Seven Years Later, Lower Milford Township Denies Quarry Application

It took less than 20 minutes for a to reach a conclusion as the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to deny Geryville Materials' application to place a quarry in the township at yesterday's Curative Amendment Hearing.

"After 47 [curative amendment] hearings, the [Lower Milford] Board of Supervisors ruled on this issue," said Board of Supervisors chairwoman Donna Wright. "The supervisors have given consideration to the arguments set forth, as well as the documents."

Geryville, which owns 628 acres in Lower Milford, proposed building a quarry as well as a cement and asphalt plant off Kings Highway near Limeport Pike. In December, Geryville rested its case after seven years of testimony, opening the door for the township and the Lower Milford Residents Association to file motions to dismiss the application.

Though the ruling is a good first step, says president Lori Sickenberger, she concedes the battle isn't over. "This is what we were hoping for. This is the direction we need to move in."

Local residents agree.

"I remember when I was a girl walking through [Geryville's land holding], and picking an apple," said lifelong resident Terry Shelly. The property owned by Shelly and her husband, John, abuts the Geryville holdings. "I'd walk to a spot I knew where deer walked through and just wait for them to come. It's beautiful land."

Though the ruling was not in their favor, representatives for Geryville said the ruling didn’t surprise them. "I've been representing these types of cases for years," said Stephen Harris, attorney for Geryville. "You never win at the local level."

Geryville will next take the fight to the Lehigh County court, where the company hopes to make a case to move forward with the plant. According to Harris, Geryville knows the township ruling is just the first step.

"These [quarry fights] almost always take a decade. This is just the first chapter in the story."