A manufacturer of ice cream and ice cream mixes continues to gain support in its quest to replace its existing mix processing plant in Walker Township.

On a 2-0 vote, with an abstention from Supervisor Christine Troxell, the township's board of supervisors on Thursday granted preliminary plan approval of the Leiby's Dairy subdivision.The board's approval came after it heard from Keith and Carla Zimmerman, owners of Leiby's Dairy Inc. 116 Mountain Road, Tamaqua.Leiby's Dairy wants to replace its mix plant on the 19-acre property with a new mix plant.It was stated access will still be on Mountain Road. In essence, the process does not change, but the facility would change.The product they can produce, the expansion should increase their production out of the facility between 100 and 150 percent of what they currently do.Leiby's Dairy will come back to the township's planning commission with their final plans, and then based upon the commission's recommendations, supervisors would then have to approve the final land development plan.At that point, zoning and building permits could be reviewed and issued.In May, Leiby's Dairy was granted a special exception under a section of the ordinance to expand the existing nonconforming use of the property as an ice cream manufacturing plant.The ice cream plant was built in 2000.