ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A proposed 866,000-square-foot warehouse project in Bethlehem Township and Freemansburg is inconsistent with FutureLV, the vision and direction for the Lehigh Valley to 2045 and beyond.
Such was the view of Lehigh Valley Planning Commission at a virtual meeting Thursday.
- A proposed 866,000-square-foot warehouse project in Bethlehem Township and Freemansburg is inconsistent with FutureLV
- The anticipated truck traffic through the towns is the major issue
- Lehigh Valley Planning Commission will note that in a letter to the municipalities in question
The commission will note that determination in a letter to the municipalities in question.
The increased traffic would go through Bethlehem Township and Freemansburg, as well as impacting Lower Saucon Township, Hellertown and Bethlehem.
The crux of the issue is the amount of truck and tractor-trailer traffic to those areas, especially along smaller roads that already experience high volume.
A 'traffic nightmare'
Steve Melnick, commission member from Northampton County, told the commission Thursday he believed the warehouse plan would create a “traffic nightmare.”
Commission member John Gallagher, also from Northampton County, noted Freemansburg Avenue heading toward Route 33 “is already a nightmare.”
“There is no way for large trucks to get to the major highways without affecting the three communities.”John Gallagher, LVPC member
“There is no way for large trucks to get to the major highways without affecting the three communities,” Gallagher said.
Member Armando Moritz-Chapelliquen of Northampton County questioned whether the project is consistent with FutureLV.
Proposed by developer Trammell Crow Co., the larger warehouse project would create 1,481 daily vehicle trips — 520 trucks and 961 passenger vehicles.
According to the Trammell Co., 74 dock stations for trucks and more than 500 parking spaces for passenger vehicles are planned for the site.
Commercial truck access to and from the project location and the impacts to the surrounding communities are a concern because of the need for connectivity to Interstate 78 via State Route 33 to the east or through the south side of Bethlehem via State Route 412, the report shows.
Ultimately, the majority of commercial trucks will be on major arterial roads for access to the Interstate system of highways for the movement of freight, according to the report.
Tractor-trailer access impacts to the surrounding communities are a significant concern. Truck routes should be planned to prevent drivers from using GPS directions that guide them to I-78 along roads not built to handle large trucks, the LVPC report continued.
Other projects reviewed
Among other proposals reviewed by the commission Thursday:
- A proposed 358,000-square-foot warehouse off Savage Road in Allen Township. The project would increase traffic to the area. The LVPC estimates it would generate 612 total trips daily, including 215 by tractor-trailers, increasing traffic on an already congested Weaversville Road.
- Plans for a five-story, nearly 308,000-square-foot expansion project to St. Luke’s Hospital’s Anderson Campus. The expansion project would include the addition of 146 beds and a more than 32,000-square-foot Sterile Processing Infill Development at 1872 Riverside Circle, at the intersection of Route 33 and Interstate 78.
