The coronavirus pandemic continues to affect municipal business as usual in Salisbury Township, including reviews of property development projects, four of which have been granted extensions.

There may be some light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel.

The township is again accepting permit applications. planning submissions and zoning appeals.

The extensions for the projects’ plans are necessary because the township planning commission and zoning hearing board have been unable to meet to review plans and render decisions.

Township zoners last met March 3.

Township planners last met March 10.

Zoning and planning meetings were canceled in April and are canceled in May.

Township officials hope meetings can resume in June. But that’s uncertain.

Salisbury Township offices have been closed since March 27. Township administration officials have been working from their homes.

Salisbury Township public meetings are canceled through May 15, with the exception of the 7 p.m. May 14 board of commissioners’ meeting, again expected to be held via the Zoom online format.

Commissioners last met in public March 12, canceled the March 26 meeting, met via Zoom April 9 and canceled the April 23 meeting.

Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich, in a website update posted April 20, said township officials have resumed accepting zoning and building permit applications.

Applications must be submitted electronically or by U.S. Postal Service. No in-person drop-off is available.

Submissions can be emailed to khval@salisburytownshippa.org or mailed to: Salisbury Township, Community Development Office, Permit Application, 2900 S. Pike Ave., Allentown, 18103.

“Only permits approved for work deemed essential, or granted an exemption by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, will be released to the applicant,” the township website states.

“Nonessential permits will be held until the order has been lifted and normal operations resume,” the township website states.

For more information, contact the Salisbury Township Community Development Department at 484-661-5825 or 484-661-5812.

Planning submissions and zoning appeals will be accepted, as long as a waiver of the time requirements is included. The submissions and appeals must be submitted electronically or by mail.

Submissions can be emailed to krabold@salisburytownshippa.org or send to Salisbury Township, Community Development Office, Appeal, 2900 S. Pike Ave., Allentown, 18103.

“Since no meetings or hearings have been scheduled until further notice, planning submissions and zoning appeals submitted will be placed on the appropriate agenda, in the order of submission, once meetings and hearings have resumed. There will be no more than four cases per agenda,” the township website states.

At the April 9 meeting, commissioners voted 5-0 unanimously to accept time extensions for plans for four projects and a waiver for one project:

• 1248 Taft Ave. Driveway waiver. Township ordinances require a driveway slope of 4 percent for 20 feet behind the street right of way (25 feet from the center of the road). The existing slope in the area of the driveway is about 7.5 percent. A waiver to this section of the Subdivision And Land Development Ordinance was granted for this use. The proposed use is one single family dwelling.

• Plot 886 (Mosser Avenue) Major Subdivision. The five-lot residential subdivision requires approximately a 250-feet long extension to Mosser Drive, including public sanitary sewer, water and stormwater control facility extensions. The plan approval extension is accepted to July 31.

• Eisenhower Avenue Lot Line Adjustment. Dr. Yasin Khan. This is a minor lot line adjustment and Eisenhower Avenue street vacation. No new development lots are proposed with the subdivision. The plan approval extension is accepted to July 31.

• 820 Public Road Minor Subdivision. Nicolas Youssef. This is a three-lot residential subdivision along existing streets. Improvements to include relocation of the existing sanitary sewer main and new curb and street trees. The plan approval extension is accepted to July 31.

• 1453 Lehigh Ave. Minor Subdivision. Marie Searfoss. This is a two-lot residential subdivision along an existing street. Improvements include a sewer line extension along the frontage of the property and curb and road-widening. The plan approval extension is accepted to July 31.