East Penn Township reviews tax parcel development requests amid zoning issues

The Planning Commission Meeting held on May 20, 2025, in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, focused on several key agenda items, primarily concerning subdivision requests and land development reviews.

The meeting commenced with a motion to send comments regarding a previous discussion to the council, which passed unanimously. Following this procedural item, the commission turned its attention to subdivision matters.

The first subdivision discussed was proposed by Samantha Desch for North Northside Heights, located in East Penn Township. The commission reviewed a right-to-know request forwarded from the Carbon County Commissioner's Office concerning two tax parcels: 232 Lochner Road and 1716 West Lizard Creek Road.

For the parcel at 232 Lochner Road, it was noted that no surveying or zoning had been conducted, and the only available information was from the Carbon County GIS department, which indicated no significant records of interest.

In contrast, the second parcel at 1716 West Lizard Creek Road had eight files of interest, including a preliminary major subdivision plan from Duane Schleicher. This plan was reviewed by the East Penn Township Plan Commission in 2011, which recommended conditional rejection. No further submissions were received, and the plan remained inactive in the commission's files. The area was also noted to have wetlands, which contributed to the lack of progress on the subdivision.

The final item on the agenda involved a subdivision and land development ordinance from Penn Forest Township, which was sent to the commission by Tom Manovich. The commission reviewed a marked-up copy of the ordinance, although further details on this discussion were not provided in the transcript.

In conclusion, the meeting addressed important subdivision requests and land development issues, with a focus on ensuring compliance with existing regulations and reviewing past proposals. The commission's next steps will likely involve further discussions on the Penn Forest Township ordinance and any follow-up actions regarding the reviewed parcels.