A proposed hospital in Franklin Township has cleared another hurdle.

That’s after the township’s planning commission on Thursday recommended conditional plan approval to St. Luke’s land development plan.

Contacted this morning, township engineer Greg Haas said planners recommended conditional plan approval to the board of supervisors.

Haas said the planners granted conditional plan approval subject to his latest review letter dated Dec. 12.

“Just some minor plan revisions necessary,” Haas said. “Really all the outside agency approvals and the administrative aspects of any land development plan including the necessary agreements.”

Township planning commission Chairman Matt Neeb said planners granted a recommendation of approval with conditions.

Neeb said those include addressing all the comments subject to township engineer Greg Haas’ review letter dated Dec. 12, any outstanding fees that are due, and that all outside agency approvals such as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and DEP, are met.

Neeb said the St. Luke’s land development plan is expected to be on the supervisors’ agenda when the board meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

In October, supervisors accepted St. Luke’s land development plan’s offer to extend the township’s review time for an additional 90 days.

St. Luke’s University Health Network in the spring acquired over 86 acres of land to build another hospital on Harrity Road.

The new hospital will be 50 feet tall and encompass 130,000 square feet on a more than 75-acre lot.

It will begin with 40 bedrooms and eventually have 80. St. Luke’s expects to employ 200 people at the new facility to start. The lot will have 535 parking spots.

It will also include an emergency room and helipad to airlift trauma patients when necessary to its main hospital in Bethlehem. The helicopter will be used only for dire situations, said Rocco Caracciolo, a division manager at the engineering firm Pennoni Associates in Bethlehem.

The plans include widening Harrity Road to include a left-hand turning lane, he said. Concerns about increased traffic were brought up by both the commissioners and a resident who lives along Reber Street.