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Council approves conditional return of Long Ridge escrows after engineer confirmation
Summary
Council voted 3–2 to authorize staff to release escrow funds for the Vistas at Long Ridge where temporary certificates of occupancy conditions are verified as met; debate focused on whether returning escrows would remove leverage for unresolved grading and drainage issues.
Lower Saucon Township Council voted to authorize township staff to return developer escrow funds for Vistas at Long Ridge where temporary certificates of occupancy (COs) have been met. The motion, which passed 3–2, requires the township engineer or designated inspector to confirm each lot meets the specific conditions tied to the conditional CO before any escrow is released.
Engineer Brian Cocker explained that the original conditional COs were narrow in scope (primarily seeding for temporary occupancy) and that engineering punch-list items referenced by staff were not necessarily conditions of the conditional CO. Several council members and residents argued that returning escrow would diminish the township’s leverage to compel the developer to fix grading and drainage discrepancies that affect neighboring properties. Council ultimately approved the staff-backed approach, with an explicit requirement that the escrow be released only after township inspection confirms that the CO conditions have been satisfied.
