Open space, environment key issues for Upper Nazareth Township candidates for supervisor

• Three candidates are vying for two open seats on the Upper Nazareth Township Board of Supervisors
• Each candidate is focused on open space usage, zoning and the environment in the township
• Republican Scott Sylvainus is the lone incumbent in the race

UPPER NAZARETH TWP., Pa. — Open space usage and preservation, zoning and the environment are the major concerns of all three candidates in the race for Upper Nazareth Township Board of Supervisors.

Republican Scott Sylvainus, the incumbent board chairman; Democrat William Bartlett; and Republican William Whyte are running for two vacant seats on the five-person board. Each seat is for a six-year term.

Here is a look at the candidates.

Scott Sylvainus

Sylvainus, 61, has been an Upper Nazareth supervisor for 14 years.

A Lehigh Valley native and resident of Upper Nazareth for 34 years, he is employed as the sales director at Mutual of Omaha in Bethlehem.

Sylvainus cited proper zoning as a major issue in the township.

“I think it’s important to plan for the future,” he said. “That includes factors such as what type of development do we want and need.

“Realistically, we need a mix of uses. But they need to be in the proper place. For example, you don’t put a school next to a manufacturing plant. And industrial development should be near the Interstate.”

Sylvainus said what separates him from the other candidates is his knowledge of issues in the township and his involvement with the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, or PSATS.

PSATS is committed to preserving and strengthening township government by lobbying state and federal lawmakers and educating and informing its members through workshops, an annual conference and trade show and award-winning publications.

“I constantly read about PSATS and other local organizations to learn more,” Sylvainus said. “It’s important for a person to always be growing.

"Also, I’m very patient and have an open mind. I listen to the pros and cons of an issue and make my decision based on what is best for the township.”

Sylvainus has been involved in the township for more than 30 years, and as chairman of the planning commission, a member of the recreation board and the library and finance committee.

He also is a representative for the Lehigh Valley coordinated effort for a Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan, a 10-municipality group in the Nazareth area.

Adopted in 2007, the initiative helps communities determine collectively where new homes should and shouldn’t be built, where sewer and water utilities should be extended and what farmland and open space should be preserved.

William Bartlett

An Upper Nazareth Township resident for more than 25 years, Bartlett, 62, is a recently retired immunology scientist.

A long-term leader in the Boy Scouts, he also is chaplain of the local council National Youth Leadership Training course.

Bartlett recently has been a volunteer Santa Claus for local events, including at the township’s annual tree-lighting ceremony.

A volunteer with the township’s Environmental Advisory Council, Bartlett is focused on preserving open space and the environment.

Among the benefits of preserving open space, he said, are increased home and property values, attracting tax-paying businesses and residents and increasing tourism which boosts local economies and job creation.

Proper local use of open space resources has a direct and positive impact on all of these, he said. Naturally planted areas help filter runoff for water protection and reduce air contaminants.

“Votes taken by the Board of Supervisors directly impact the quality of life in our township and the future of our community,” he said.

“I’m running because I want Upper Nazareth Township to preserve open space, improve communication between the township and the residents and ensure that future development is appropriate to the area where it will be built.”

Bartlett said that while he understands development is necessary, it must be reasonable and responsible.

“Development should not result in excessive harm to township infrastructure,” he said. “It should not create health and safety risks. And the jobs created should pay enough to enable workers to live in the township.

“Building large warehouses on land prone to sinkholes or bringing truck traffic into areas which lack the necessary infrastructure is neither reasonable nor responsible.”

William Whyte 

Whyte has served as an alternate member of the township Zoning Hearing Board for five years.

Among the reasons he is running is to help keep taxes down, he said.

“I see no need to raise them when there’s a surplus in the budget,” he said.

“Land management is also a huge concern, what with the warehouses moving into the township. There was a huge issue with a planned warehouse on Gun Club Road. It wasn’t approved, but I believe it’s being appealed.”

Whyte has resided in Upper Nazareth with his wife and children for 20 years.

He’s a computer consultant for JPMorgan Chase & Co., and for 15 years, he’s been a history and political science instructor at Northampton Community College.

A self-described traditional conservative, Whyte said he is concerned the “left-leaning board” will lean further left should he not win a seat.

“The board is already a Democratic majority,” he said. “I feel we need the other voice heard. If not, they will have a supermajority. I want to represent conservative views.”

Whyte said he has always had an interest in public service, which is why he is seeking to become a supervisor.

“I’m concerned with our community,” he said. “I started with the zoning board.

“I think the way things are changing here — there’s an influx of a lot of new people coming here from New York and New Jersey — our politics have changed. It’s swinging too far to the left.

"I’m running to bring it back to the middle of the road.”