The relocated Salisbury Township Police Department Training Facility has received positive responses from citizens and township officials.

Salisbury Township Chief of Police Donald Sabo presented the proposal for the facility at the Feb. 9 Salisbury Township board of commissioners’ workshop.

After the meeting, Sabo told a reporter for The Press of the proposed police training facility, “I think this is the best location we can find in the township.”

The facility would be in eastern Salisbury, in the vicinity of the Franko Farm yard waste drop-off site, Honeysuckle Road, away from the park’s sports fields. The facility would not operate during hours of operation of the drop-off center.

Approximately 12 township residents attended the nearly one-hour presentation, which included images of the site on two screens in the meeting room of the municipal building.

The proposal would have to be placed on the agenda of a township commissioners’ meeting for consideration. The proposal would need to be presented, reviewed and approved by the township planning commission and possibly the township zoning hearing board.

The township has allocated $50,000 in the 2023 township budget for the project, which is for a 50-yard (150 feet) long by 15-yard (45 feet) wide training facility with a firing range. The majority of the construction work is to be done by the township public works department.

“We have a line item in the 2023 budget,” Commissioner Alok Patnaik said of the project.

Plans for the project were drawn up by Keystone Consulting Engineers, the previous township consulting engineering firm. The project will now be overseen by Barry Isett & Associates, the township consulting engineering firm.

If approvals are received, work on the facility could be completed by the end of 2023.

Sabo, assisted by Salisbury Township Police Department Officers Curtis Ziegler and Brian Zulic, presented a three-page question and answer handout and several slides on the screen with topics for the latter including noise mitigation, risk mitigation and benefits.

During the meeting, Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said of the proposed facility, “It’s not the park land.”

A police training facility is needed because township officers must qualify annually with their issued handgun and patrol rifle.

Salisbury Township police officers train at Unami Gun Club, 75 Chestnut Hill Road, Emmaus. There is limited availability for the range, which is open to the public.

The new township training facility would include a firing range and a small structure to store range equipment, targets and stands.

In addition to pistol and rifle training, the facility would include certification in Taser and pepper-ball and training in K-9 and vehicles, among other activities.

The facility might be used by area agencies for training in response to certain events. The Salisbury Township Police Department officers would be present during collective training,

Hours for the range would be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The firing of weapons would not be continuous and would occur during short blocks of time during the day. The range would rarely if ever be used on weekends and never on major holidays.

According to the handout, “The risk of stray bullets to residents who live nearby is minimal. The risk is mitigated by the size of the parcel, the design, tall berms, the construction materials and the dense vegetated buffer surrounding the site.

“The officers using the range are trained and instructed to shoot at designated targets only.” They are supervised by range instructors.

The slide presentation, in addition to presenting a diagram of the facility, had an aerial photograph of the site.

In the slide presentation, under noise mitigation, it stated the police department will utilize suppressors on rifles. Under risk mitigation, it stated high berms will be around three sides of the firing range. Under benefits, it stated the facility will provide a safe, isolated training environment for officers.

During the presentation, it was said the range will be sand-based per Environmental Protection Agency regulations concerning bullets, which contain lead. The sand would need to be removed on a scheduled basis.

The berm surrounding the firing range would be 16-feet-high and 26-feet-wide at its base.

During the discussion portion, Salisbury Township Board of Commissioner Alex Karol said, “I’ve had some people ask me about the noise.”

A recommendation by a resident to enclose the facility with a fence, possibly a solid wooden fence, will be looked into.

“I think you’re on the right direction,” township resident Don Brinton, husband of board of commissioners President Deb Brinton said.

“We want you police officers to be trained the best,” Mike Lakis, a retired Lehigh County deputy sheriff said.

“I think this is a better location. I think this is a great idea,” township resident Bruce Burchard said.

Said Deb Brinton to the police officers at the meeting, “We want what’s best for the township and for you.”

After the meeting, Bonaskiewich told a reporter for The Press, “Now the board [of commissioners] will have to decide what to do.”

A vote on the proposal for a police training facility could be on the agenda of a township meeting in one or two months.

Upcoming township meetings: 7 p.m. Feb. 15: Environmental Advisory Council; 7 p.m. Feb. 22, planning commission and 7 p.m. Feb. 23, board of commissioners, all in the meeting room of the municipal building.