A development plan that will potentially involve a car wash on MacArthur Road was approved by Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners March 10.

Landcore Engineering Consultants had two projects before the commissioners at the meeting. The first was to amend the development plan for the pad sites in the MacArthur Road parking lots. The second project will be a potential development plan to build town homes at Emerson Village, which was approved by the board.

According to supporting documentation, Sparkle Carwash is proposed for the parking lot adjacent to Walmart and near Giant on MacArthur Road.

Ryan Whitmore, engineering consultant on the project, stated the board originally approved three different pad sites for the MacArthur Road development plans. However, Whitmore and Joseph Zator, a legal representative on the project, said it had to be changed to two different lots. The development plan was approved in 2023. Whitmore reported the project will now have a different building square footage from the original plan of three lots.

The board approved to amend the development plan and permit the construction of the car wash with a 5-0 vote.

In other news, the board also approved pension benefits for former police officer Christopher Flynn, who served with the Whitehall Police Department for 25 years, since February 2000.

“I want to thank Officer Flynn. He served the township with distinction,” Whitehall police Chief Michael Marks said. “He worked as a night-shift patrol officer. He worked almost 25 years in the overnight hours keeping everyone safe. He did a great job and (has) a well-earned pension.”

The vote to approve pension benefits for Flynn passed 5-0.

The board also approved equipment to be purchased and installed at Fullerton Memorial Playground, a project involving the recreation department. The agenda and the board stated the cost of this project was covered by a grant received from state Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th.

Mayor Joseph J. Marx said specific pieces were ordered for the playground, involving new playground equipment, two picnic tables and two fixed benches.

In a related matter, it has been reported board President Thomas Slonaker was involved in a serious car accident on MacArthur Road, at Center Street, just after the board meeting. Slonaker ended the meeting shortly before 10 p.m. that night, discussing the dangers of reckless driving on MacArthur Road.

“With it getting nicer out — I’ve been on the roads — just be careful out there. We have people now who think they can do 80-90 miles per hour on MacArthur Road,” Slonaker said. “A car almost hit me twice today, a half a mile away. He just kept doing one of these (gesturing a zigzag motion). Just be careful. It doesn’t mean to go ahead and get angry at the guy. That’s my hope for everybody — that they just take a deep breath.”

A lot of people in the audience agreed with his statements, especially about fast speeds on these local roads.

No other details were available as of press time.