Revisions to development in Upper Saucon draws cheers

Changes — including much more open space — to a proposed housing development pleased Upper Saucon Township officials and residents, despite some lingering concerns.

Landis Mill Holdings presented its new pitch, 54 residential units on about 24 acres at 5167 East Valley Road, to a meeting of the Board of Supervisors’ Planning and Zoning Committee on Wednesday night. The plan calls for 11 acres to be maintained as open space, and also includes 7.17 acres of commercially zoned property. The original plan had 83 residential units and 20% open space, whereas the new plan has 47%.

Michael Tuskes of Tuskes Homes attended the meeting on behalf of Landis Mill Holdings. His attorney, Joseph Piperato, explained that the new plan removed the connection to Clover Road and included an extension of Preston Lane from Camp Meeting Road to East Valley Road.

When Tuskes presented the initial plan about a month ago, both the Board of Supervisors and residents expressed concerns over traffic and high density. Piperato said his client adjusted the plan to accommodate everyone’s requests by leaving more open space and decreasing the residential density.

Patricia Lang, director of community development for Upper Saucon, said she thought the new plan was an effective compromise that addressed residents’ and supervisors’ concerns.

A group of residents at the meeting appeared pleased with the changes, but some argued it wasn’t enough. There was a consensus that despite the improvements, traffic from Route 309 would spill into the neighborhood and cause noise and safety problems.

Township resident Constance Yazdrisesite expressed her fear of high-speed traffic using the neighborhood as a shortcut, which garnered much agreement from the audience.

“They’re going 50 miles an hour down East Hopewell Road,” Yazdrisesite said. “How about some speed bumps on the adjacent roads we have?”

She also recommended including more stop signs in the neighborhood to help slow traffic coming off the highway.

Fellow resident Donna Santora pointed out that building more houses would further harm animal populations that have been displaced by development.

“We take away so much from wildlife already. We do need to have the wildlife as part of our ecosystem,” Santora argued.

Santora also asked about water and sewage facilities. Other residents echoed her concerns, pointing out excessive water runoff and flooding issues.

Resident Kristian Hubler said building houses would put pressure on local schools. He also argued that more traffic would increase wear and tear on the roads, which could lead to higher taxes.

Committee Chairman Dennis Benner explained that one of the challenges of being a supervisor was having to mitigate adverse impact of developments. He reasoned that the new plan was a major improvement and commended Tuskes for being receptive to comments.

Committee member Stephen Wagner agreed with Benner. However, Wagner also shared the residents’ concerns and said that there would have to be a way to improve traffic patterns.

The plan is still in its early stages and would require further approvals before it could be finalized.

Sarah Ye is a freelance writer for The Morning Call.