Carbon County planning commission grants conditional approvals for multiple land-development plans

The Carbon County Planning Commission on a regular meeting reviewed a series of land-development and subdivision applications and granted conditional approvals while identifying outstanding permits and certifications applicants must complete before final plan recording.

County staff recommended conditional approval for Pocono Camp And Glamp’s Phase 1 submission, noting the applicant had requested a waiver of the preliminary-plan requirement but still needed surveyor certification, monumentation, lighting details, and a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for erosion- and stormwater-control measures. Unidentified Speaker 2 summarized the review and said the county “recommends conditional plan approval until all requested waivers are granted by the Penn Forest Township supervisors and all open items are completed or adequately mitigated.”

The commission moved and voted to grant conditional plan approval for Pocono Camp And Glamp after a motion by an unidentified member; the chair recorded the action as conditional approval.

Separately, the commission reviewed a proposal to relocate Lee Hayden Ford and construct a new service and showroom. County staff told commissioners the submission sought waiver relief to be processed as a preliminary/final plan but lacked required letters and approvals from the Lehigh Water Authority and the Lehighton Sewerage Authority and still required a soil-erosion/NPDES permit and final engineer and surveyor certifications. The commission voted to grant conditional approval, subject to the outstanding agency approvals and certifications.

The board also approved a conditional lot-combination for a Steve Warner parcel in Penn Forest Township, noting the combined parcel’s recorded acreage (0.551 acres) did not meet the R-2 two-acre minimum but that the plan was exempted from certain standard procedures; the commission asked for revised ownership certifications, surveyor seals, and natural-feature plan notes. The Sapphire Luxury Rentals plan and a proposed lot split by Frank Pasalocka at 314 Hatchery Road were also approved conditionally after staff recommendations and motions from commissioners.

County staff reported on additional technical reviews — including an AT&T telecommunications project that, based on available records and recent surveys, showed no identified archaeological or historic resources within the project area — and a Banks Township water-service project that the county found consistent with the Carbon County comprehensive plan and farmland-preservation goals.

Each approval was conditioned on the applicants supplying the missing documentation, agency approvals and, where applicable, execution of intermunicipal agreements for water or sewer service. No developer agreements or final plan recordings were reported as completed during the meeting.

The commission closed the agenda items after the votes and moved remaining procedural matters forward.