Featured Project: Vistas at South Mountain

At Vistas at South Mountain, careful planning and coordination are helping Brubacher transform a technically demanding site into an 88-unit rental townhome community. Developed by Tuskes Homes, the approximately 47-acre project is located along East Emmaus Avenue in Salisbury Township, Lehigh County, PA.

Work began in March 2026, marking Brubacher’s first large-scale project with Tuskes Homes. The immediate goal has been to deliver finished building pads and a curbed, paved roadway on the first half of the site before the 2026 paving season closes. Meeting that milestone will allow vertical construction to get underway and keep the community moving toward initial occupancy in early 2027.

A Full Site Development Scope on Challenging Terrain

As the project’s full-service sitework contractor, Brubacher is responsible for a comprehensive site development scope that encompasses mass excavation and grading, erosion control, stormwater management, sanitary sewer and other underground utility installation, water main construction, curb, and new construction paving. The work also includes segmental retaining walls and entrance improvements completed under a Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP).

The quantities across the site reveal the scale of the residential development. Crews are balancing approximately 65,000 cubic yards of cut and fill and installing 7,300 linear feet of storm sewer, more than 130 structures within the stormwater management system, and nine segmental retaining walls totaling more than 17,000 square feet of wall face.

Steep slopes, large retaining walls, and highly moisture-sensitive soils have made sequencing especially important. Early in the project, Brubacher worked with Tuskes Homes to identify the owner’s most important schedule priorities and build the construction plan around them. Brubacher later mobilized additional pipe crews and resources to protect the fall season curb and paving window. 

Turning an Underground Utility Conflict into a Planned Solution

That emphasis on looking ahead proved crucial at E. Emmaus Avenue and demonstrated the team’s commitment to deliver Insight. On Site.^®. Brubacher was contracted to connect two new lines to an existing water main across the active roadway. Project plans showed a large gas main within a few feet of the water line but did not provide elevations for either utility, leaving a critical question about whether the proposed connections had enough vertical clearance.

Rather than discovering a conflict after the road was opened, the team used vacuum excavation to expose the utilities safely and confirm their locations, sizes, conditions, and depths. With that information, the Brubacher team developed a cross-section of the roadway utilities and verified that the connections could not be installed as originally drawn.

Over the following weeks, Brubacher coordinated with Salisbury Township and Tuskes Homes to evaluate alternatives. The solution keeps the planned wet-tap connection method but redirects the new lines away from the site before turning them back in a 180-degree configuration beneath the existing utilities. By identifying the issue early, the team avoided a field emergency in an active roadway, eliminated the need for more costly insertion valves, and positioned the work to proceed with minimal impact on the schedule or budget.

Creating Confidence Through Communication

The same proactive approach has shaped the broader collaborative experience between teams. With Tuskes Homes managing other active developments simultaneously, Brubacher has taken ownership of detailed planning, coordination, and follow-through at Vistas at South Mountain. Project Manager Kevin B. and Project Engineer Tyler B. have helped maintain that coordination as plans and field needs continue to evolve. A recent new-customer review gave both teams an opportunity to discuss what is working, address current needs, and consider how the relationship could continue to grow.

Regular communication with the developer, Salisbury Township, the public works department, PennDOT, inspectors, and neighboring properties has helped the project team respond to design changes and field conditions without losing significant ground on the original schedule. The goal has been not simply to report problems as they arise, but to bring stakeholders together early enough to make informed decisions.

Field Leadership Keeps the Work Moving

Site Superintendent Mike Z. and Pipe Supervisor Bob L. have been central to that effort in the field. Ongoing plan revisions, the addition of new team members, and intermittent equipment challenges have required continual behind-the-scenes adjustments. Strong field leadership has helped keep those internal hurdles from becoming customer concerns, allowing conversations with Tuskes Homes to remain focused on meaningful collaboration and problem-solving.

Crews are now completing Phase 1 utilities and the site’s largest tiered retaining walls in preparation for curb and paving on the eastern half of the development. Several building pads have already been approved for vertical construction once building permits are available. With favorable fall weather, the team may complete the remaining site paving before year-end 2026, followed by final pedestrian signal work and permanent paving on E. Emmaus Avenue. Overall project completion is expected in early 2027.

For Brubacher and Tuskes Homes, Vistas at South Mountain is demonstrating how early planning, clear communication, and coordination at every level can build confidence on a complex project. By looking beneath the surface, adapting as conditions change, and keeping our client partner’s priorities at the center of the work, our team is upholding the promises at the heart of Shaping the World We Live In.