WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — A plan to construct 116 townhomes and single-unit homes was unanimously approved by the township board of commissioners Monday.
The project, named Emerson Village, calls for 57 townhomes and 59 single-unit homes on 35 acres at 3626 Rural Road.
The townhomes will be priced in the high $400,000s, while the single-unit homes will cost $525,000 to $535,000, according to Christopher Canavan, president of W.B. Homes, the project developer.
Board approval was given contingent on the developer complying with the following conditions:
- Adding six to eight6 to 8 parking spaces at the corner of South Cedar Crest Drive in the southwest corner of Phase 2 of the development, pending approval by PPL of utilities placement
- No trees would be removed on the East and South parts of Phase 2 until the start of development of that phase
- Developers provide to the township a copy of the report about the examination of the wooded areas of the parcel
The development will take three years, Canavan said.
'Didn't follow out master plan'
Prior to the approval vote, board President Thomas Slonaker offered a friendly warning to both Canavan and project manager Justin Strahorn.
“I’ve been dealing with you all during this process,” Slonaker said. “And you haven’t wavered in what I think of you being honest and forthright. I hope to hell you’re not giving me a line now.”
I think we should be paying attention more to the township as a whole, and not just walking a project to the end to see how many homes we can get in there."Jeffrey Warren, vice president, Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners
During the public comment part of the meeting, several township residents voiced opposition to the developer’s plan to cut down a significant number of trees to build the homes.
Board member Ken Snyder noted the developers met all the zoning requirements, and township solicitor John Gross said the plan complies with subdivision and land development ordinances.
As the board was polled, board Vice President Jeffrey Warren said he voted in favor of the project, but “with reservations.”
“We didn’t listen to the LVPC” regarding land protection policies, he said. “We didn’t follow our master plan.
"I think we should be paying attention more to the township as a whole, and not just walking a project to the end to see how many homes we can get in there.”
Mickley-Prydun Farm project tabled
Also Monday, discussion of a plan for Phase 2 of the historic Mickley-Prydun Farm renovation was tabled.
The 1835 farmhouse is on 12 acres at 3540 Ruch St. The project calls for renovating the interior and exterior of the building to make it usable.
The plan also includes rehabbing the outside brick façade and repairing the wood beam structure, framing and drywall.
The township board is awaiting a cost figure from Gordian Construction, of Cincinnati, Ohio, the project construction manager.
Other planned work at the farm includes renovating the bathroom for ADA accessibility, HVAC, plumbing and electrical work.
The project is funded through a Community Development Block Grant and a Local Share Account grant.
Mickley-Prydun Farm dates to the Revolutionary War. The property once was the home of John Mickley Sr., who brought the Liberty Bell by wagon from Philadelphia to Allentown for safekeeping from the British.
Car wash project OK’d
Commissioners awarded approval for construction of a car wash at 2601 and 2631 MacArthur Road.
A Sparkle Car Wash is planned for the site at MacArthur Commons shopping center.
The original plan, submitted in 2023, has been modified from a request to build a car wash and an entertainment unit to eliminate the entertainment unit and expand the size of the car wash.
The board also gave approval to the following:
- A proposal to buy Tiger attachments for the John Deere 6M 105 cab tractor for the public works department. The township got a $75,000 Local Share Account grant to offset part of the tractor cost
- A proposal to buy and install playground equipment at Fullerton Memorial Playground. The project is being funded by an $80,000 grant secured by state Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th District. The upgrade will consist of two equipment apparatuses, two picnic tables and two park benches
- An ordinance to buy five Ford police interceptor SUVs — four marked, one unmarked — for the police patrol division. The ordinance continues the annual replacement program for police vehicles
- A resolution on the retirement and the commencement of monthly pension benefits to former township police Officer Christopher Flynn, who retired Feb. 28.
