While it’s not time just yet for a parade, progress on the long-dormant Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company fire station project was reported to the Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners.

John F. Kelly Jr., trustee, life member and board of directors member of Western Salisbury Fire Company, told commissioners at the Jan. 27 meeting “final language” has been determined in an agreement between the fire company, The Swain School and Salisbury Township.

Details of the agreement, which pertains to the land on which the Swain Fire Station is located, weren’t immediately available. If approved by all parties, the agreement could remove an impediment that has held up plans for a new Swain Fire Station for approximately seven years, allowing for a new facility at the original site.

Kelly indicated to commissioners the reverter clause was removed. “The attorneys met,” Kelly said. Another meeting was expected the week of Jan. 30.

“We fully expect everyone to agree,” Kelly said.

Western officials initially planned to build a new fire station at its Swain site.

Township officials balked at funding the project because of a reverter clause in the deed for the land, donated by The Swain School to Western Salisbury Fire Company, which basically stipulated ownership of the land would revert to the school if use of the site for fire and emergency services ceased.

Township officials proposed to instead build a new fire station at Green Acres Park in the vicinity of Green Acres Drive and Andrea Drive.

When Green Acres area residents objected to the plan for a fire station in the park, the plan to build on the Swain site was revived.

The problem of the reverter clause remained.

Township officials didn’t want to fund a fire station at the Swain location because of the reverter clause.

At the Aug. 24, 2017, township commissioners meeting, a Western Fire Company official unveiled “Campaign 60,” a $3-million capital campaign to fund expansion and renovation of Swain Station, 950 S. Ott St.

The fire company proposal included seeking $215,000 annually, or $1.5 million over seven years, from Salisbury Township toward the “Campaign 60” goal.

The “Campaign 60” name referred to the 60th anniversary in 2019 of the founding in 1959 of Western Fire Company.

Work on the new firehouse at Swain was to begin in spring 2018. The project was to have been completed in July 2019. During that time, Western was to run from its 3425 Eisenhower Ave. station.

The Eisenhower Station, on three-quarters of an acre, was built in 1959 and has two vehicle bays, where a vintage 1965 GMC American LaFrance fire engine is stored and a training room. Plans were to sell the Eisenhower property.

“This is the launch,” Western Salisbury Fire Chief Joshua G. Wells said of the “Campaign 60” presentation at the Aug. 24, 2017, township board of commissioners workshop.

Funding for the remaining $1.5 million was to have been sought from individuals, businesses and nonprofits. Western Fire Company officials said they had met with officials from Lehigh Valley Health Network, which operates Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest, in the township.

“We are embarking on our largest project and capital campaign in the company’s history,” William J. Fisher, chair of the capital campaign, director on the Western board and a firefighter, said in his Aug. 24, 2017, presentation to commissioners.

Fisher said Western officials had worked for two years on the capital campaign.

The architect for the new Swain Fire Station is Howard Kulp Architects, PC.

Fisher said the value to Salisbury Township residents and business owners from the all-volunteer company is $3.4 million annually.

According to latest figures on its website, Western has 40 volunteers and four apparatus and responds to nearly 500 incidents a year.

Western Fire Company is financed by an annual fund drive, state grants and the township.

The Swain Fire Station, built in 1972, has three vehicle bays and offices. It was renovated in 1979 and 1995.

Swain donated the land for the firehouse site and additional land for the proposed expansion project on Swain land. The new Swain Fire Station project received approval from Salisbury Township Planning Commission, Oct. 13, 2015; township commissioners, Sept. 24, 2015 and the Salisbury Township Zoning Hearing Board, April 7, 2015.

Crucial to the improvements at the Swain Station is raising the height of the roof to allow for improved fire apparatus clearance.

Other proposed improvements were to include:

• Expanded fire engine bays

• Education and training facilities, offices

• Improved crew quarters

• Men’s and women’s restrooms

• Modernize heating, ventilation and air conditioning system

Township commissioners voted unanimously 5-0 at the April 26, 2018, meeting to approve an emergency services review in the township at a cost of $45,000 to Duane Hagelgans Consulting, Lancaster.

Hagelgans summarized the 142-page report, which is available to the public, at the Feb. 28, 2020 meeting workshop.

“You own one building [Eastern Salisbury Fire Company]. You may own another [Western Salisbury Fire Company],” Hagelgans said.

“My suggestion is that the township builds the new fire station. They own one. Why not own the other?” Hagelgans said.

At the April 26, 2018, commissioners’ meeting, Kelly asked commissioners to put on the Nov. 6, 2018, general election ballot a referendum on township support for the company’s Swain Fire Station capital campaign. The referendum was never placed on the 2018 ballot.

In 1989, township commissioners raised a ballot question passed by a two-thirds vote of township residents at the polls, a bond was floated and the Eastern Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company station was built at East Emmaus Avenue and Honeysuckle Road.

At the Sept. 12, 2019, township meeting workshop, commissioners discussed closing Swain and building a new Western fire station on Green Acres Park land. “We weren’t willing to put money into a building or property that we didn’t own,” Salisbury Township Solicitor Atty. John W. Ashley told a reporter after the Sept. 12, 2019, commissioners’ meeting.

At the Sept. 26, 2019, township meeting, commissioners voted 3-0, with one commissioner absent and one seat vacant, to accept the proposal from Steven J. Elton Architect, Bethlehem, for a Western Salisbury Fire Station on a 0.9-acre portion of Green Acres Park. The new fire station was to have four vehicle bays, meeting rooms, bunk space and showers.

At the March 12, 2020, township meeting, architect renderings were unveiled for a proposed $3.2-million Western fire station at Green Acres. Salisbury Township Business Director of Finance Paul Ziegenfus said financing was through a United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program over 40 years at a 2.75 percent interest rate. The one-story, 13,000-square-foot facility was to go out for bid in June 2020, with groundbreaking in September 2020 and completion in fall 2021.

On May 27, 2020, township officials met in Green Acres Park with approximately one dozen residents, many of whom said they opposed the Western Fire Station project. Salisbury Township Zoning Officer Kerry H. Rabold said the approximate one and one-half hour meeting to review the zoning hearing board file and plans for the fire station was requested by residents.

At the May 28, 2020, township meeting held via Zoom, several residents voiced concerns about the Western station project proposed for the park. Residents said the fire station would ruin the park, affect the quality of life in their neighborhood and reduce the values of their homes.

The June 2, 2020, zoning hearing board meeting via Zoom about the Western Fire Station Project proposed for Green Acres Park was canceled.

At the June 11, 2020, township meeting workshop held via Zoom, commissioners by consensus halted plans to build a new Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company Station in Green Acres Park. No vote was taken during the June 11 commissioners’ meeting.

The fire station was discussed during a workshop that following the meeting. Binding votes are not taken at workshops. The approximate one-hour discussion during the workshop had as many as 72 participants listed on Zoom, including, at times, 35 on the Zoom chat format. Salisbury Township Assistant Township Manager Sandy Nicolo said, “The design of the building has been put on hold. Everything’s put on hold.”

At the June 25, 2020, township meeting workshop held via Zoom, Salisbury Township Solicitor Atty. John W. Ashley said, “Right now, Western owns the land. And Swain has the reverter clause. There’s no point in us being involved unless they get that worked out.”

Now apparently, approximately 1 1/2- years later, that’s been worked out.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners next scheduled meeting is 7 p.m. Feb. 10, in the meeting room of the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.