TimesLeader.com

Bridge reconstruction worries Jackson Twp.

School and emergency vehicles, along with general traffic, are focus of concern.

EILEEN GODIN Times Leader Correspondent

JACKSON TWP. – Bridge repairs, a Heritage Hills development update and a property acquisition highlighted Monday night’s supervisors meeting.

Bernie Banks of American Asphalt raised eyebrows when he took the podium and announced that “Luzerne County is planning to do work to the stone bridge at the corner of Chase Road and Hillside next year.” Banks said the problem is that no temporary bridge will be provided.

“This would force about 7,000 people who drive over that road to go eight to 10 minutes out of their way to get around that area,” he said.

Banks expressed concern for school buses, ambulances and fire trucks that would need to travel that route. Supervisor Al Fox said the construction could cause a complication.

Chairman John J. Wilkes Jr. agreed and proposed contacting Joseph Gibbons, county engineer, to learn the specifics of the project. The motion to contact Gibbons passed unanimously.

Wilkes said he plans to invite Gibbons to next month’s meeting.

Township Attorney Jeffery Malak said legal issues with Heritage Hills are moving forward. He said developer John Pieczynski of Heritage Hills Est. Inc. has new legal representation.

Malak said a hearing is planned for Nov. 9, but it will need to be rescheduled because of a conflict with his schedule.

Supervisors voted in September to allow Malak to take legal action against Heritage Hills over problems they say exist with storm water runoff, road construction not being up to PennDOT’s specifications and issues surrounding a bond for financial services.

Also, supervisors asked Malak to prepare documents for a property acquisition. The property the township desires is located towards Chase Corners. Wilkes said the property will be used to expand the township’s successful recycling program.

In other business, the board approved a motion to pay a 50 cent per capita fee as membership dues for this year for the Back Mountain Community Partnership. Fox said the money would go to the purchase office materials and legal ads.

Fox said the minimal fee will be “budgeted out of tax dollars but will not be a cause of a tax increase.”

Malak said the other six municipalities involved in the partnership will be paying a similar fee.