Eagle Ridge okayed

DINGMAN - The controversy petered out Tuesday as a 39-home, Estates at Eagle Ridge subdivision received “conditional approval” from the Dingman Township Board of Supervisors. The project at the intersection of Route 6 and Buist Road had been a drawn out process for the developers as residents pressed concerns of new traffic problems along Buist Rd. The board granted a conditional approval based on the fact that no new documents opposing the application had been submitted and that, for the present, Buist Rd. meets all the township’s requirements. On another matter, Michelle Schuller, program coordinator of the Pike County Youth Advocate Program solicited township participation in the program. The advocate program is comprised of young people who have been mandated by the courts to perform community service. “We are just looking for a place that our kids can do the court ordered community service such as in your “Adopt A Road” program.” Participants must complete their required hours at a township building, government facility, or county funded building and the county provides supervision the young people involved, Schuller said. Schuller said that doing work at the library, for instance, which is not a county facility would not fall under the guidelines set forth by the probation department. The youths need to do work which will directly give back to the taxpayers as repayment for their misdeeds. Although the “Adopt A Road” program is not a building facility it is a township project for which would satisfy the probation department. Dingman Solicitor John Klemeyer wanted to know about insurance liability. “The township has to be protected and we would be concerned as to who would be responsible for them especially regarding Workmen’s Compensation”, asked Klemeyer. Schuller said that kids parents sign off and assume responsibility for all medical costs should there be any injuries sustained. “There are also issues that if we have volunteer youths doing things such as working on town projects would this be construed as interfering with town hired contractors”, said Supervisors Chair Tom Mincer. Mincer thought that this issue would be something that would have to be researched further before involving the township in the program. In other business, Mincer reported that Habitat for Humanities is planning to build two additional homes in Dingman Township and moved that fees be waived. “They have been great for the community and great for the people that they are building the homes for.” His motion was unanimously approved.