Plans for a proposed fishing camp on a 100-acre property in Franklin Township have advanced.

Township supervisors gave conditional plan approval to the Fazenda Fishing Camp Land Development Plan at the former Kriss Pines site, 469 Forest St., based on all comments being addressed from Carbon Engineering and from all outside agencies.

The owner/developer, Crazy Trout LLC, plans to develop an area of the 100-acre parcel for a private (members only) fishing camp.

According to the plans submitted to the township, the camp would be limited to 50 members and employ 5 people.

The development would consist of a lodge (with kitchen facilities and bar) and 10 private cabins.

The existing office, fishing ponds and other outbuilding are to remain.

The existing building (old Klecka Store and office) would be utilized as the office.

The complex would utilize a private well and on-lot septic system.

There would be existing parking and additional parking to accommodate 50 guests and five employees, as the plan states 55 parking spaces.

Joe Craig, the builder of the lodge, said there would be no guests, and that it would be a members-only club in which they would have to pay an initiation fee.

Craig said the developers are from Philadelphia, and are of Ukrainian descent.

Resident concerns

Resident Thomas Lawler, of Mill Run Drive in the Sawmill Run Development, returned this month to discuss the project. “We expect respectful neighbors who play by the rules,” Lawler said.

Lawler said since the last township planning commission and board of supervisors meetings, descriptions of the cabins have changed.

He said that plans now call for up to two bedrooms and a loft, meaning double or triple occupancy, and added at no times has there been any answer to how many guests will be allowed with the 50 members.

“More people mean the possibility of more noise, more traffic, more stress to the original septic,” Lawler said. “This must be addressed before granting conditional approval since it was asked first and foremost by the county engineer.”

Lawler said that representatives of the fish camp said they would have their own security and would try their best to adhere to a respectful quite time starting at 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and 11 p.m. on weekends.

“Sawmill community is grateful for this, but knows that vacationers in our region generally do not care about local residents nor our ordinances,” he said. “On a side note, Beltzville Lake is an example of out-of-towners not respecting our community.”

Code enforcement

Lawler said that code enforcement “is a great concern as well.”

“Our community expects that our zoning officer and any other representative do their job,” he said. “We expect the fish camp to adhere to all codes moving forward. We expect that all communication inspections be done and inspected properly as outlined in our zoning ordinances.”

Lawler said that if, indeed, the private membership will cost between $10,000 to $15,000 each per 50 members how much will the township, county, even state, receive in taxation.

Lawler then directed his next point to board Chairman Fred Kemmerer Jr. who previously stated that he will not support a noise ordinance.

“This is not just a Sawmill Run versus fish camp issue,” he said. “It is a township issue. It is a quality-of-life issue.

“Without the ordinance and enforcement, we will lose our quality of life of our residency. This is in and of itself a duty of our elected officials to protect and to enforce. This is above the special needs of various establishments, bar owners, Airbnbs, townhouse owners, builders, other businesses and ever our tourists. It‘s above all of that.”

Lawler continued, “Other communities in Pennsylvania have well written, sensible noise ordinances.

“They have special events permits to allow and to announce extended quiet hours. They have code enforcement officers.

“In my eyes, there is no reason (for the township) not to have enforcement and a noise ordinance. There’s no excuse.”

Lawler added that he and the Sawmill community “never intended to block the fish camp as a new business. We want business growth in our community.

“We do want respectful neighbors to play by the rules. We expect our township to enforce and project our quality of life.”

Lawler said they have a concern about the curve where their driveway is.

“We know that there have been deaths on that corner, and that was primarily without any traffic coming from that driveway,” he said. “It is a dangerous corner, and I believe turning out of there, it is a blind turn to the left. I feel there should be a traffic study.”

Alcohol concerns

James Bestider, who lives in Sawmill Run, thanked the owners of the property who invited them to tour the site and see the layout and blueprints.

“I have nothing against folks doing what they want,” Bestider said. “But I’ve seen issues similar to this from a noise standpoint, especially if you’re going to have alcohol involved.

“Hey if you want to have the fish camp, that’s great, but I don’t understand why we don’t have a noise ordinance in place.”

Bestider also asked the board why the township doesn’t have a noise ordinance.

Kemmerer said the police department feels “that right now what’s in place is sufficient.”