During the Board of Supervisors meeting last Tuesday night, Milford Township officials expressed concerns over driver safety along John Fries Highway (Route 663) through the township.

            The issue was brought up during a conditional use hearing to subdivide the property that currently holds Caitlyn & Cody's Diner. Owners John and Deborah Henning are seeking to subdivide 1.2 of the 3.74-acre property for a single retail or service-provider space that will share a parking lot with the restaurant.

            Currently, the diner shares use of a private drive leading in and out of the property with the neighboring Hampton Inn. While that drive allows for entrance from either direction, exit is intended to be a safer right turn only, marked by concrete islands. According to supervisors, however, drivers are frequently making the unsafe left turn onto the highway.

            Township Manager Jeff Vey explained that New Road was constructed to parallel the highway, leading drivers out to the intersection at Quaker Pointe Drive. Many drivers, particularly those travelling from the turnpike, are unfamiliar with the option to exit via New Road.

            Options discussed Tuesday night included changes to the concrete islands, detailed signage, and possibly making the drive a one-way entrance only. Vey will discuss options with Hampton Inn owners, who also own the private drive, adding that left-turn exiting was part of the original land development approvals.

            "The real key to everything here is that the approval was to not allow left turns out. There are left turns happening," Vey said. "That is a safety situation and a liability."

            The conditional use was continued until August, allowing time to investigate the safest option with the property owner.

            A second conditional use hearing scheduled to consider the operation of Camp Jean's dog daycare on Brick Tavern Road has again been continued. Solicitor Scott MacNair announced an indefinite continuation until the zoning hearing board renders a decision on a variance because the facility does not meet the 200-foot setback.

            Vey announced that the board will meet next Tuesday July 9 to consider the variance as well as interpret the definition of an animal shelter or run.

            During the township manager's report, Vey reported that the township will serve as a fiscal pass-through for $2.5 million in grant funding received by St Luke's to construct a medical office building as a later phase of its hospital development project.

            According to Vey, construction on the medical office building will begin in 2022 and is scheduled to be completed by spring 2023.

            Vey also reported that the township has begun its Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) application. The MS4 permitting program is administered by the PA Department of Environmental Protection to ensure Pennsylvania municipalities meet the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act.

            Tuesday night's meeting adjourned to an executive session to discuss potential litigation.