By MICHAEL HIRSCH

Special to The Press

South Whitehall Township’s Aug. 17 commissioners’ meeting offered a period of public comment at the beginning.

The first resident to speak was Terry Plattner, who discussed what she called a beautiful footbridge behind her house in the Spring Valley Estates neighborhood.

A few days earlier, the footbridge was demolished, and black storm pipes were installed and covered.

Plattner would have liked to have been an active part and voice in the planning process and decision making.

She shared photos with the board.

“That beautiful wood footbridge served our community members for 32 years as a beautiful footpath for local homeowners to run, walk or take their dog for a walk,” Plattner said. “Dogs splash and play in the beautiful water runoff that kind of emulated a stream.

“Stormwater was not the issue and never has been the issue.”

She referred to the meeting agenda which had stormwater management listed.

Plattner wanted to know what the final design would look like.

Commissioner Diane Kelly responded by saying Plattner met with Tom Harper, Interim Township Manager Herb Bender and Mike Kukitz.

“I’m getting quotes currently on a new footbridge,” Bender said. “I do have the estimate from last year. That was $7,000 without the new beams.

“And, I am also working with a company, which will be out there tomorrow morning, that can build a prefabricated bridge.

“I am working on getting numbers to see if we would want to move forward to put the bridge back in. We will know a budget cost number and everything like that.”

Resident Robert Weiss was next to address the board.

He thanked Commissioner Monica Hodges for coming to his house the previous Sunday after an incident the previous Saturday evening which involved burning. He was unaware wood burning is permitted in a fire pit.

He said the smell Saturday night was horrible and wants something to be done.

Weiss was told to attend a workshop on the second Wednesday in September.

As South Whitehall Township recently adopted the International Building Code, there will be an opportunity to discuss further restricting the code at that workshop.