WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — A plan for 116 townhomes and single-unit homes on Rural Road got preliminary final approval from Whitehall Township Planning Commission on Wednesday.
The board also tabled plans for a 190,400-square-foot distribution facility and 14 single-family home development.
The townhome development, Emerson Village, would be built on 35 acres at 3626 Rural Road. The plan also would widen Rural Road to 14 feet.
The project next will be reviewed by the township Board of Commissioners.
"We still need approval from the full board of commissioners to proceed. We’re hoping that will come next month.”Justin Strahorn, project manager, W.B. Homes
“We’d like to begin construction in the next few months,” Project Manager Justin Strahorn of W.B. Homes said.
“But we still need approval from the full board of commissioners to proceed. We’re hoping that will come next month.”
The project will encompass two phases and take several years, Strohorn said.
Plan approvals and changes
Before proceeding before the planning commission, the project was required to be consistent with the Act 167 plan, the Pennsylvania Stormwater Management Act of 1978, as issued by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission in January.
“We needed this consistency letter before approval of a land development application could be approved,” Strahorn said.
Karen Pashefko of Fellowship Community, which is near the proposed development project, requested that a section of trees on the parcel be preserved until Phase 2 of the two-phase project.
WB Homes has no plan to remove those trees until Phase 2 begins, Strahorn said.
Strahorn previously said the developer would preserve one of six acres of trees from a wooded area on the parcel.
Commission Chairman Jonathan Bolton requested WB Homes get a waiver to use asphalt instead of concrete on a meandering path on the parcel.
Township solicitor Jack Gross also requested the developer get easements for the public sidewalks and walking paths, as parts of the paths are outside the right-of-way.
Distribution facility on hold
Alo Wednesday, a proposed 190,400-square-foot distribution facility on Range Road was tabled after a lengthy discussion.
Named Fullerton Terminals, the 13.95-acre lot would be created from an existing 37.19-acre parcel near 2625 Range Road.
The land is in the I-industrial Zoning District and currently is a wooded lot with remnants of an open quarry and an iron mine.
The commission heard from John McRoberts, the Pidcock Co. manager of land planning and development, and Engineer Rocco Caracciolo of Jaindl Land Co.
Among the issues remaining to be addressed are state Transportation Department approval of the developer’s plan for improvements at Range Road and Eberhart Road/.
Also, curb landscaping and the type of surface for a path connecting West Catasauqua Playground and Range Roads ball fields.
Developers agreed to a township fire department directive to construct a 26-foot-wide fire access road to the rear of the development, McRoberts said.
Temporary easements for construction will be required and must be discussed with the board of commissioners in advance of the plan progressing, said Lee A. Ruckus, township bureau chief of planning, zoning and development.
“Unfortunately ... we can’t push this through right now," Bolton said. “But from all sides, we are definitely coming to a good partnership.”
Bridge Street project tabled
Also Wednesday, a major subdivision/residential land development project along Bridge Street was tabled.
The project proposes subdividing nearly 8 acres and constructing 14 single-family residential homes at 4181 Bridge St.
Discussion on the project first was tabled in August due to grading that would impact the construction of sidewalks.
