UPPER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — Things are looking up for Southern Lehigh County, officials agreed Thursday at an annual municipal update event.
The Southern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce welcomed local leadership from Coopersburg and Upper Saucon and Lower Milford townships to at Penn State Lehigh Valley to share their successes from the past year with more than 50 people in attendance.
Most of the discussions surrounded responsible development, protecting open spaces and bolstering public safety.
Lehigh Valley Congressman Ryan Mackenzie also was present for a brief look into how local concerns impact his efforts at the federal level.
Here are some of the highlights from the guest speakers:
Lehigh County
When thinking about current economic uncertainty at the federal level, Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong said he thinks back to how Lehigh County and its government services weathered the coronavirus pandemic.
Armstrong used small poster boards to drive home some of his points — a couple of them, for example, reading: “Every dollar counts” and “Helping others.”
“I will continue... to make sure that Lehigh County is always going to have a seat at the table."Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong
“I will continue, whether I’m sitting on Walnut Street in Allentown or doing something in Washington to make sure that Lehigh County is always going to have a seat at the table,” Armstrong said.
He said Lehigh County is among the counties to beat when it comes to preserving farmland.
Broadly speaking, Armstrong highlighted some of the county’s efforts behind determining the feasibility of a regional police force, expanding fire training opportunities for county departments and plans to take out a $46 million bond for first-responder communications infrastructure.
Upper Saucon Township
According to Upper Saucon Township Assistant Manager Joseph Geib, 2024 highlights include:
- A “very modest” tax increase at the beginning of 2024 will help pay for a new 13,000-square-foot police building — a project that may go to bid by the end of the year. The department outgrew its addition that was added onto the township building back in 1991, when the force had about half as many officers.
- Land development plan conditionally approved and zoning squared away for Route 309 Commerce Center. Three warehouses, 1.7 million square feet on more than 100 acres and a 500-foot buffer between warehouses and nearby residential homes.
- Funding on the way to replace the bridge on East Valley Road and installing a traffic light at Route 309 and West Hopewell Road.
- Some developments include 102 homes and 58 acres of open space at Estates at Saucon Valley between Flint Hill Road and Taylor Drive, and 217 townhomes at Brookside Court at Saucon Valley.
- Promenade Park: Proposed for Promenade Saucon Valley shops and Stabler Corporate Center (40% open-space component within the development; proposing a dog park, other open space dedicated to township, fishing pier, amphitheater, open air farmers market and trail network inside; senior-living, apartments and townhomes planned.
- Acquired 20 acres at Moyer’s Lake, 30 acres in the surrounding area of the lake, settled on 20 acres along Taylor Drive and another 20 acres adjoining Hopewell Park (improvements to come).
Coopersburg
Coopersburg Borough Manager Timothy Paashaus said his home of about 2,500 is “just trying to be a small town.”
He said the borough prides itself on holding the line on real estate and earned income tax, preserving greenspace whenever possible and making its town center the place to be.
"If you’ve driven through Main Street, through town, we’ve been working on this streetscape for a number of years now," he said.
"With improving pedestrian walkways and lighting and trying to calm traffic down and add some business-friendly assets to town.”
The borough has grant funding available for a better Saucon Rail Trail connection and signage, he said.
Coopersburg also can flex its recent Bird Town designation, as the borough also moves to plant more native trees and offer appropriate oversight for greenspaces.
Also, the Coopersburg Farmers Market is back in May, and the borough Community Day in September.
Lower Milford Township
A “commitment to responsible growth, environmental stewardship and resident safety that remains stronger than ever” is what keeps Lower Milford humming, township Supervisor Timothy Cougle said.
The year 2025 came with no tax increase, careful budgeting and sound fiscal management, he said.
The township has preserved more than 70 acres of farmland since last year, for a total 4,000 acres.
For reference, the municipality spans just 19 square miles, or 12,000 acres.
Some residential developments are going up around town, including 22 duplexes and two single-family homes in the Limeport area, and another in active preliminary construction with 19 homes under the borough’s open-space zoning parameters that will free up 50% of that land.
U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie
Mackenzie represents Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, along with a sliver of Monroe County.
The aforementioned local successes, he said, continue to draw more people from surrounding states considering the Lehigh Valley's quality of life, resources at hand and welcoming communities.
Mackenzie said the recently passed continuing resolution that will fund federal agencies through September made room for broader public safety, food insecurity and veterans health care.
He said he's proposed additional tax credits for working families and parents who adopt or conceive their children through in-vitro fertilization. Mackenzie also is pushing for expanding paid family and medical leave.
How chaotic the budget process is at the federal level, Mackenzie said, made him appreciate his 12 years of experience in the Pennsylvania State House.
