It's back to the drawing board for a Walker Township egg farm that wants to expand its business.

Heisler's Egg Farm, Inc., 757 Valley Road, Tamaqua, is scheduled to go before the township's zoning hearing board at 7 tonight to request a special exception under a section of the township's zoning ordinance to expand the use of the property as an egg-producing and processing facility.According to the township's zoning ordinance, for lands exceeding 40 acres, an intensive agricultural use in excess of 6 animal equivalent units per acre requires prior approval of a special exception by the zoning hearing board before operations begin.In September, Heisler's announced that it intended to submit an application under the provisions of the Clean Stream Law to the Department of Environmental Protection for the update of an existing NPDES permit for a concentrated animal feeding operation for all existing facilities, as well as the proposed construction of two additional layer barns designed to house 324,000 chickens, and one additional manure storage building designed to contain 72,000 cubic feet.The township's zoning hearing board in May 2015 attempted to conduct a hearing on two requests from Heisler's that sought a special exception to exceed allowed animal units per acre, and a variance to expand more than 25 percent.But that hearing never got that far because some residents said neighboring property owners had not been properly notified of the plan. The hearing was continued until June 29, but that hearing was canceled because the application was withdrawn by Heisler's.Heisler's is located in an enhanced agriculture zoning district; intensive agriculture is defined as exceeding "three animal units per acre" and is only allowed on properties which are 25 acres and larger. Heisler's Egg Farm is located on a 55-acre tract. An animal unit is equal to 1,000 pounds.