Town and Country Newspaper

Local News Article

Water an Issue for Milford Village, St. Luke’s?

Written by Jordan Oliver and Kelly Chandler
2012-09-05

Milford officials saw revised conceptual plans for Milford Village and St. Luke’s Hospital Tuesday night but Developer Dell Markward of the Markward Group said one of the most important issues for the project still needs to be hashed out – a water supply.

While Lifequest’s facilities are currently served by a well, the new structures, including day care and office buildings, as well as St. Luke’s Hospital, need a water source. Markward said he hopes to receive a letter from the water authority saying they can serve the site, but exactly how to get water to the new construction is still being determined.

Milford Village, a 200-plus acre parcel bordered by Route 663, Commerce Drive, Mill Hill and Portzer roads, is being developed both to update Lifequest’s facilities, with an attached nursing and assisted living buildings as well as the new offices and daycare and accommodate a new campus for St. Luke’s Hospital.

The hospital is now officially slated for a 30-acre corner of the parcel after a conditional use hearing. It replaces retail space on the original plan.

Milford Village is expected to be completed in phases, starting in 2014. St. Luke’s officials have not released a construction schedule for the hospital to date.

The first phase of the project, according to Township Manager Jeff Vey, would be several traffic improvements including the installation of a traffic signal at Commerce Drive and Route 663 as well as the addition of a right turn lane and road widening. Other traffic improvements would mean altering the intersection at Bethlehem Pike and Route 663 and relocating Mill Hill Road through the site.

Vey said that road would have to be relocated due to poor sight distance where it currently intersects Route 663 and a signal would be installed at the new intersection. Portzer Road would also need to be widened.

More discussion on the issues will take place Sept. 18 at 7 p.m.

Return to Previous Page