Plans for an 82-unit town house development have been tabled by the Salisbury Township Planning Commission.

Planners voted unanimously 7-0 to table the preliminary land development project known as Sheffield Square North, 206 E. Lynnwood St., Salisbury Township.

Planner Jessica Klocek made the motion, seconded by Richard Hassick, to table the plan.

Approximately 15 residents attended the Nov. 30 planners meeting.

Residents who spoke opposed the town house development plan, citing existing runoff problems and potential traffic problems in the vicinity of the proposed project.

Planners who spoke raised questions about the impact of town houses project.

David J. Tettemer, of Keystone Consulting Engineers, Inc., the township consulting engineer at the time of the planners’ meeting, referred to his Nov. 22 review letter, which he said had 32 comments.

“A number of them [his letter’s comments] are zoning issues, 12. The rest are SALDO [Subdivision And Land Development Ordinance],” Tettemer said.

“We have a significant number of comments on stormwater and traffic and sanitary sewer.

“They [the developers] have a lot of issues to deal with,” Tettemer continued.

“Until the zoning issues are dealt with, there’s no review role for the planning commission,” Tettemer said.

“There are a number of challenges at the site,” town houses Project Engineer Brian D. Spray, professional engineer, principal, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc., Quakertown said. The developer is D.R. Horton, Harleysville, Montgomery County.

“The amount of water getting to Cypress, that water has the ability to get to our site,” Spray said.

“Now we’re proposing stormwater mitigation on Cypress. We have a design that I am happy with, but we need some waivers,” Spray said.

A sketch plan for Sheffield Square North, 82 town houses on 10.39 acres was presented to planners Jan. 26.

Salisbury Township Planning and Zoning Officer Kerry Rabold asked about parking spaces inside the buildings and how many parking spaces per unit there would be.

Planning Commission Vice Chairman Richard Schreiter said, “Unfortunately, most people make a storage room out of a garage.”

Said Rabold to Spray, “You will need to go to the zoning hearing board and get an interpretation. Most people do not park in their garages.”

No parked vehicles can back into public streets, Rabold said.

“They are private streets,” Spray said.

No parking of vehicles is allowed in easements, said Rabold. “We have easements that mention said widths,” Rabold said.

“SALDO does require that all streets must be designed to public standards,” Tettemer said.

“Would it be a homeowners association [HOA]?” Schreiter asked of the town house project.

“Yes, there would be one [HOA],” Spray answered.

Planning officials indicated off-street parking must be designated separately.

“We don’t want large parking plans,” Spray said.

Planners also raised the matter of setback problems with respect to right of way areas.

“We have no right of ways,” Spray said.

“We’re showing secondary access to Wayne Avenue. We’re going to improve Wayne Avenue all the way through. We have access to South Albert Street,” Spray continued.

“We’re going to provide curbing and sidewalks on Cypress Avenue. We’re not showing any improvements on Lynnwood,” Spray said.

“We’re making significant improvements to Cypress and Wayne,” Spray said.

Schreiter asked about the safety of school students who would be walking in the area of the town houses. “The students are still going to have to walk in the street,” Schreiter said.

“We will have striping, similar to a biking lane, for walking,” Spray said.

Planning Commission President Charles Beck said to Spray, “It would be better if you had sidewalks.” Planners Jimmy Brown and Klocek agreed with Beck.

“We have a problem over at Devonshire and students are walking in the street,” Schreiter said.

Said Planner John Barbaz to Spray, “You’re putting in spaces for handicapped parking, but you’re not putting in any access.”

Concerning the placement of street trees, Tettemer said, “Because of your parking in driveways in front of the street trees, there’s really no space for street trees.”

During the public comment portion of the approximate one-hour part of the planners’ meeting for the project, the first to speak was Don Brinton who with his wife and family has lived for 40-some years in the vicinity of the proposed town houses.

“This is not the first plan we’ve seen for this property,” Don Brinton said.

“Nobody’s talking about the sewer. We have many backups in sewage, including our house,” Don Brinton said.

“Wayne Avenue is a paper alley [a street existing on plans only]. How do you open private streets?” Don Brinton asked.

“Traffic on Emmaus Avenue is increasing significantly. The traffic will [be] best served to direct it to South Albert where there’s a traffic light,” Don Brinton said.

“It’s never been vacated or abandoned, Wayne Avenue,” Schreiter said.

Said Tettemer to Don Brinton, “All of the items you brought up we are looking at. The right of way, we’ve asked the developer that he can legally open that road. It will then be reviewed by the [township] solicitor.

“As far as the sewer, the township has a certain amount of allocation. There are some sewer backups. The township is in the process of reviewing sewer issues,” Tettemer said.

“We have reviewed the traffic study, We have some questions. The city of Allentown has some questions,” Tettemer continued.

“This [the town house project] has a long way to go before it’s ready to go anywhere,” Tettemer said.

Said Attorney John W. Ashley, of Davison and McCarthy, the township solicitor at the time of the planners’ meeting, “The street issue is a little more complex. We’ll look to see if it’s public, private or may have rights to it.”

Next to speak during public comment was Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners President Deb Brinton, wife of Don Brinton.

“I’m here as a resident and also as a commissioner representing the Third Ward [location of the proposed town houses],” Deb Brinton said.

“If you’re putting in 82 town houses, you’re going to have 164 cars. We are a residential area,” Deb Brinton said.

“Charlie [Beck], you fixed some of the homes’ sewer problems. You didn’t fix all of them,” Deb Brinton said.

“I’m well aware of that,” Beck replied.

Continued Deb Brinton, “I would like to see a traffic study. There’s no light at Cypress. There’s no light at Dauphin. The only light is at South Albert. That’s in Allentown.

“Drive down Cypress Street and you tell me where the water’s going to go? Just because something can be done, it doesn’t mean it should be done,” Deb Brinton said, adding, “I don’t want us to make a decision and the people say, ‘What were they thinking?’”

Said Rabold, referring to her Nov. 23 review letter, “There are zoning issues in my letter. The planning commission can’t take any action. It [the town houses plan] must go to the zoning hearing board.”

The Salisbury Township Planning Commission is scheduled to meet 7 p m. Jan. 4 and Jan. 25, 2023 in the meeting room of the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.

The Salisbury Township Zoning Hearing Board is scheduled to meet 7 p m. Jan. 11, 2023 in the meeting room of the municipal building.

The Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners is scheduled to meet 7 p m. Jan. 12, 2023 in the meeting room of the municipal building.

The Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Council is scheduled to meet 7 p m. Dec. 21 in the meeting room of the municipal building.

Salisbury Township offices are closed Dec. 23 and Dec. 26 for the Christmas holiday.