By SARIT LASCHINSKY

Special to The Press

North Whitehall supervisors addressed several business items during their July 12 meeting.

During her report to the board, Solicitor Lisa Young said plans had been created to rename a small roadway in the industrial park currently listed as North Valley Drive.

Young said several residents have encountered problems with third-party GPS and mapping carriers when putting in the North Valley Drive address.

She noted incorrect directions were being given which redirected drivers to residences in Washington Township.

Young said a permanent road name change would alleviate the confusion, “and residents would not get tractor trailers arriving at their residences.”

She added the industrial park’s developer would need to rerecord the change on its plan, and mapping and GPS services would pick up the new name and address.

Young asked the board to approve renaming the small roadway “Independence Drive East,” saying even if mapping services missed the “east” portion of the name, going on Independence Drive would still take drivers into the industrial park where they need to go.

Schnecksville Assistant Fire Chief Bradley Petrohoy suggested the name “Independence Court” instead, noting there was precedent on the other side of the Pa. Turnpike to name road offshoots with a name ending in “court.”

Young said, however, the term was usually reserved for cul-de-sacs.

Petrohoy said he was concerned from a 911 dispatcher perspective, noting cardinal directions are sometimes dropped and this could lead first responders to the wrong location.

Young said the property’s address numbers would not change and the necessary roadway signs would be posted on Independence Drive.

Supervisors approved a motion to change the name to Independence Drive East.

Additionally, the board voted to approve the reorganization of the Farmland and Open Space Preservation Committee, which Young said would set the bylaws and governing structure for the committee.

Before the resolution was accepted, resident Heather Skorinko presented a short statement on the subject.

She said North Whitehall has had an Agricultural Security District since the 1980s which went dormant for a time, but was eventually reinstated.

“The Farmland Preservation Ordinance is an extension of the Agriculture Security District, the purpose of the program is to preserve what little farmland is left in what was a very large agricultural community, and to protect the few farmers that are still here to work the land,” Skorinko said.

“I personally am pleased the township has been putting forth an effort to preserve our precious farmland, and hope the supervisors will continue to take a strong stance to keep our remaining agricultural aspects of North Whitehall Township.”

Garges also reported updates to the township’s comprehensive plan are ongoing, and that public opinion is being solicited.

He said a public opinion survey is available through the Nextdoor app, the North Whitehall website, township social media, and also in paper form at the township building at 3256 Levans Road.

Garges said the township will ask local businesses to put the survey in their window to get as much public feedback as possible.

The survey is open until Aug. 11, and paper copies must be returned to the township building before close of business that day.

The next board of supervisors meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Aug. 2.