ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Unprecedented.
That’s how Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Executive Director Becky A. Bradley described a land developer’s strategy in a proposed warehouse/sewage project in Lowhill Township.
The developer, CRG Associates, wants the township to revise its official sewage facilities plan to clear the way for the construction of a 300,000-square-foot warehouse at 2951 Betz Court.
Aware that the township would not acquiesce to that request, the developer directly contacted the state Department of Environmental Protection, asking the agency to essentially force the township to revise its sewage plan.
“They went around the township process."Becky A. Bradley, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Executive Director
“They went around the township process,” Bradley said during a full meeting of the LVPC on Thursday night.
“We can’t find in our records where we’ve ever seen anything like this before, going around the standard public process, in our entire 60-year history.”
Opposition to CRG’s sewage plan revision request centers on the presumed impact such a revision would have on high-priority natural resources, wildlife, multiple wetlands and woodlands and roadways in the area.
Project doesn't align with plans
The location, at Route 100 and Kernsville Road, is surrounded by residential units, commercial businesses and a child day care center.
LVPC has determined the proposal to extend public utilities to the site does not support the intent of the Rural Village Future Land Use designation and therefore does not align with The Multi-Municipal Plan for the Northern Region of Lehigh County.
“This [CRG request] should not be approved.”Lowhill Township Supervisors Chairman Curtis Dietrich
As he did during a joint meeting of the environment and comprehensive planning committees on Tuesday, LVPC Chairman Christopher Amato on Thursday labeled the CRG’s plan as “defying common sense.”
Lowhill Township Supervisors Chairman Curtis Dietrich thanked the LVPC for its support. He said a letter to the DEP from the township expressing its opposition to the CRG’s efforts to have the DEP order the township to amend its sewage plan will be sent Monday.
“This [CRG request] should not be approved,” Dietrich said.
Added Mike Siegel, engineering consultant for the township: “The township is fully against this.”
Evergreen Farms project
The LVPC approved the staff review’s concerns with an apartment development project at Nazareth Pike (Route 191) and Newburg Road in Lower Nazareth Township.
The Apartments at Evergreen Farms plan would construct six garden, or first-floor, apartment buildings, totaling 144 apartment units, and a 2,800-square-foot community center.
The 61-acre lot project site lacks needed public utility infrastructure to accommodate the scale of the proposal, the commission determined.
“The project area lacks public utility infrastructure."Jill Seitz, LVPC chief community and regional planner
Although the region has a substantial housing need, development cannot occur at the expense of public health, safety, welfare and general interest, the commission said.
Should the project move forward, LVPC strongly recommended a reduction of the size of the development to buildings with roadway frontage to better align with the context of the area and what the infrastructure can handle.
“The project area lacks public utility infrastructure,” said Jill Seitz, LVPC chief community and regional planner.
The commission noted numerous transportation challenges associated with the current plan.
School parking lot expansion
The LVPC full committee advanced the review of an application to expand the parking lot at Parkland High School.
Proposed is an expansion of the northern parking lot from 28 to 71 spaces and to improve paving at the southern maintenance building at 2619 Stadium Drive in South Whitehall Township.
The project parcel is largely undeveloped and currently features the southern maintenance building. Orefield Middle School and Orefield Football Stadium are across Stadium Drive.
The commission recommended the developer consider the addition of a crosswalk near the south parking lot for the operations center building and pedestrian-scale lighting along the property frontage.
LVPC recommends the internal sidewalk network near the southern maintenance building be extended to the sidewalk along Stadium Drive to promote “safe routes to schools.”
