East Penn will discuss social hall plans March 15

The public can hear about the future of the East Penn Township social hall at a meeting on March 15.

The township supervisors on Monday announced that they will hold a special meeting to discuss the planned renovations to the building.

The supervisors have discussed renovating the building, including new floors and kitchen facilities.

But with the amount of work proposed, they may also have to bring the building into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“Because we’re doing so much renovation, it’s federal law that you have to be ADA compliant,” Supervisor Steven Heckman said.

Supervisor William Schwab said the board has received an estimate of roughly $700,000 to conduct the work, which would include the ADA upgrades as well as consolidating a previous loan on the building.

Schwab said the supervisors previously advertised the building for sale, but no bids were placed.

The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held at 6:30 p.m. March 15 at the social hall.

In other business

• The supervisors discussed a request to address stormwater at the intersection of Friendship Road and a private lane. Heckman said they plan to cut shoulders into the road when the weather improves.

• A resident raised concerns about a trucking company operating from a property on Borger Creek Road without proper zoning permits.

• Schwab said the detour for Fritz Valley Road, expected to be in place for a year, will take drivers through East Penn Township.

• The supervisors agreed to deny a resident’s request to perform excavating in a borough right of way on property he owns along Wertman Hollow Road.

• The supervisors accepted bids from a number of local contractors for emergency use of heavy equipment that the township does not own on an as-needed basis.

• Fire Chief Robert Kleintop said the township’s fire insurance rates should decrease as a result of a change in the borough’s public protection classification. The supervisors thanked Kleintop.

• The supervisors agreed to seek bids for ramps as part of a vault toilet project at Riverview Park. The project is 100 percent grant funded. Schwab said planning work is also underway for a dog park at Riverview as part of a Boy Scout’s Eagle project.