110-home project gets first approval

LOWER SALFORD » Plans for 110 new homes on two tracts took the next step with preliminary approval at the Lower Salford Township Board of Supervisors Sept. 2 meeting.

There are still a number of minor issues to be ironed out before final approval, board Chairman Doug Gifford said in the meeting that was held as a teleconference, “but the preliminary approval will approve the overall layout of the development and basically allow the applicant to move forward.”

The plans by Metropolitan Development Group include 48 single family homes on Maple Avenue and 62 townhouses at Oak

Drive and Harleysville Pike (Route 113). The Maple Avenue plans also include donating just less than 20 acres of land to the township for open space adjacent to the neighboring Alderfer Park.

Both tracts were previously owned by Nationwide Insurance.

In November of 2018, a request by MDG for rezoning and building 133 homes on the two properties was turned down following strong opposition from residents.

The new plans, which were created by residents, the developer and planning commission working together, will generate less traffic and be preferable to other development that would have been allowed, including things such as group living facilities, office space, a day care and car wash, township and development representatives have previously said.

In other matters at the meeting:

• Gifford said Lederach Golf Course exceeded budgeted revenue and net operating income again in July.

“For year to date, our net operating income is $75,000 above what we budgeted and that’s real good news, especially when you consider that we lost a full month and a half when we were closed due to the pandemic,” he said.

The August numbers are also projected to be above budget, he said.

• Harleysville Community Fire Company Chief Kevin Wasson said the company had 45 calls in August, with 15 of those coming as Tropical Storm Isaias hit the area on Aug. 4.

“That day we were in service for continuously eight hours from start to finish with a variety of calls,” he said. “We were everywhere that day, in town and out of town, so it was certainly a busy day.”

Wasson, who has been chief for five years and an officer in the fire company for nine years, also said he has given notice that he will not seek re-election as chief when his current term ends the beginning of December.

He’s making the move to be able to spend more time with his new son, but will remain active in the fire company, he said.

“I’m not going anywhere, just gonna take a step back for a little bit,” Wasson said. “I’ll still be on the fire crew and coming to calls.”