The Upper Hanover Board of Supervisors will not oppose a group of property owners seeking to intervene in the conditional use appeal of the proposed Upper Perkiomen middle school.

                On Monday, Township Solicitor Joseph Bresnan apologized to supervisors for disputing the property owners' right to intervene in the appeal by the school district. Bresnan said that he had originally written a response opposing the intervention "on legal grounds" and that he did it "protectively" for the township.

                He announced the supervisors' decision to not intervene at Monday's board meeting.

                The motion to intervene was filed by Pennsburg residents David Pico and Len Mathews and Upper Hanover resident William Chrisman, who all live on Montgomery Avenue and are concerned that they could be affected by the conditional use order.

                Bresnan, responding to the filing, claimed that the Petition to Intervene was filed too late, being more than three months after the decision was issued and more than two months after the district filed an appeal. He wrote that the action between the school district and township was a "friendly appeal through which the parties are seeking to clarify certain terms of the decision" and that "the District and Township are close to finalizing terms that will cause the appeal to be resolved entirely."

                However, after an executive session before Monday's meeting, the supervisors instructed Bresnan not to oppose the intervention. On March 20, a decision will be made by Judge Thomas Del Ricci on whether the property owners can intervene.

                Supervisors also tabled discussion of the middle school conditions for clarification on certain questions.  Bresnan noted there are a "few remaining issues on any settlement terms."

                In related news, supervisors will consider limiting construction traffic for the new middle school at critical times in the morning and the afternoon.

                In other business, supervisors discussed the fate of Lesher's Mill Road Bridge, which was closed after being deemed unsafe. After considering several options – including closing the bridge completely to make all necessary repairs, which would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars – supervisors decided to convert the bridge into a one-lane span and narrow the lane to admit only car traffic. The failing left side of the bridge would be closed.

                In parks and recreation news, Chairman Gene Fried reported that the Boy Scouts would be cleaning up the Mill Hill property on March 25, and that a new trail was being installed on the highest ridge of Mill Hill as an Eagle Scout project.