Ancient Oaks (Allentown, Reading, Whitehall: crime, attorney, homes)

[highstrung]

Any info/feedback on this area? Thank you! :-)

[PA.Dutchman]

Lehigh / Northampton Counties are the areas you need to be asking about now. Crime has now moved into every suburb and community in these counties.

There are so many stolen cars now in these two counties they have created a Joint Task Force to try to stop or slow up all the stolen cars. I took a Citizens Course and the DA told us of a group coming down from Reading PA. They had four drivers in a van. They stripped off tires, wheels, stereo systems and the four men then each drove a stolen car back to Berks Co. This gang was caught by Cedar Beach Park with a full van and four stolen cars to be driven back to Berks.

The Regional Police can no longer handle all the call and they were created to give the State Police who could not handle all the calls in the area you mention.

I am not sure if it is Upper or Lower Macungie that is getting out of its own contract with the Regional Police. It has to now create its own Police Department. There are just too many calls and people have to wait to long for an Officer to show up.

[PA.Dutchman]

Another issue to be concerned with when relocating to the Lehigh or Northampton Counties is chemical contamination.

When Ancient Oaks opened it was soon discovered there were large amounts of Nitrate's in the drinking water and wells of the development. Children under a certain age could have suffered organ damage. Everyone had to pay for and drink bottled water.

The development had to be hooked up at the homeowners expense to Allentown or Emmaus water service, I am not sure just which one it was. However it was done and had to be for the health of the residents of Ancient Oaks.

Now it has been confirmed and realized that more lead and arsenic is in the lawns and properties of the New North Whitehall Township homes on the former site of Mohr Orchard.

Lead and Arsenic was used for decades in chemicals sprayed to preserve apples, pears etc when this area was an orchard.

If you are looking at relocating to the Lehigh or Northampton counties to a former farming or orchard site you really have to find out about the possibility of this kind of contamination.

I am not sure how you would protect yourself against paying for work to correct the problem or not. You might want to speak to an attorney for something in writing from the seller.

I have included a link to the entire story in today's Morning Call Newspaper, it might answer some of your questions.

More lead, arsenic detected at North Whitehall Township homes on the former site of Mohr Orchard -- themorningcall.com