The new St. Luke’s Carbon Campus in Franklin Township continues to round into form.

Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the St. Luke’s Hospital Blue Mountain Emergency Department land development plan.

After the meeting, John Sylvia, St. Luke’s Network Vice President of Planning and Business Development, said the land development plan adds additional space to the new hospital for its emergency room department, which will give it capacity increases.

Also on Tuesday, supervisors approved the certification that the township has complied with all of the requirements needed in connection with the St. Luke’s Hospital site development and readiness Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant.

Bret Buchman, project manager, said after the meeting the RACP grant was for utility relocation.

In June, supervisors adopted a resolution authorizing the submission of the RACP grant application and business plan, as well as the execution of the cooperation agreement with St. Luke’s Hospital.

The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program is a commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects.

At that time, board Chairman Jason Frey said the grant is in the amount of $750,000, and would be used for site preparation work. Frey said the overall cost is $8 million.

The $80 million campus will be located on more than 100 acres at the intersection of Fairyland and Harrity roads.

Supervisors in February 2020 conditionally approved St. Luke’s subdivision plan.

In October 2019, St. Luke’s University Health Network broke ground on its new St. Luke’s Carbon Campus under a tent at the site.

Once completed, the hospital will provide area residents local access to a range of specialty services in a full-service, three-story, 155,000-square-foot hospital.

Built with American steel, the St. Luke’s Carbon Campus will be equipped with 80 beds, 20 emergency department exam rooms, three operating rooms and two OR procedure rooms. Specialty services will include trauma, cardiology, neurology and radiology, among others.

In September 2019, supervisors approved a developer’s agreement that allowed St. Luke’s to begin construction.

The agreement said that the township would let St. Luke’s begin construction, but St. Luke’s can’t open the hospital until those agreements are in place. The supervisors previously approved plans for the project in January 2019.

The agreement also includes a $100,000 donation for the township to use for road projects.

St. Luke’s hopes to open the facility in early 2022.

Water service connection fees

Township secretary Brenda Cressley told the board that the township received a letter from the Lehighton Water Authority concerning the water service connection, which includes the hospital.

Cressley said the letter was to inform township residents who live along Fairyland Road from the former elementary school out to Harrity Road that if they want to connect to the water line, they must have their completed application with payment in the amount of $2,110 to the Lehighton Water Authority’s office by March 31. Any applications received after March 31 will be returned, no exceptions.

The remainder of the fees (actual cost estimated to be $2,250 and the meter fee $155) will be due after the service line has been installed; water will not be turned on until all fees have been paid in full.

After the meeting, Cressley said there are two residents.