Since November 2003 members of the Kohler family have struggled with the issue of saying good-bye to our almost 275 year same family held homestead. It has been a difficult struggle, as we had to go to Lehigh County Court just to preserve our rights in this matter. Lewis Kohler held lifetime possession by family agreement and upon his death the appreciated value of any sale of land had to divide up among family members, including the estate of Lewis Kohler. .
Many steps are involved in land development; and we knew that it would take some time for all pieces to fall together until settlement of the sale would occur. Unfortunately due to the recent vote of the Whitehall Commissioners in relationship to rezoning our struggle is not over and we may not be close to closure on this issue I want closure on this issue with the Kohler family treated fairly Can anyone truly say that we have been treated us fairly in the effort of one Commissioner to undermine and attack our developer and the political relationship he was alleged to have with his father. How does that mix well with this commissioner's public contention that she does not consider the landowners personal financial situation before making a decision on a Board issue? What she considered here was the developer and his relationship to a Board member. All other perfectly correct and valid justifications for seeking rezoning was ignored by this commissioner and guess who suffered … Not the developer … He could move on to other projects if he bails out of this … So the real victim is the Kohler family which I through my deceased mother am a member.
I ask, had another developer given us the best deal would this commissioner have been so zealot in undermining our rezoning need The fact is in that situation we would have had 4 votes and prevailed on the issue; and the linkage with the Comprehensive Plan would have been moot.
Because of personalities and politics we have not been treated fairly … we have been victimized by an effort to give a message to other developers who might seek to do what Snyder sought to do. Then again as implied their efforts might have been overlooked because they did not have the name of Snyder. One commissioner gave a John Kerry like statement saying that he supported the Snyder’s rezoning plan as looking good but could not vote for it because of the pending vote on the proposed Whitehall Township Comprehensive Plan. Another votes against the zoning change just to give other developers a message …Who suffers … Not Snyder. . Rather, the impact is felt on the Kohler families who have become victims of this not so holy political war or crusade.
To state this point in another way, for us the family this meant that we were in the crosshair of a political war and we became a victim of that political war whether we deserved it or not. We sought closure on a very difficult family problem and the government in charge would not allow closure
So we might have to wait maybe 18 months before everything is resolved in Whitehall Township for us to receive justice. That’s when one Commissioner says that all zoning ordinances related to a proposed comprehensive Plan will be in place if adopted. Well, that may be too long due to the health of some family members… and frankly, I am losing my patience that we can’t find closure on this matter. In many matters that have impacted on me, issues that were thought to be settled have reopened with negative impact upon me.
Does anyone think that the Kohler family doesn’t deserve closure on this matter? If this is so, why? . Mr. Snyder can drop out of the deal he made with us and we would then be at square one.. …
The fact is, we need to sell the property at a fair price… We need to sell this property and get a fair return. It would be extremely unfair if we would let this property go at a much lower price to support current land use; and the individual that would purchase this property would turn around quickly and sell the property for another land use at a much higher price. And additionally, it would be unfair to us that the current land boom and housing boom would collapse during the period we might have to wait because of the procedures that you must go through before all your Comprehensive Plan zoning ordinances are in place and implemented. It would be extremely unfair if our developer because of election year politics would force us to accept a lower yield on the property and then turn around to obtain township zoning approval for additional houses which we as a family would not derive additinal income from. If dreadful thing happened this developer who was much maligned by one of the Commissioners of Whitehall Township could really thank her and become best of buddies. But who would suffer... Indeed the Kohler family
I really hate to see farming end on the property in question. But no other family member is interested in taking over the homestead … and given my future financial prospects; it would be foolish of me even to consider taking over the property myself … Indeed I have ideas what I would do with the property should I have it, but for me it could only be a pipedream not a reality unless I become President of the U.S. ... And, that would be a true shocker to myself and many in this community.
Concerning the old Kohler house and barns, I would have turned it into a bed and breakfast, with the large front room made into a museum of Whitehall history…Available Meeting romms and perhaps a Restaurant The adjacent workshop and barns turned into studios for artisans.
I note that the Kohler property extends across Church Road toward Coplay Creek … This piece of land I would have given to the Township for preservation of its walking trail and I believe that Snyder may had a contingency for that.
I am very disappointed that a former ally in another political war chose to take issue on this matter and do great harm to our ability to seek quick closure on a matter that needs closure. I am very disappointed that a former ally in another political war chose to put our family interest at the crosshair of a political battle, which in an earlier year would have been no issue.I am very disappointed that others want to make this a grassroots movement to stop development ... But unfortunately, the Kohler family is unjustely in the crosshairs
We of the Kohler family are now in limbo concerning any quick resolution of the sale of our land … That indeed presents a problem for some of the stakeholders involved in closure of this issue. My two living uncles are in their eighties. Delays in closure will cause additional burdens and state levies for the Estates of the nonliving siblings when closure is delayed.
Amazingly, the Lehigh County Historical Society is a beneficiary of some proceeds of this sale as well. (The original sale price and 1/5th share of the appreciated value), and upon reflection, perhaps they can afford to be patient as the inheritance concerns will not impact on them.
Allow us to achieve closure on this matter in a timely and very fair fashion. The last thing we need is political mischief The last thing we need is to become collateral victims of a political war in an election year.
Almost 275 years ago Jacob Kohler an immigrant from Muhlhausen which in the 18th Century was part of Switzerland but now is part of France settled on this property and named the village which sprung up around it Egypt, Why Egypt? Egypt was the place that the Holy family took little Jesus to in order to escape the evil intention of King Herod. Therefore Jacob Kohler referred to this place as the Place of our exile, refuge –Egypt.
I truly hope that certain Township elected officials and their allies in the public will not make this homestead a place of our bondage which refers to slavery the hebrew people were forced to endure in Egypt.
Dennis Pearson
