Carbon County Planning Commission says a proposed subdivision, to be the site of a proposed compressor station for the PennEast pipeline, meets the necessary requirements to move forward.

On Tuesday, the county planning commission voted to recommend conditional plan approval for a three-lot subdivision of 700-plus acres along Route 940 near the intersection of Industrial Lane in Kidder Township. The recommendation now goes to the township, which has the final say.Ivan O. Meixell Jr., county planner, outlined the plan, saying that the subdivision will create a 74-acre lot, a 6.13-acre access/utility easement and leave approximately 619 acres intact.G. Craig Harahus of Blue Ridge Real Estate Company of Blakeslee, said the 74-acre lot, which is zoned light industrial, will be the site of the PennEast pipeline compressor station if the plans for the project get approved by Kidder Township.Harahus said the compressor station was supposed to be constructed on the north side of Route 940 next to hole 15 on the local golf course on Jack Frost property. But after two site visits to other compressor stations, the Kidder Township Supervisors and Harahus altered the location a bit."The sound wasn't that bad," Harahus told the commission. "But we felt the best and most logical location for it was along Interstate 80 so the noise would counteract each other."Harahus said that the compressor station is a 48,000-horsepower unit made up of four large compressors and turbines.Last month, PennEast's plan approval application to the Department of Environmental Protection stated that the station calls for installation of three new Solar Mars 100 natural gas-fired compressor turbine-compressors, a natural gas-fired emergency generator and ancillary heating equipment.Harahus said this plan was only the subdivision plan and further details would be coming when the land development plan is submitted. A special exception permit from the township will probably be required as well.The compressor station will be the only station along the approximate 115-mile pipeline between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Harahus said.Meixell said the plan calls for connecting its sewer system into the Jack Frost Wastewater Treatment plan.Harahus said it will be low pressure, is better than a sand mound and will accommodate between a dozen and 20 employees who will man the station around the clock.Meixell said that the plan needs to have the certification of ownership, acknowledgment of plan and offer of dedication to be signed by the owner of the property and notarized, as well as the certification of the survey notice to be completed and signed.He added that Kidder Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance waiver requests point out that the purpose of the subdivision submission is "solely to create one 74-acre tract and one common use utility easement with no land development proposed.As stated, 'The proposed purchaser will be responsible for the land development master plans, permits, applications and other required items related to the development of this site.'"The Carbon County Planning Commission recommends the waivers be granted because of the subdivision's "minor nature" and because no land development is proposed with this submission. Future development of the 74-acre lot and common access/utility easement will require a land development plan.