A subdivision plan including 88 rental units is proposed for a 48-acre property formerly owned by the Salisbury Township School District on a northern slope of South Mountain along East Emmaus Avenue, Salisbury Township.

The Salisbury Township Planning Commission voted 5-0 at its Sept. 25 meeting to table the land development project at 1030 E. Emmaus Ave., 1108 E. Emmaus Ave. and 1210 E. Emmaus Ave. submitted by Vistas at South Mountain Holdings, LLC.

An audience of an estimated 30 township residents nearly filled the municipal building meeting room. Those who spoke objected to the plan. The residents claimed the project would:

- Worsen stormwater runoff problems in the vicinity of Honeysuckle Road and East Emmaus Avenue;

- Create traffic congestion and jeopardize pedestrian safety at a proposed street at East Emmaus Avenue across from Gaskill Avenue, and

- Increase teacher staffing demands on Salisbury Township School District with an influx of students living with their parents in the rental units.

The housing plan proposes to consolidate three lots into two and develop 88 townhomes on Lot No. 1 and a single-family detached dwelling on Lot No. 2, along with “all required infrastructure and site improvements.”

The overall lot size is 48.5197 acres.

Lot No. 1 will contain 47.1873 acres of land with frontage along East Emmaus Avenue.

Lot No. 2 will contain 1.2506 acres of land with frontage along Honeysuckle Road, and 0.0819 acre will be dedicated as right-of-way along Honeysuckle Road.

The property is within the R3, Medium Low Density Residential and the CR, Conservation-Residential zoning districts and is vacant land.

All dwelling units will be within the R3 zoning district boundaries.

The school district sold the property Oct. 25, 2023, for $1.45 million to the developer, Tuskes Homes, Bethlehem.

Justin Q. Massie, engineer, Teraform Engineering, Inc., Bethlehem, presented the plan during a 45-minute portion of the Sept. 25 meeting.

Also attending the meeting was Phillip C. Malitsch, director of land development, Tuskes Homes.

“We did submit a sketch plan last year [to the township] that had considerable more units,” Massie said.

“There are wetlands and we want to stay away from them and as far away from the stream,” Massie said.

“We have a sidewalk that runs through the property and ends when the units end,” Massie said.

“PennDOT [Pennsylvania Department of Transportation] has not required a traffic light there,” Massie said, referring to a new street that would intersect East Emmaus Avenue at Gaskill Avenue.

“If we’re going to have a traffic light there [Gaskill and East Emmaus Avenue], then a crosswalk would be beneficial,” Stan Wojciechowski, department head, Municipal Services, Barry Isett & Associates, Inc., Salisbury Township consulting engineer said.

A deferral is requested for curbing. A waiver is requested for installation of sidewalks.

“I strongly believe sidewalks are necessary,” planning commission member Jimmy Brown said.

“We are requiring curbing to be built on the east side because we had many runoff problems,” planning commission Chair Richard Schreiter said.

Salisbury Township Planning and Zoning Officer Kerry Rabold said 220 parking spaces are required, but 213 parking spaces are provided.

Eight township residents spoke during an approximate one-hour public comment portion of the meeting.

Dr. Richard J. Cusick spoke and asked questions for approximately 20 minutes. “A significant number of trees will be removed. There will be erosion,” Cusick claimed.

There were at least two previous subdivisions proposed for the former school district land, dating to at least 2005.

According to an article in the Nov. 1, 2023, edition of The Press, the East Emmaus Avenue property was taken by eminent domain by Salisbury Township School District from private landowners in 1967 as a site for a new senior high school.

The resolution to authorize the 2023 sale of the land to the developer described the property as “unused and unnecessary property for school purposes.”

In 2005, the school district signed a $3.1 million to $4 million contract with Signature Homes, Doylestown, to build 70 to 90 age-restricted homes, according to The Press article. There was public opposition over environmental concerns. The deal fell through.

In 2008, Salisbury Township considered purchasing the land to connect it to Franko Farm Park. A group of residents opposed the idea. The plan fell through.

The planning commission 7 p.m. Oct. 23 meeting is canceled because there have been no submissions, according to a notice on the township website.

The October Salisbury Township meeting schedule in the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave., includes: 7 p.m. Oct. 9, zoning hearing board; 7 p.m. Oct. 10, board of commissioners, canceled; 7 p.m. Oct. 16, environmental advisory council, and 7 p.m. Oct. 24, board of commissioners.