SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — An attorney for Nestlé Purina gave South Whitehall Township commissioners an update on its contentious water line project Wednesday, but it didn't include a lot of details.
As part of a caveat to a request for a one-year extension on the projectgranted by commissioners this year, the developer was required to provide updates on the project by August.
But questions on the impact the project will have on local residents who will have to tie into the water line remain.
The Nestlé Purina project entails the construction of a 4,400-foot water line and a 40,000-gallon water tank and mechanical building near 2050 Pope Road, where the Nestlé Purina Pet Care manufacturing plant sits.
"But that's where we are."Attorney Stephanie Kobal of Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba
Attorney Stephanie Kobal of Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba’s appeared before the commissioners to provide a quick update on the plans.
Kobal said the developers anticipate executing a land development plan and submitting it in the fourth quarter of 2025, which would provide some buffer room for the project.
She said a title search has been done, and once given the go-ahead, “we’ll be in a quick position to do a breakdown and get the opinion of title [a legal assessment of a property’s ownership] off to the director of legal affairs.”
“The Director of Legal Affairs and I have already finalized the land development documents and all of those items,” Kobal said.
“So that's where our goal is as of now. And then, once that continues, once we get that recorded, of course, things will continue in their due course.
"It is wintertime, so we'll caution you, I don't imagine much work is going to happen in January, February and March, since we need to dig to do work, and the ground is pretty frozen that time of year.
"But that's where we are.”
'Alleviate some of their concerns'
The water main will run along Huckleberry Road, with extensions running to residences along the path.
Nestlé has offered to compensate those affected by the water main plan up to $5,980, though at least some local residents are wary of that figure.
After hearing the proposal at the March 19 commissioners’ meeting, Huckleberry Road residents Jenny Fiorito and Jennifer Sedora — among others — attended Wednesday’s meeting to comment on the overall project and the proposed payment from Nestlé.
"I just think they would want to know or be kept in the loop of what you're talking about.”South Whitehall Township Commissioner Chris Peischl
“The offer of $5,980 is less than half of what the connection costs from the curb box to our home will be for us, and for our neighbor at 4236 Huckleberry, it's roughly a third of what the connection costs will be,” Fiorito said.
On Wednesday, Commissioner Chris Peischl asked whether the developer had been in contact with residents who previously raised concerns over the cost to tie into the new line.
Peischl admitted he and his fellow commissioners had not.
“I believe it was one neighbor, two neighbors, who came forward with the concerns about cost,” Kobal said.
“One of our concerns about going back and looking at that cost estimate is we want to do it pretty close to what I'll call ‘go time.’
Because, as we can all appreciate right now, costs are fluctuating so much, so if we had done it right after that meeting, those costs already could be stale.
"So we are aware of it, but we haven't necessarily updated the cost allocation.”
Peischl responded that residents should have been informed about that matter instead of leaving them in limbo.
“So I would ask that if you please reach out and explain," Peischl said. "Wouldn't you just explain to us, to them, so that they know that you didn't forget about them?
“I think would help alleviate some of their concerns moving forward. It's a valid point, it makes sense. But I just think they would want to know or be kept in the loop of what you're talking about.”
