At the April 12 East Allen Township Board of Supervisors meeting, a member of the township’s open space and farmland preservation committee reported members of the committee expressed frustration with the slow process in achieving their goals.

A representative of the committee said interest is intense about open space and farmland preservation in the township, as evidenced by the large turnout at committee meetings. However, their zeal to preserve the rural nature of the township was tempered by the inability to move forward rapidly to achieve their goals.

The open space and farmland preservation committee was created after a May 17, 2022, referendum to engage open space preservation efforts passed with approximately 80% township vote in favor of the preservation effort.

The goal of the committee is to preserve farmland and open spaces and preserve sensitive environmental areas within the township. Funding from preservation efforts comes from an earned income tax paid for by township residents, and state grant funding and county assistance are also available to secure funding.

These efforts are often delayed because they require grant applications and other funding streams and require municipal permission. The board asked the committee representative to relay that the board appreciates their collective efforts, but they need to persevere and take one step at a time.

In other business, representatives of the Sunny Slope Crossings major subdivision developer requested a modification of a culvert design. The request was to change a bridge with a full flow under the bridge to a bridge with the installation of six plastic pipes to gain a more efficient flow under the bridge.

The supervisors were not moved by the presentation, including projections decades in the future, explaining why the requested change would benefit the township. The board rejected the request.

A recommendation to replace fencing at the Bicentennial Park West basketball court, costing $5,735, was approved by the supervisors.

There was a discussion of the township’s 2023 road maintenance and repair program. A list of the township roads to be repaired in 2023 is available from the township office.

The board approved Supervisor Georgiann Hunsicker as the township’s delegate to the Pennsylvania State Association of Townships. The board also voted in support of resolutions from the PSAT. The resolutions are available from the township office.

A representative of the township’s recreation committee requested and received an update on the Jacksonville Playground upgrades. The upgrades cost about $900,000, according to township Manager Brent Green. Grant funding for the projects, which include new bathrooms, field improvements and parking improvement, has not yet been secured.