For the Environmental Advisory Committee report at the July 16 Heidelberg supervisors’ in-person meeting at the township building, Zoning Officer Dawn Didra noted while there was no meeting, the committee picked Joseph Pleban as the winner of the EAC scholarship.

She also said the EAC is collecting plastic products and, once the vestibule is open, it will be a drop-off location for plastic bags.

In other township business, the board granted conditional approval for Michael Masiko’s preliminary plan to annex approximately 3 acres of land to his existing lot, pushing the total acreage to more than 10 acres and allowing him to take advantage of an agriculture security tax break.

Regarding the vacation of select roads, Supervisor David Fink said there were major issues along Holly Hill Court with a property owner trespassing and paving on township property without permits, engineers or submitted plans.

He asked Didra to put together a list of violated ordinances to forward to the property owner.

Fink said the township wants to vacate the road but added the property owner opposes the move.

He said the only other options are for the individual to return the road to its original state or build to township standards.

Solicitor Keith Strohl said there are provisions in the township code preventing interference with the use of a public roadway or damaging township roadways.

He suggested there are grounds for citations to be issued.

Additionally, regarding handicap ramps in Heidelberg Heights, township engineer Chris Noll reported he made contact with representatives of the Lehigh County Authority about upgrading ramps and crosswalks on Heidelberg Heights Road and Glen Court.

He said the LCA would be able to authorize and take care of the upgrades.

On the subject of handicap ramps, the board also discussed a request from Michael Kistler to have a handicap ramp installed along Herman Street for his mobility-limited mother.

The issue was first introduced at the board’s June meeting.

Kistler said his mother would need to drive her scooter down the road to get to the Glen Court crosswalk but would be unable to get back on the sidewalk, which Kistler said was in poor condition.

He said the length of seven or eight houses of sidewalk would need to be replaced, and he suggested the township could implement an easier solution by placing a ramp in the middle of the block near the handicap parking spot.

Supervisors’ Chairman Steve Bachman, Strohl and Noll said getting a public, midblock ramp installed is a difficult process.

Strohl noted it could create a potential blind crossing, pose a safety hazard and become a liability issue for the township.

Noll and Fink also said a sidewalk replacement would be the responsibility of the property owners who would be assessed based on frontage.

The board asked Noll to look into the cost to replace and upgrade the necessary sidewalks and curbing, relevant signage, speed bump installation and the requirements to approve a midblock ramp.

Supervisors said they would look into ensuring there are no liability issues.

The issue is expected to be revisited at the board’s August meeting.