BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Children around Bethlehem could be one with nature come time for school to start again.
City Council on Aug. 1 expects to vote on an ordinance to clarify the city’s definitions and parameters of “community recreation centers,” “environmental education centers” and “nature preserves.”
The ordinance also will address day care allowed as an accessory use at those types of facilities.
- Earth-lovers showed their support on Tuesday for day care at a local nature education center
- Bethlehem City Council should be voting on the related ordinance on Aug. 1
- Both the city's and Lehigh Valley's planning commissions have expressed support
Children and parents involved with Camel’s Hump Farm — a local nature education center and community garden — showed their support as a group at Tuesday’s council meeting.
Victoria Bastidas, president of Camel’s Hump Farm, said she appreciated the support from city officials and beyond in potentially making the zoning changes, beckoning her many Camel’s Hump children and their parents to stand.
She asked for clarifications regarding “day care” involving potential state regulations and keeping children on site outside of school hours during the school year.
Bastidas said “summer camps” are much more lenient legally in the eyes of the state.
“It is not that nature centers traditionally do day care, it’s that in order to serve those children, we must be under the regulation of the state,” Bastidas said.
“It was profoundly beautiful about what they could do: teaching children nature and teaching them the basics of education. I was just amazed that two miles from my house there was a farm, open space and trees, and it was just a beautiful spot. I was like, ‘Holy crow! This is just right down the road.’”Elizabeth Doyle, Bethlehem resident
Elizabeth Doyle, of Bethlehem, said her grandson has been visiting the farm for some time now, after she discovered the place “by accident” online.
“It was profoundly beautiful about what they could do: teaching children nature and teaching them the basics of education,” Doyle said.
“I was just amazed that two miles from my house there was a farm, open space and trees, and it was just a beautiful spot.
"I was like, ‘Holy crow! This is just right down the road.’”
Thoughts from city officials
City Planning and Zoning Director Darlene Heller said council soon would be requested to vote on the potential text amendments because the current ordinance doesn’t feature related definitions.
“We are proposing that because a day care center is permitted in any lawful place of worship as an accessory use, it should also be permitted as an accessory use in an environmental education center in both commercial and residential zones."Darlene Heller, city director of planning and zoning
“We are proposing that because a day care center is permitted in any lawful place of worship as an accessory use, it should also be permitted as an accessory use in an environmental education center in both commercial and residential zones,” Heller said.
Councilwoman Hillary Kwiatek asked whether the day care accessory use should also be added to the information for “community recreation center,” beyond just in "environmental education centers" and "lawful places of worship."
Heller said that's already include in a community recreation center’s range of uses, comparable to a Boys and Girls Club. She said that if council wished, she could arrange for a modified ordinance featuring those specifics to be sent to the panel for the August meeting.
Council solicitor Brian Panella said he felt that those clarifications wouldn’t require another cycle of approval through the city and Lehigh Valley planning commissions.
Council President Michael Cólon asked for clarification on “accessory use” as it pertains to environmental education centers.
“So what we’re envisioning is that there could be day care or child education that would be nature-based, [or] would include an education element."Darlene Heller, city director of planning and zoning
Heller said the primary uses for those centers can involve community gardens, meeting and performance space, wildlife habitats, wildlife viewing areas, interpretive signage, hiking, walking trails, playscapes, native plant nurseries and more.
“So what we’re envisioning is that there could be day care or child education that would be nature-based, [or] would include an education element,” she said.
The city Planning Commission voted in unanimous support of the zoning text amendments on April 13.
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission discussed the potential changes last month.
“This proposal supports numerous actions on FutureLV: The Regional Plan, including ‘promote sustainable stewardship of natural lands,’ educate on the benefits of conservation and preservation, educate on the importance of sustainable sewer, water and green infrastructure and educate on climate change impacts, adaptation and mitigation."Jillian Seitz, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission senior community planner
“This proposal supports numerous actions on FutureLV: The Regional Plan, including ‘promote sustainable stewardship of natural lands,’ educate on the benefits of conservation and preservation, educate on the importance of sustainable sewer, water and green infrastructure and educate on climate change impacts, adaptation and mitigation,” LVPC’s Jillian Seitz, senior community planner, wrote in a June 2023 letter to City Clerk Tad Miller.
Grant application, utility trench work
Council also unanimously voted to request a $2 million Multimodal Transportation Fund grant sponsored by the state Department of Community and Economic Development.
The money would be used to cover sidewalk, streetscape and connectivity improvements at West Third Street, as well as updates to the crosswalk at West Third and Brodhead Avenue.
“Safe and inviting streetscapes help reduce local automobile traffic by encouraging people to walk to their destinations, thereby improving public health, stimulating local economic activity, and attracting residents and visitors to the South Bethlehem community."Laura Collins, city director of community and economic development
“Safe and inviting streetscapes help reduce local automobile traffic by encouraging people to walk to their destinations, thereby improving public health, stimulating local economic activity, and attracting residents and visitors to the South Bethlehem community,” city Community and Economic Development Director Laura Collins wrote in a July 13 memo to council.
Council voted 5-0 to pay $194,448.75 to Great Western Services, of Allentown, to “restore water and sewer utility trenches in various locations within the city.”
A board appointment
Collins was unanimously approved to become one of five board members for the Bethlehem Revitalization and Improvement Authority.
During the meeting's public comment period, one resident said that having a city official join the board in that capacity could raise conflicts.
“There’s a long history of needing technical expertise on this authority. And so there is an importance placed on qualifications, understanding of public finance, understanding the specific requirements of the CRIZ Authority."Alicia Miller Karner, city deputy director of economic development
“Upon review of the Third Class City Code, of course, which operates and controls Bethlehem, there is no technical prohibition of a city employee serving on this authority,” solicitor Panella said.
“Beyond that, there’s actually, from looking back on it, there’s a bit of a historical precedent of that happening in Bethlehem.”
“There’s a long history of needing technical expertise on this authority,” Alicia Miller Karner, city deputy director of economic development, said.
“And so there is an importance placed on qualifications, understanding of public finance, understanding the specific requirements of the CRIZ Authority.
“I would say to you, that this is a position that needs to be filled, when possible, by the director of community and economic development for the city of Bethlehem.”