NORTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa.— A three-story apartment building planned for North Whitehall Township has hit a delay in its approval process with the township.
The township Planning Commission took issue Tuesday with what it deemed to be insufficient lighting and access for emergency vehicles at 3948 Portland St.
The planning commission also took issue with flood testing at the site.
After nearly an hour of testimony from project engineer Andrew Woods with Hanover Engineering made, the board voted to table the request to waive or alter a recreation fee.
Developer Dano Guerrieri wants to convert the abandoned site, built by the Lehigh Portland Cement Company in the 1930s, with a three-story building of 40 one- and two-bedrooms, Woods said Tuesday.
"It's an existing Lehigh cement building that's been abandoned for many years, dilapidated and in disrepair," Woods said. "We're going to replace it with a low-rise apartment building."
The current building is filled with "lots of cement" and would be demolished to make way for the new apartment building.
Issues from Planning Commission
Under new ordinances, the recreation fee would be $3,500 per apartment unit, or $175,000.
Planners solicitor Thomas Dinkelacker said the negotiation could not take place at this stage in the approval process, with township ordinances not fully met, and perhaps not with the Planning Commission at all — suggesting it might have to go to the township Board of Supervisors.
Though the project has been in a pre-approval meeting with the township, Planner Brian Horwith said, "You've got a little bit of a ways to go," before the project can come to fruition.
"Get the flood tests done before you come back in here asking us to make a recommendation on the plan."Brian Horwith, North Whitehall Planning Comissioner
Planners also said they needed flood tests to be done, to ensure that the layout of the property — its slopes, corners, and contours — could withstand flooding.
The project is near, but not in, a flood zone.
"Get the flood tests done before you come back in here asking us to make a recommendation on the plan," Board member Brian Horwith said.
Woods replied, "Brian, we're going to work with you on all of these things. So I'm going to ask you to table it for now, I'm not even going to ask you to vote on it yet."
Woods said the developer is out of town, so he would have to have a conversation with him, update the plan, then return to the planning commission to proceed with the process.
