The Lower Towamensing Township Zoning Hearing Board will hold a hearing at 7 p.m. today to consider an application submitted by DTA Alliance LLC, owner and operator of the sand quarry in Palmerton. DTA is seeking a variance on the zoning to allow for the company to convert the sand quarry property at 415 Golf Road into a manufacturing facility for concrete products.

The subject originally came before the zoning hearing board on April 18, but was continued. The board told Dan Connor, owner of DTA Alliance, that he needs to contact additional neighbors along all of the property that borders the company's land. The property is about 34 acres, according to the zoning permit application.Connor is seeking a change in use for the property, because the current sand quarry is nearly depleted, he said in his appeal. He wants to continue mining on the other side of Golf Road and fill-in the current quarry.Once filled in, Connor wants to build a cement/concrete products manufacturing facility on it. Due to the continued production of sand, the manufacturing facility would be within the nature of work being done on the property, he said."Development of the site as a manufacturing plant will contribute beneficially to the reclamation of the quarry site, without adverse effect to development of the adjacent property," Connor stated in the appeal.The area where the quarry is located is zoned rural-conservation. Because the current zoning does not permit manufacturing, Lower Towamensing Township Zoning Officer Duane Dellecker had to deny the permit application and refer it to the zoning hearing board for a variance.The quarry began operating in the early 1900s, which predates the zoning, Connor stated in his appeal. This is another reason why he thinks the variance should be granted.The hearing will be held at the Lower Towamensing Township Municipal Building on Hahns Dairy Road.