Lehigh Township gives conditional approval to Top of the Mountain Estates despite planning commission safety recommendation

The Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors on Sept. 9 granted conditional approval to a revision of the Top of the Mountain Estates subdivision that eliminates a planned cul‑de‑sac and reduces the development from 34 to 32 lots.

Developers represented by Mark Leuthe, Brian Lieberman and Brian Gasda told the board they sought to remove the cul‑de‑sac as a design change during construction. Township Engineer Mike Muffley and members of the Planning Commission said the revision raised a related concern about a nearby 90‑degree turn controlled by stop signs. A Planning Commission engineer recommended changing the horizontal geometry to create a curve that would better meet federal and state guidance for intersections.

Supporters of the developer noted the road serves only about 10 homes, would be posted at 25 mph and reduces the township’s future maintenance burden by roughly 370 feet of roadway. Opponents and some commissioners said the stop‑sign/turn configuration does not meet standard guidelines and could be a liability.

Janet Sheats moved to grant conditional approval subject to the Township Engineer’s most recent review letter but without imposing the Planning Commission’s additional requirement to redesign the curve. The motion, seconded by David Hess, passed with all voting aye.

The conditional approval requires the developer to meet the items identified by the township engineer before final plan recording and construction acceptance. The board did not adopt any new traffic restrictions or physical changes to the roadway at the meeting.

Next steps include the developer addressing the township engineer’s punchlist items and filing any required documents for final plan recording.