Township Vacates Portion of N. 31st Street

commissioners vacated a portion of N. 31st Street Wednesday, giving the roadway to adjoining property owner M & F Associates.

The 171.71 feet of roadway, which extends north from W. Tilghman Street, leads to three homes and undeveloped lots, but without curbing, it looks more like the parking area for  than a street.

South Whitehall did not remove snow or pave the roadway since it was a private street. Now however, M & F Associates, which owns the adjoining property that houses several businesses, will maintain it, according to information provided at the commissioners' meeting.

Property owners who live beyond the roadway will still have the right to use the footage to access their homes, according to township officials and attorney Thomas Siegfried, representing M & F Associates.

Commissioners , but when neighbors raised concerns about access to their properties, they tabled the matter until the neighbors could seek legal counsel to make sure they would not be landlocked.

Though satisfied that he would be able to access his home, resident Stephen Greene, of 725 N. 31st St., told the commissioners Wednesday that he still felt the township should take over the street rather than vacate it. "But I have no leg to stand on," he said.

At last month's meeting, township officials had explained that, under state law, the township's rights to take over ownership of the road had expired long ago.