SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. — At the Aug. 12 supervisors meeting, Attorney Patrick Lavelle said he received comments and responses from Lackawanna County and township engineers regarding the plans proposing to tear down the Inn at Nichols Village and build six buildings on the property. He said the developer submitted responses to the county and the township. He talked with township manager David O’Neill about this project called Shoppes at South Abington.

“The original plans came in,” said O’Neill. “The county had lots of comments. Our township engineer had four pages of comments.”

O’Neill mentioned the engineer of Nichols Village addressed the comments by saying,”‘We’ll do it” but didn’t indicate how they would do it. He made a motions to approve a subdivision land development approval extension, which was provided by an agent of property owner Falcon Companies. The supervisors approved the motion.

Lavelle asked supervisors to recess the meeting since the supervisors will receive bids for the maintenance building next week. O’Neill explained the supervisors will review the bids and award them in two weeks.

“If we recess for two weeks, we’d be able to look at those bids as well as potentially Nichols Village Shoppes of South Abington,” he said.

The meeting will continue at noon Thursday, Aug. 22.

In other business ...

• O’Neill said last month the supervisors decided not to apply for the Multimodal Transportation Fund Grant for Simrell Road. He mentioned he received a call from the gentleman who proposed it and said, “I was assured that we will get funded for it.” O’Neill said secretary Christine Griswold learned the state decided it doesn’t need a match.

“We put together a grant,” he said. “We got it out in a timely manner.”

O’Neill announced the grant to be for $142,700 to pave the dirt section of Simrell Road. He said the supervisors need a resolution in order to add it to the application package.

O’Neill made a motion to approve Resolution #19-06, authorizing South Abington Twp. requesting a multimodal transportation fund grant from the Commonwealth Financing Authority for paving the dirt section of Simrell Road located between Fairview Road and the township line.

• O’Neill announced the supervisors had a meeting with their pension adviser two weeks ago and the adviser suggested the supervisors may not be receiving as much income as they could in their police pension fund. O’Neill requested a motion for a proposal for investment advisory services for South Abington Twp. Police Defined Benefit Pension Plan.

Solicitor Bill Jones explained that it tries to maximize some money.

“This has certain criteria,” he said. “We’ve been with one institution for quite a while now. The act allows you to advertise.”

O’Neill said there are companies that can meet this requirement and the supervisors can meet this requirement. They voted to accept the request.

•T he supervisors voted to place a plaque and dedicate the new pavilion in memory of Keith Wellard, the late co-founder of the South Abington Twp. Park and Recreation Committee.

• O’Neill announced that, as part of the new maintenance facility across the street, PPL will have to redirect lines that serve the Mackey property.

“PPL will be relocating a pole and then do an underground service through our property to the Mackey property,” he said.

O’Neill said the supervisors will need to approve an easement in order to do this. The supervisors voted to approve a right of way for PPL.

• ONeill said that he received a petition to pave both Epirus Hill and Brookview Lane.

• O’Neill said he has an application from Hal Cross to be a part-time maintenance employee for the listing of ambulance drivers.

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Meeting on issue to continue Aug. 22

By Ben Freda

For Abington Journal

Reach the Abington Journal newsroom at 570-991-6405 or by email at news@theabingtonjournal.com.