First Posted: 2/18/2014
Prior to its regular meeting on Feb. 17, the board of supervisors held a hearing for the purpose of gathering public input on a proposed amendment to the zoning ordinance and zoning map.
One of the many amendments included the rezoning of a 10-acre piece of land owned by the township from a classification of A-1 (Agricultural District) to S-1 (Special Purpose District.)
The township consists of a variety of zoning districts, but there are only three areas that are zoned S-1: the small lot on which the municipal building sits, the Penn State/ Wilkes-Barre campus and Lake-Lehman Junior-Senior High School.
The 10-acre parcel at issue is adjacent to the municipal building and is where the new municipal garage and recycling center are located. Chairman Dave Sutton said the rezoning was necessary to make all township property the same designation.
Several people in attendance protested a proposal from Verizon Communications to build a cell tower on township property, stating that it would be an eyesore.
One resident suggested placing it at the junior-senior high school and another asked if the tower could be constructed on top of the water tower on the Penn State campus.
Sutton said he was told by Verizon representatives that the township property, behind the municipal building, would be the best location to provide the best coverage. In the regular meeting that followed, the supervisors voted to approve the amendments to the zoning ordinance.
A resident voiced a concern about the increased truck traffic going to and from a proposed frack water treatment facility in Lake Township.
Sutton said the roads in Lehman Township that would most likely take a beating would be Loyalville and Slocum and a small section of Loyalville Outlet Road. In an effort to protect township roads, Sutton said he’d like to look into imposing weight restrictions.
The board reminded residents of the township’s snow and ice ordinance that prohibits residents from plowing snow onto roadways and parking on the road during a snowstorm.
The board also noted that the police department is closely monitoring the Deer Meadows subdivision in response to several complaints from residents about people riding all-terrain vehicles through their property.
