200-Unit Townhouse Development Proposed on Blue Barn Road

South Whitehall Planning Commission approved a higher density rezoning for Blue Barn Meadows.

Blue Barn Meadows, a 200-unit townhouse development, has been proposed for the 1500 block of Blue Barn Road. Owner Posocco Equities successfully petitioned the South Whitehall Planning Commission Thursday to rezone 11 of the 40-acre development to allow higher density housing. The land had been zoned R4 medium density, which permits only single-family detached houses. Frank Posocco paid $1.3 million for 40 acres on Blue Barn Road, between Chapmans and Crackersport roads, which includes a horse farm. Thirty-two acres  of the development are in South Whitehall, the remainder are in Upper Macungie. The land abuts an industrial zone. Posocco said he plans to build high-end garden apartments or condominiums with first-floor master bedrooms, a …

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Dorney Park Nightly Fireworks Plan Fizzles

South Whitehall so far won't allow nightly fireworks, but Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom plans to appeal. Neighbors are concerned about noise.

Three times a summer, Jennie McAfee knows she will have to sedate her dog, her windows will shake, her dishes will rattle and parking will be impossible in her neighborhood, but she and her family will get to see a spectacular nighttime show when nearby Dorney Park shoots its fireworks display. But when the South Whitehall resident read on Dorney Park's website that it planned to have nightly fireworks for eight weeks beginning June 28, she was stunned.  "I'm thinking, wait a minute, every single night? I read it again and again. I finally called the township and asked, 'Is this for real?,'" McAfee said. McAfee, the mother of two young children, said she and other neighbors on Hillview Road are concerned about the noise from thunderous …

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Eric

2:56 pm on Saturday, May 18, 2013

You all chose to live there, so why complain about it?   more ›

Now Hiring: $53,000 South Whitehall Police Officer

Applications for the new South Whitehall police officer position are due Friday.

The South Whitehall Township Police Department will hire a new patrol officer this year, according to Chief Thomas Toth. The deadline to submit an application is Friday. The department, which currently has 37 members, added four new patrol officers last May to replace four who retired. Starting salary for a new officer at the time was $53,026. The new patrol officer would be an addition to the force, which would allow a current member of the force to become a school resource officer in the Parkland middle schools, Toth said. The school resource officer's salary would be paid by the school district and the township, he said. Toth said he hopes to select a new patrol officer by mid-July and have the school resource officer in place before …

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Woodlawn Street Repavement Nearly Finished

South Whitehall Township is repaving Woodlawn Street after a water main break.

The South Whitehall Township Public Works Department has nearly finished repaving Woodlawn Street, between Cedar Crest Boulevard and Marshall Street, this week after a water main break.

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Expect Better Sight Lines at Intersections

The South Whitehall commissioners pass an ordinance to improve clear-sight triangle requirements.

Motorists and pedestrians will get better sight lines at new intersections of public streets in South Whitehall Township thanks to a new ordinance passed last week. The board of commissioners passed an ordinance that revised the township standards on clear-sight triangles, or intersections, so that it is similar to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's standard on controlled intersections. The changes are also intended to alleviate the impact on some property owners, according to Gerald Harbison, manager of community development. Harbison said motorists stop 10 feet from a stop sign at a controlled intersection and look left and right. "Our ordinance doesn't account for that line of sight, so you're really establishing a good …

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Lena's Cafe Closes

Le Bagel Du Jour Bistro will open in the former Lena's Cafe in Tilghman Square.

Lena's Cafe in Tilghman Square Shopping Center is closed, according to a sign in the window. Le Bagel Du Jour Bistro plans to open at the cafe located at 4620 Broadway, which is undergoing a renovation. A sign in the window thanked Lena's Cafe's customers for their support. The cafe opened in September but closed about six months later. Bread Box Bakery and Cafe had been at the site for more than a year before it closed last August.

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Water Cooler Catches Fire, Police Say

A water cooler, a dumpster, burned toast and an oil furnace odor were some of the recent fire and alarm calls in South Whitehall.

The following information was provided by the South Whitehall Township Police Department. Fire—Water cooler on fire reported Feb. 23 in the 3500 block of Sturbridge Place, police said. Fire—Oil furnace problem reported Feb. 27 in the 2100 block of Huckleberry Road, police said. Fire—Dumpster fire reported March 1 at Aamco, 3320 Hamilton Blvd., police said. Fire—Fuel oil odor reported March 1 in 2000 block of Woodlawn Street, police said. Alarm—Report of burnt toast in the 1400 block of 40th Street, police said.

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Covered Bridge Park Section of Greenway Moving Forward

South Whitehall commissioners reiterate their support for the section of the Jordan Park Greenway that would go through Covered Bridge Park.

Plans are moving forward to build a section of the Jordan Creek Greenway that would connect South Whitehall to the Appalachian Trail. That section, part of a 13-mile trail system that would stretch from Allentown to  the Trexler Nature Preserve in North Whitehall, would intersect Covered Bridge Park in South Whitehall. The Jordan Greenway, begun in 2009, is spearheaded by the Wildlands Conservancy, the non-profit organization dedicated to protecting land, river and recreational resources in the Lehigh Valley. The project, expected to cost at least $4.6 million, is an extensive trail system that would link South Whitehall with seven other municipalities – Allentown, and the townships of Whitehall, North Whitehall, Lowhill, Lynn, …

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90 Houses Proposed For The Hills Development

Residents who live near The Hills, the proposed housing developing on the former Rutz farm, are concerned about increased traffic on Walbert Avenue and nearby roads in South Whitehall.