EASTON, Pa. — A proposed 1 million-square-foot warehouse that would straddle Easton and Wilson Borough was tabled Wednesday, as the city Planning Commission seeks more information.
After a hearing and public comment period that stretched over 90 minutes, planners decided not to immediately recommend conditional approval on the 1,006,880-square-foot facility.
They pointed out concerns over traffic, unaddressed issues raised by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and a need for more information from Wilson, where most of the property sits.
Solicitor Joel Scheer told planners they could table the matter until their Nov. 6 meeting to let the developer get that information.
Easton Commerce Park, proposed by Scannell Properties, would be at the old Pfizer Pigments and Elementis Pigments property at 1525 Wood Ave.
Planning Administrator Carl Manges provided a quick summary of the project. It would have 71,194 square feet of the building in Easton, and the northwestern part of the property in Palmer Township, where developers don't have plans.
The 106.2-acre site would include 341 parking spaces falling in the Wilson portion and 57 in Easton’s parcel, along with 160 tractor-trailer spots in Wilson’s portion and 33 in Easton.
Access to the property will be via Hackett Avenue in Wilson, though several of the commissioners and residents pointed out traffic would likely affect Easton near Hackett and Wood avenues.
Manges said Wilson Planning Commission recommended approval for the project Aug. 6.
'Warehouses can be intimidating'
Manges said a traffic impact study report found the site would generate 151 new vehicle trips, of which 20 will be trucks, during morning peak hours, and 161 new vehicle trips, 10 of them trucks, during afternoon peak hours.
“Trucks traveling from the east will take the 25th Street exit off of US Route 22," he said. "There'll be no direct access to the site from the 13th Street exit going east."
He said staff has concern that tractor-trailers may use North 13th Street and Bushkill Drive in the city to get to the site.
Bogia Engineering Branch Manager Donald A. Haas acknowledged “there’s a lot going on with this project, and we know big warehouses can be intimidating.”
The sentiment did not seem to appease the audience.
Haas said the project would help initiate a cleanup of the site, which previously housed a pigment plant, with expected clearances from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Environmental Protection soon.
One point of interest included an existing stream on the property, which runs underground and eventually empties into Bushkill Creek, which the developer intends to reroute.
“So one of the bigger benefits there is that stream is going to get daylighted, so the natural trout that are in the Bushkill Creek can now also go up this other creek tributary that runs through the project site," Haas said.
"With that, we're also installing some wetland floodplain banks to help reduce any flood impacts that might be occurring within the area."
The developer also intends to install three managed release concept basins that would help alleviate the presence of contaminants found in the site’s stormwater before the water travels through a drain and is discharged onto wetland banks near the proposed tributary.
Haas also said the developer has agreed to create a connection on the property that will link the Karl Stirner Arts Trail via a pedestrian bridge across the tributary to the Bushkill Creek, and then north along the creek to the other part of the trail.
Traffic concerns
Early in the presentation, Haas said PennDOT had been "generally supportive of the proposed development improvements."
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission "said, as proposed, the development does not align with the regional plan because it does not match development intensity with sustainable transportation infrastructure capacity. It goes on a little bit more than that, and there's a lot here that they disagree with, a whole lot."Easton Planning Commission member Frank Graziano
But Hackett and Wood avenues would need to be evaluated in a traffic impact study — information that interested planners.
Commissioner Frank Graziano pointed to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s review of the project.
“They said, as proposed, the development does not align with the regional plan because it does not match development intensity with sustainable transportation infrastructure capacity," Graziano said.
"It goes on a little bit more than that, and there's a lot here that they disagree with, a whole lot."
Haas tried to abate some of the concern by saying truck traffic would be relatively staggered throughout the day.
Graziano responded with a report that, based on the size of the facility, as many as 6,484 passenger vehicles and 191 tractor trailers could be expected daily.
Haas called those figures “excessive numbers,” and said about half the traffic would arrive during first shift, 30% on the second shift and 20% on the third shift.
The quality of Hackett and Wood avenues, which Graziano and several others brought up, was a major concern, as well.
A nearby stone culvert at the bottom of Hackett Avenue, which was built in 1912 and currently listed in “fair” condition, also prompted concern from the commission.
Haas said the structure could be replaced or repaired.
Graziano said he particularly was concerned about tractor-trailers coming off Hackett Avenue and instead of going right to 25th Street, turning left to “clog up the neighborhood.”
“This is going to happen," Graziano said. "It's going to happen a lot. You’re going to have people going through 13th Street, down Wood Avenue, which was just recently done.
"We'll have problems down on Seventh and Northampton. We'll have them going down Bushkill, having problems with the Silk Mill, all over the place."
'Roads not built for that'
Commissioner Ron Shipman expressed worries over the LVPC analysis, questioning whether the developer would respond to that board.
“We have in our possession a letter dated June 7, from the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, which clearly indicates that all of their concerns were not addressed, many of which I don't frankly understand," Shipman said.
"But I do value their judgment, and I do value their assessments and criticisms."
LVPC requires no follow-up outside of stormwater reviews, which the developer is awaiting. Haas said an updated traffic study had been sent, but there's been no response.
Shipman asked if the developer intended to respond to the concerns of the LVPC — many of which were related to traffic impacts. Haas said a formal response could be arranged.
"We hear lots of things from PennDOT about what they might do, or what they think they're going to do, and 20 years later, they're not done long after planning commissions have made decisions."Easton Planning Commission Chairman Ken Greene
Planning Commission Chairman Ken Greene said the size of the vehicles traveling local roads could do significant damage. He said PennDOT’s involvement in the project did little to reassure him.
“These roads were not built for that," Greene said. "And the fact that PennDOT is involved is good to hear, but we don't know what they're going to do.
"We hear lots of things from PennDOT about what they might do, or what they think they're going to do, and 20 years later, they're not done long after planning commissions have made decisions."
He also said Wilson, which has final say in the matter, will not make that decision until next week. Greene invited residents to speak, and many echoed the commissioners’ concerns for traffic and road damage, as well as highlighted the potential for increased pollution.
Members of Easton City Council, including Ken Brown, Frank Pintabone, Crystal Rose and Taiba Sultana offered follow-up questions and concerns to the commissioners, as well, again, largely tackling the topics of traffic and environmental impacts.
Wilson Borough Council is set to hear from the developers at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9, at 2040 Hay Terrace.
