By MICHAEL HIRSCH

Special to The Press

A special meeting for the South Whitehall Township Planning Commission took place on May 24.

There are seven members on the planning commission board, three existing members and four newly elected in 2022.

Officers are Chairman David Wilson, Vice Chairman Brian Hite and Secretary Mark Leuthe.

Other planning commission members are Diane E. Kelly, Trevor Dombach, Timothy Dugan and Andrew Flagg.

The planners introduced themselves.

Wilson is a lifelong resident of the Lehigh Valley. He grew up in Bethlehem and bought his first home in South Whitehall Township. He is a registered professional civil engineer.

Hite has served as vice chairman for the last three years.

He has been a planning commissioner for 12 years, and a resident for 52 years.

He has worked at the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission as a transportation planner.

Leuthe has been a resident of South Whitehall Township for approximately 48 years.

President of a small engineering firm, he has four children attending Parkland schools.

He was previously on the zoning hearing board for eight years and served less than a year on the planning commission.

Kelly has been a member of the planning commission for almost four years.

She is also an elected board member of the township commissioners.

She is retired from her management career in the dental field.

Dombach works in geotechnical and environmental engineering for a national company.

Dugan has been a South Whitehall resident for the majority of his life.

He works for Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in the bureau of forestry and district manager.

He is a forester by training.

Flagg has been a resident for 16 years coming here from New York to work for Olympus.

He currently is a national sales manager for a large consumer electronics company based in New York City.

In other matter, Dave Manhardt, director of community development, was asked about the comprehensive plan review.

“We just had a meeting last week, so not much new to report,” he said. “We do have a meeting with staff to go over the community utilities.

Also on the agenda was subdivision review for Ridge Farm Final Plan Phase 1B.

Gregg Adams, planner community development, commented.

“The Community Development Department recommends the planning commission take the plan under advisement,” he said. “Our recommendation is contingent upon the applicant granting the township a waiver from the time frame in which to act upon the plan.

“The commissioner’s hard deadline to act on the plan is July 20.”

The plan will be taken under advisement, which was approved by the commission.