N. Lebanon supervisors hear Prescott Drive/East Kercher Ave. concerns

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The North Lebanon Township Board of Supervisors heard resident concerns about the intersection of Prescott Drive and East Kercher Avenue at its monthly meeting Monday.

Residents claimed that, between speeding on Prescott Drive and vehicles that run the stop signs on East Kercher, the intersection has frequent accidents and near-misses. In 2023, a driver was killed in a two-vehicle crash at the intersection.

East Kercher Avenue resident Paula Kline said her home was hit for the second time by a driver who ran the stop sign heading west on Kercher. She said she and her husband lived in a camping trailer while the home was replaced, and said she has been diagnosed with PTSD from the experience, which makes it difficult for her to be in her front yard and is triggered by screeching noises from the road.

“I was home alone at the time and had to wait for anyone, someone, to come and help me assess the damage that was caused and help me wrap my head around what had just occurred,” said Kline. “Yes, I’m blessed that I survived, and there was no physical damage to myself, but I have suffered PTSD and do take medication.”

Kline said she has allowed Lebanon County Regional Police officers to sit in her driveway for traffic enforcement, noting they have ticketed some drivers for running the stop sign. However, she said, many drivers adjust their driving after noticing the officer.

She added that tree removal near the intersection also helped somewhat with visibility of Prescott Drive from East Kercher. She said flashing lights installed by the township are ignored by drivers.

Kline asked that the township consider additional traffic calming measures, such as additional signage warning about the intersection on Prescott Drive or road painting advising “stop ahead” on East Kercher. Kline also asked for additional enforcement on the road, both at the stop sign and for speeding, which she guessed reaches 70 mph on a 40 mph road.

East Kercher Avenue resident Joan Light made similar requests and vouched for the traffic concerns at that intersection. Several other residents in attendance echoed their concerns.

Chairman Gary Heisey said he discussed the matter with police before the meeting. Lt. Paul Savini said there were two accidents (both caused by a vehicle pulling out of Kercher into oncoming traffic) at the intersection in the last six months: a two-vehicle crash April 10 and a three-vehicle crash May 27. Kline said there was a four-vehicle crash June 12.

Savini said police are unable to run radar due to state regulations, but said the state police can. He added that local police usually run a speed survey to determine the worst speeding times for around two weeks before targeting enforcement based on survey results. Savini stepped outside with Kline for more information before she left the meeting.

Both public works director Jared Balsbaugh and solicitor Amy Leonard said that, even on a township road, they are limited to traffic calming measures permitted by PennDOT. Leonard explained that measures like additional signage and speed humps require traffic studies to be conducted, and must be justified to PennDOT standards by study results.

“Not every traffic calming device that you think might be helpful is actually warranted by actual engineering studies,” said Leonard. “Just because you don’t see something going up doesn’t mean no one’s listening to you, it means it may not be justified by the traffic study. I’m not undermining what you’re saying, I absolutely believe that you’re experiencing what you say you’re experiencing, but there are limitations both on PennDOT roadways and township roadways in terms of what can be done to address specific traffic conerns.”

Balsbaugh said the township plans to paint a stop bar on Kercher, which was temporarily not in place due to scheduling issues with a contractor and drying times.

Heisey said he supports additional enforcement along the road and pursing traffic studies for calming measures, but said “we can’t stop them from being stupid” on drivers who pull onto Prescott without looking.

At the end of the meeting, supervisor Ardy Snook suggested setting up a camera at his house, several hundred feet from the intersection, and reviewing the footage as they consider options.

In other news, the board:

• Received a draft ordinance governing data centers, which places them as a conditional use with regulations in the industrial district, to review leading up to its next meeting.
• Reviewed a sketch plan for a tire store/service shop along State Route 72, with 21 parking spaces and one access point on Old Ebenezer Road. Supervisors previously rejected a request to rezone this parcel from general commercial to high-density residential. When asked by the developer if they were interested in reopening rezoning discussions, Heisey said he does not like to change zoning.

• Unanimously approved a request from Skyler Deitrick and Monica Boyer of the Lebanon County Suicide Prevention Task Force to relocate a memorial garden from Stoever’s Dam to Lions Lake. They are planning a ribbon-cutting ceremony and walk event the last Saturday in September to celebrate the garden’s 10-year anniversary.
• Unanimously approved the semi-annual release of $24,000 contributions to each of the four volunteer fire companies.
• Unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the fire chief to temporarily declare a property or structure uninhabitable for safety reasons in cases there is a delay in code enforcement arriving to the scene.
• Heard from a resident who said he was falsely accused of retail theft, charges which were ultimately dismissed, who claimed he felt intimidated by police and said charges should be pressed against the employee who made the accusation.
• Unanimously agreed to advertise for public comment on a cable franchise agreement renewal with Comcast.
• Unanimously approved the hiring of Teresa Kelly as a full-time clerk at $22 per hour.
• Unanimously approved a resolution appointing members of the pension board committee by position rather than by name.
• Unanimously approved a Municipal Authority agreement with Moravian Manors.
• Unanimously approved the Keystone Novelties fireworks tent being set up at the Lions Lake dam breast June 17 through July 10.
• Unanimously approved plan review time extensions for R&L Carriers, LCW Holdings, Zimmerman Mulch, Whispering Pines, Stanley Martin, and Manna Foods.
• Unanimously approved minutes and bills for payment and heard reports.

North Lebanon Township Board of Supervisors meets the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. These meetings are open to the public and do not require prior registration.