BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The city planning commission liked what it saw this week in plans for a "gateway" four-story, mixed-use building at 218-226 West Union Blvd. on the North Side.
A busy roadway, popular trail and historic Moravian sites are close by, with Main Street just up the way from the property.
- Bethlehem planners unanimously approved apartments and commercial space for 218-226 W. Union Blvd.
- The site is planned for 39 apartments, offering one- and two-bed options
- Monocacy Way Trail runs to the west, historic Moravian sites are nearby and Main Street is just around the corner
A central spot
"Union Crossings" is slated to offer 27 one-bed units and 12 two-bed units, with the larger ones including dedicated office spaces, according to the applicant, Plamen Ayvazov of Bethlehem-based Monocacy Builders.
About 1,600 square feet of commercial space, a tenant lobby, ground-floor parking, 57 off-street parking spaces and a loading area are also planned.
The Monocacy Way Trail runs nearby to the west, beyond the existing rail line.
Darlene Heller, city director of planning and zoning, said the city is looking to make improvements to the southern end of trail, upping safety for walkers, runners and bikers.
"Rather than have pedestrians and bicyclists cross at 378, they'll be passing in front of this property and then crossing over at the lighted intersection of Monocacy Street," Heller explained at Thursday night's planning commission meeting.
She added that the developer plans to include a bench and bike rack along the property frontage as a "trailhead-rest area."
“The lot, to my knowledge, is largely impervious at this point, and it’s been for a very long time. We do consider it to be a ‘gateway’ site, and it’s been pretty much blighted and vacant for a very long time. So it’s good to see something happen to clean that up, but at the same time, we have to make sure that flood impacts are certainly addressed.”Darlene Heller, Bethlehem director of planning and zoning
At the meeting, Heller said floodplain provisions are a concern regarding the property's location, and that would need to be addressed before building permits would be issued to the applicant.
“The lot, to my knowledge, is largely impervious at this point, and it’s been for a very long time,” Heller stated. “We do consider it to be a ‘gateway’ site, and it’s been pretty much blighted and vacant for a very long time.
“So it’s good to see something happen to clean that up, but at the same time, we have to make sure that flood impacts are certainly addressed.”
Vice chairman Matthew Malozi said this is an important development, as it would be facing a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the Colonial Industrial Quarter and other notable locations nearby.
The panel voted in unanimous approval, pending cooperation from the developer to implement city staff recommendations. The same developer is building the old Boyd Theater residential and commercial project on Broad Street.
A potential residential use on a church property
Joseph Rentko, president of Coplay-based Black Forest Engineering, spoke more about a sketch plan for a two-story residential development along a 2.27-acre tract at 1411-1435 Greenview Drive. The applicant would also be proposing to demolish the Church of the Manger United Church of Christ currently located on the property if able to acquire the land.
The project would consist of 24 rowhouse-style dwellings, 12 three-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom units, as well as off-street parking for 48 cars. The development would be no more than 30 feet high to the roof peak, according to city documents.
General comments from the planning and zoning director called for buffering along the east, west and south property lines and replaced trees if any are removed during construction. Traffic studies would need to be completed as well: partial studies for 50-100 trips in the area and a full study for 100 trips during peak hours.
This plan will likely see some adjustments and be discussed at a future meeting.
