Richland Township’s commitments to preserving its rural character and honoring its historic legacy were both in evidence at the June board of supervisors meeting.
Noting its “open space, farmland, and natural areas” as “contributing to the quality of life and economic health” of its community, supervisors approved township participation in the purchase of a 55-acre conservation easement within the property of Marlin, Joann, and Jeffery Corn on Hickory Lane.
The move was guided by the township’s Open Space Plan, and is the first such move since township voters overwhelmingly approved a five-year extension last month for the Earned Income Tax contribution to its open space fund. This easement cost is to be shared with Heritage Conservancy, contingent upon receipt of a grant from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Should the grant not go through, the effort goes back to the drawing board.
Earlier in the meeting, supervisors approved demolition of the historic, 1776 Abraham Taylor House on private property on West Pumping Station Road, including associated buildings on the property. However, a letter of intent from the demolition company, posted following the zoning permit in the meeting agenda, stated that “the historic portion of the house is going to be dismantled and preserved at another location.”
A previous demolition proposal, from another company, on behalf of the property owner, Lehigh Valley Health Network, did not include any such statement. Discussions with the owner, supervisors and members of the township’s Preservation Board at previous supervisors meetings had concluded that the owner’s engagement of the substitute demolition firm, Hartland Restoration, Inc. of Harleysville, highly regarded for accomplishing similar work at numerous locations throughout the area, was the best that could be done for all concerned.
Also at the June meeting, supervisors approved guidelines for donation requests to the township from non-profit organizations, and an agreement for a re-design of the township website. Details for both are available through the meeting agenda on the current township website.
The $13,750 website project is to be funded by township receipts from the federal, pandemic-related American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Pandemic-related federal funding in 2020 did not include money for municipalities.
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