After several rounds of voting, Penn Forest Township approved the proposed Dollar General store on the east side of the township.

After hearing from the township engineer, project engineers and objectors, supervisors split 2-2 on the vote, with Judy Knappenberger and Tom Cross opposed, Roger Meckes and Christian Bartulovich in favor, with member Scott Lignore absent. The initial split vote meant the project could not proceed.

The developer’s engineers explained the changes they made to the project’s original plans, including moving the driveway away from Route 534, as well as improvements to sight lines all around, and a small change to where Stony Mountain Road connects to Route 534. The change makes that intersection 90 degrees - a “T” - instead of the angled approach that exists now.

Township engineer Michael Muffley said that the developer had met all the subdivision and land plan requirements.

Bill Miller, of the township’s planning commission, said approval of the project was due in part to asking the supervisors to direct the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to perform a traffic study on the intersection of Stony Mountain Road and Route 534. There was considerable discussion about Route 534 and how the approach to Stony Mountain Road, especially from the west, has traffic coming up too fast.

Miller added that he’d like to see turn lanes.

With the vote tied, it was likely that the developers would file against the township in court. Chairman Meckes made the decision to locate Lignore by telephone. The presentations and arguments about the project were repeated for his benefit.

Township solicitor Thomas Nanovic said the planning commission’s request for indemnification about the Route 534 intersection could not be done.

They had asked that the developer indemnify the township on crashes at the Route 534 intersection. Nanovic said a rule would have needed to have been part of the township ordinances to do so, and it is not.

When all was presented again, Lignore said that “I think that we have enough Dollar Generals in the area, (but) … if they do everything right, I cannot say no.”

Miller tried one more time to change Lignore’s mind, predicting that “there’s going to be accidents.”

On the second vote, the project was given conditional approval with Lignore, Meckes and Bartulovich in favor, Knappenberger and Cross opposed.

Other actions

• In a split vote, DeAngelo Brothers Inc. was hired to apply weed control on the Penn Forest Park walking path, and along the fence lines. Meckes was opposed as he felt spraying the fences put more unneeded chemicals into the park. Cross, Bartulovich and Knappenberger voted in favor.

• A request by a camp group of 150 children to use the township park next week was referred back to the park and recreation board. The request would be turned down as the group’s size would exceed the park capacity, especially for bathrooms.

• Supervisors voted to add $2,000 to the budget for park security, to be used once Blue Ridge Communications extends their cable line to the park. It was noted that the new septic system in the park had solved the problem of toilets backing up.

• Fire police were approved to assist Jim Thorpe Police with crowd control and at pedestrian road crossings during October high traffic weekends.

• After nearly a decade of use, the computer server at the township office needs an upgrade. Supervisors agreed to pay $6,793 to buy a new XEON 3.4 Quad Core processor and have Underdog Computing migrate the old data to it.

• Another bulk item will be added to the current garbage permit per customer, because of its 18-month term.

• The township will get input from employees on a suggested new social media policy.

• The new truck is on back order, possibly to 2022.

• A zoning hearing is scheduled for Aug. 19 about the cell tower erected without permits on 586 Stony Mountain Road. The meeting is open to the public, and will also be available via Zoom.