A highway occupancy permit for Lower Towamensing Township’s sewer plant is being applied for.

Supervisors last week unanimously approved the highway occupancy permit form and authorized board Chairman Jay Mullikin to sign it.

The form authorizes ARRO Consulting to submit the permit on behalf of the township.

No other discussion on the matter took place, but the project is moving forward.

Palmerton previously granted the township access to several borough-owned lots for wetland delineation and bog turtle habitat assessment.

On a 6-0 vote, Palmerton Borough Council recently approved an access request to Lower Towamensing Township to three borough-owned lots.

Before the vote, council President Terry Costenbader didn’t mince words in making his feelings known.

“Whatever they’re going to do on our property is going to be paid for by Lower Towamensing Township,” Costenbader said.

Borough Manager Autumn Canfield noted that with regard to the access request by Lower Towamensing, the borough is only responding to its borough-owned properties.

After the meeting, Canfield said the three borough-owned properties are on the east side of town and border Lower Towamensing Township.

Last month, supervisors approved an amended professional services agreement with ARRO Consulting for the township’s sewer plant and anticipate bidding the project by next year.

Amanda Reitbauer, senior project manager, ARRO Engineering, reviewed the project with supervisors at that time and said they are hoping to have everything submitted in the fall and have the permits in the spring.

She said they are in the process of design.

Township solicitor Jim Nanovic said the township is hoping to get funding for the project.

Mullikin said the township doesn’t have a construction time frame yet for the project.

Jim Dailey, general manager, Blue Mountain Resort, noted the company’s operation is also affected by the project, and added they need to know more of a defined scenario.

The proposed pump station is anticipated to be a submersible pump station with pumps capable of pumping at about 500 gallons per minute, with no building.

The station will be enclosed by a chain-link fence with one light and surface-mounted electrical controls.

Emergency power will be provided by a diesel generator with a fuel tank capable of providing 72 hours of power when full.

The scope of services includes:

• Perform wetland assessments and delineations within the project corridor and adjacent areas necessary to support the planning and permitting effort.

• Prepare GIS mapping and a Wetlands Assessment/Delineation Report documenting the results of the field investigations.

• Perform Phase 1 Bog Turtle Habitat Surveys of wetlands within the study area in accordance with acceptable U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requirements.

• Prepare GIS mapping and a Phase I Bog Turtle Habitat Survey Report documenting the survey findings for agency review.

• Prepare a Bog Turtle Avoidance Measures Workplan for submission to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including recommended avoidance measures and coordination necessary to support the project design and permitting process.

It revises the schedule as follows:

• Complete and submit 60% PS design, receive comments, by September.

• Submit permit applications by October.

• Receive permits by April.

• Submit 90% of design by March.

• Submit 100% of design by April.

• Advertise by May.

• Open bids in June.

• Award a contract in July.

It also revises compensation in that these additional services are to be provided for a not-to-exceed fee of $52,200, an increase in the previous fees for a new not-to-exceed fee of $385,200.

Property owners in the township who will be affected have been notified that testing will be done on their land in preparation for the project.