” Bonaskiewich added.

“We haven’t done this in a long time,” Board of Commissioners’ President Debra Brinton said.

Brinton noted Lehigh County is collecting hazardous waste material, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 28, Coca-Cola Park, 1050 Ironpigs Way, Allentown. Details are on the Lehigh County website: https://home.lehighcounty.org/bookit/HHWEvent/HHW_Intro.aspx.

During the courtesy of the floor portion of the meeting, a township resident, Dan Aungst, and his son, Jacob Aungst, complained about auto-body work allegedly being done outdoors near their 33rd Street Southwest residence, which is in the vicinity of the Scott Lot, 3209 Lehigh St.

“Every Friday night, they open up their body shop. They’re out there sanding,” Dan Aungst said.

Aungst said a pressure washer makes a loud noise. “You can hear that more than a block away,” Aungst said.

“You can see the water running out. They’re not allowed to do that,” Aungst said.

“They shouldn’t be allowed to be doing body work in the parking lot,” Brinton said.

“They’re out there sanding and spray-painting,” Aungst said.

“I came home from school one day and they were painting the whole side of a car,” Jacob Aungst said.

Said Salisbury Township Assistant Township Manager Sandy Nicolo, who is township acting director of planning and zoning, “Detailing and auto reconditioning is permitted.

“It’s not spelled out in the ordinance how it’s done,” Nicolo added.

“I did approach them about the water running down last summer. They can’t have that,” Nicolo said.

“That water is coming out with chemicals in it,” Aungst said.

“Do you think we need to look at our ordinance?” Brinton asked.

Aungst also complained about bright lights from the lot. “Those lights are on all night. They shine right in my house,” Aungst said.

There was no workshop after the meeting.

Brinton announced commissioners would meet in an executive session after the meeting to discuss personnel and legal matters.