NORTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — North Whitehall supervisors on Monday approved the proposed design of a renovation to the township municipal building that now is expected to cost more than $5 million.
- The proposed design of the North Whitehall municipal building renovations was approved by township supervisors
- The estimated cost of the renovations is just over $5 million
- The renovations are meant to improve the public experience in the building
The designer of the plans, MKSD Architects, made minor changes to the design since its presentation at the last Board of Supervisors meeting to ensure residents would be able to access the building's second floor after hours.
The plan now budgets $227,400 to repair the roof, bringing the total estimated cost to just over $5 million.
The renovations are meant to improve the public experience by renovating the entrance and lobby, expanding the meeting room and providing easier access to the tax collector’s office.
The aim of the plan also is to improve the administrative office layout by using space more efficiently, providing more room for future uses and using the second floor space, which now is vacant.
MKSD Architects also designed South Whitehall Township’s municipal building, and the architects who presented the renderings previously said they used the design of South Whitehall’s meeting room and lobby as inspiration.
North Whitehall Township Manager Randy Cope said the plans still are preliminary, and there are many steps before construction can begin.
“We’ve got a long road ahead of us,” Cope said.
Cope previously said construction on the project likely will not start until 2024.
Other business
New township Finance Director and Treasurer Seth O’Neill presented the treasurer’s report. He said the township balance was $13,172,634 at the end of February, a slight increase from the beginning of the month.
O’Neill also presented a cash-flow statement, which is a detailed summary of the revenues and expenditures for each section of the township budget.
O’Neill said he would post cash-flow statements monthly on the township website’s finance page.
“This is something that I think is going to be nice for people that want to see the financial position of the township in a sort of longitudinal fashion,” O’Neill said.
Supervisors approved an agreement with Wildlands Conservancy to create a riparian buffer at Kolapechka Park and on Ancinetta Drive behind Weis Markets.
A riparian buffer is a vegetated area near a stream that acts as a filter to pollutants, protecting the water quality of the stream. The root system of the buffer also helps prevent flooding.
The township will not have to contribute any funds to creating the riparian buffers.
“Once you lose the land, you're not getting it back, as you all know."Phil Armstrong, Lehigh County executive
Lehigh County Executive Phil Armstrong visited the board to answer any questions the supervisors had for him. Armstrong visited South Whitehall’s Board of Commissioners last month and Upper Macungie’s Board of Supervisors last week.
Armstrong said Lehigh County has put aside $2 million for farmland preservation this year and so far has preserved more than over 28,000 acres.
“Once you lose the land, you're not getting it back, as you all know,” Armstrong said.
