NORTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — A proposed new barnyard area at the Lehigh Valley Zoo on Tuesday was recommend for an expedited review process by North Whitehall Township Planning Commission.
In the first step of a four-phase, $10 million renovation plan, the zoo plans to tear down its existing barn and a few outbuildings surrounding it, collectively home to the zoo’s chickens, sheep, alpacas and pigs.
“When we can do all of those things together, that's a win for us, but it's a win for the community, as well."Lehigh Valley Zoo Chief Executive Officer Amanda Shurr
“What we're looking to do is simply remove that barn and replace it with an improved barn,” said Donald Peters, a project manager with Bohler Engineering working with the zoo.
Where the existing structure covers about 1,000 square feet, its replacement would include 3,000 square feet of space inside; its oversized roof would overhang both sides of the building, creating an additional 2,000 square feet of space.
Visitors would be able to walk through the center of the barn to meet its inhabitants.
Zoo Site Plan by LehighValley Newsdotcom on Scribd
The new building would let the zoo to move all its barnyard animals into one building and create a better experience for guests, employees and the animals in the process, Zoo Chief Executive Officer Amanda Shurr said.
“When we can do all of those things together, that's a win for us, but it's a win for the community, as well,” Shurr said.
'A more timely manner'
To speed the project along, Peters and Shurr asked North Whitehall Township planners Tuesday to recommend waiving the land development process.
The exemption would shave about three months off the project’s timeline, Peters told the commission.
Bypassing the land development process would let the zoo’s team “work directly with the [township] engineer to update our plans, get it back to him and have him review it in a more timely manner."Donald Peters, a project manager with Bohler Engineering working with Lehigh Valley Zoo
The planning commission voted 5-2 to recommend approving the waiver. Next, the township’s board of supervisors will decide whether to grant it.
Even if it sidesteps the land development process, the barn project still would need to comply with all of the same township regulations, zoning rules and permitting requirements as it otherwise would have.
However, the zoo’s team would work directly with township staff to determine whether the project meets those requirements and can move forward.
“The difference, really, is the amount of times we have to come up before the planning commission or council to work through what are mostly technical items,” Peters said.
Bypassing the land development process would let the zoo’s team “work directly with the [township] engineer to update our plans, get it back to him and have him review it in a more timely manner,” he said.
Provided North Whitehall’s supervisors accept the planning commission’s recommendation, the zoo hopes to break ground on the new barnyard area later this spring.
