Lower Macungie Commissioners Will Wait on Vote to Close Orchard Road Railroad Crossing

Lower Macungie Commissioners voted unanimously March 3 to grant a conditional usage variance that will allow a Dickey's BBQ Pit to open in West Valley Marketplace in the near future.

The casual restaurant will be located across Millcreek Road from Wal-mart in the space previously occupied by Quizno's. The franchise is known for serving smoked meats, sandwiches and "homestyle" sides. Based in Dallas, Texas, the franchise's only other Pennsylvania sites are in Bethlehem and King of Prussia.

The commissioners also said they would wait until their April 7 meeting to vote on the closing of the Orchard Road railroad crossing. A week ago several commissiers met with residents of the Hills at Lockridge development to discuss the closing of the crossing which has been the site of several tractor trailer mishaps over the years.

Commissioner Ryan Conrad said that the residents who attended the meeting in the development's club house were generally agreeable to the closing. That night, the commissioners who attended discussed voting on the issue at the March 17 meeting, but waiting until April 7 will allow for more complete due diligence on the township's part, said Solicitor Rich Somach.

Township manager Bruce Fosselman said all residents of the area will receive a postcard in the mail alerting them to the exact time, date and place of the meeting so they can be heard before the commissioners vote on the issue.

Commissioners also unanimously adopted an ordinance that restricts the weights of vehicles allowed to cross several of the township bridges. Most are affirmations of weight limits already in place except for the Wild Cherry Lane Bridge over the Little Lehigh Creek which was lowered to 24 tons, except combinations 33 tons.

Others include the Ash Lane bridge over Toad Creek, 26 tons except combinations of 34 tons; the Church Street bridge between Alburtis Road and the borough of Alburtis, 5 tons; the Macungie Road bridge over the Little Lehigh Creek, 10 tons; the Mill Race Road bridge over the Little Lehigh Creek, 13 tons except combinations 19 tons; the Orchard Road bridge over Swabia Creek, 17 tons except combinations 30 tons; the Smith Lane bridge over the Little Lehigh Creek, 18 tons except combinations 28 tons, and the Gehman Road bridge over Swabia Creek, 25 tons.

The primary election to be held May 17 will affect two commissioners seats, one held by Douglas Brown and the other by Joseph Pugliese.

Pugliese said March 3 that he would not run again. He promised when he took the seat only to hold it for two years.

Brown, however, said he will run again.

James Lancsek, who has been the township's zoning officer for the past 20 years, has said he will run for a commissioner's position. Naturally, he said, he will resign from his zoning position and he will retire from Keystone Consulting Engineers Inc., where he has served as a civil engineering technician for the past 27 years.