Plans for a proposed visitors center at Hickory Run State Park can move forward, the Carbon County Planning Commission said last week.

During the monthly meeting, Ivan O. Meixell Jr., county planner, outlined his findings of the state park’s proposed new visitor center on Family Camp Road near Route 534 in Kidder Township before recommending the commission recommend conditional approval.The plans call for the construction of a 13,000-square-foot visitors center with a parking area. The new center would include the campground registration office and park management offices, as well as a 100-seat exhibit hall, multipurpose classroom for community outreach and educational programs and educational porch.Meixell said the plan calls for demolishing the existing park office and workshop. One official questioned this action, saying that the building had historic qualities.The commission’s review, which recommends preliminary conditional plan approval for the project, stated that as reviewed, it found a few zoning issues that must be addressed and reviewed by the Kidder Township zoning officer and zoning board before the plans can move forward.Last month, park Manager Dave Madl told the Times News that “This is just the first step of many in a long process. You would love to see this happen right away, but this will take at least two to three years to complete.”In other matters, the planning commission reviewed seven proposed developments.• Sky Fogal and Holy Spirits Distillery, who received conditional plan rejection for a proposed business on Meckesville Road at Skirmish USA Inc. in Penn Forest Township in September, received another conditional plan rejection after items had not yet been adequately addressed. Plans call fora 6,180-square-foot micro distillery and tasting building, and 14,070-square-foot parking lot.• Stabler Development Corporation/Caron Associates again received conditional plan rejection for its proposed communications tower in Lower Towamensing Township after the company failed to address a number of issues with the proposal. The plans, which had been previously approved in 2011 but never acted upon, were rejected during the commission’s September meeting. The plans call for building a 180-foot self-supported monopole communications tower and support compound with an access road.• The TMJA Irrevocable Trust and Great Bend Holdings Inc. received conditional plan approval for its proposed plans near the intersection of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Interchange 95 and Route 940 in Kidder Township. The plan calls for subdivision at the Long John Silvers/A&W and Arby’s restaurants.• Jonathan A. and Shelby T. Ammary received conditional plan approval for their proposed subdivision at 1828 W. Lizard Creek Road, East Penn Township. The plans call for subdividing 66.017 acres into two lots.• Thomas E. and Tracy A. Creed/Karen A. Creed received conditional plan rejection for a proposed subdivision at 465/487 Alton Road, Towamensing Township. The plans call for subdividing 100.2 acres into three lots.• Timothy G. and Brenda S. Merz received plan approval for a proposed subdivision at 165 Parker Trail, Towamensing Trails, Section V, Penn Forest Township. Plans call for combining two lots to create a 1.004-acre lot.• Michael C. O’Brien received plan approval for a proposed subdivision at the intersection of Upper Nis Hollow Drive, Lower Nis Hollow Drive and Dieter Hill Road in Mahoning Township. The plans call for subdividing 19.094 acres into two lots.