NORTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Plans for a new apartment complex in North Whitehall are on pause.
The township Board of Supervisors on Monday discussed the revised final plan for Timberidge Luxury Apartments, a 72-unit complex on Levans Road.
- North Whitehall supervisors discussed the final plan for Timberidge Luxury Apartments, a 72-unit complex on Levans Road
- They tabled the plan until the next meeting after a lengthy debate about potential curbing and sidewalk installation
- In other news, the pickleball courts at Laurys Firehouse Park are now open
But supervisors ended up tabling the plan over a disagreement about whether developer Lee Goldstein should be required to install curbing and a sidewalk along Levans Road.
Timberidge Luxury Apartments would be on a 7.5-acre property at 2376 Levans Road, near the Northern Valley Emergency Ambulances Services station. It would have six buildings, each three stories high with a parking garage on the lower level.
Supervisors previously approved the final plan, but it's been revised.
The development was going to be a 55-plus community, but Goldstein's engineer said at a previous meeting that plans changed because of market conditions.
‘A disgrace to the developer’
Township law typically requires developers to install curbing and a sidewalk in the proposed area of Timberidge Luxury Apartments.
But Township Manager Randy Cope said the state Transportation Department, which owns Levans Road, doesn't recommend curbing and sidewalk installation there.
The township Planning Commission had recommended the supervisors defer the requirement and allow Goldstein to include a nearby walking path in his plan instead.
But supervisors Chairman Al Geosits said since it is a high-density area, there should be curbing along the road, and the developer should be required to install it.
“You’re opening a can of worms."Lehigh Engineering Associates Engineering General Manager Lewis Rauch II
Lehigh Engineering Associates Engineering General Manager Lewis Rauch II came with Goldstein to the meeting to discuss the plan.
Raunch said if supervisors required curbing and sidewalk installation, he would have to rethink stormwater management and potentially revise the whole plan.
“You’re opening a can of worms,” Raunch said.
Supervisor Dennis Klusaritz agreed with Rauch and said the matter should have been brought up earlier.
“If we wanted curb and sidewalks, this should have been addressed day one,” Klusaritz said.
Supervisors have final word
Supervisor Ronald Heintzelman attended the meeting via phone. He changed his answer several times about whether the requirement should be deferred, and later said it was difficult to hear the conversation.
“I feel this is a little bit of a disgrace to the developer what's happening here."Planning Commission member Richard Semmel
Planning Commission member Richard Semmel spoke during public comment. He said the idea to put in a pathway in lieu of curbing and a sidewalk came from a “lengthy” discussion with the developers at the Planning Commission meeting in May.
“I feel this is a little bit of a disgrace to the developer what's happening here,” Semmel said.
Geosits said while he was at that meeting, he thought at the time that the developer was agreeing to install curbing and sidewalk after nearby parcels were finished, not deferring the requirement indefinitely.
He also referenced the fact that the planning commission doesn't make final decisions, and the board of supervisors can go against its recommendations.
Ultimately, the board voted to table the matter until the next meeting, when Heintzelman can attend in person.
Other business
Township Manager Randy Cope said the pickleball courts at Laurys Firehouse Park are now open. He also said the next Movies at the Park event will be on July 14 at Levans Park, showing "Minions: The Rise of Gru."
Cope also presented a potential less expensive option for the township building renovations, but the Board of Supervisors decided to table the discussion until the next meeting.
Supervisors unanimously approved a preliminary/final plan for a 12,500-square-foot industrial building at 3952 Independence Drive.
The building would be built on spec, meaning it does not currently have any tenants. Raunch, who also represented this developer, said at a previous meeting that the building likely would be used as a tradesperson’s office.
Supervisors also voted to amend township ordinances to require housing developers to dedicate land for public recreation or pay a recreation fee.
Planning Commission member Jeff Johnson and some township residents voiced opposition to the amendment, raising similar concerns to what was discussed at a previous meeting.
Township Director of Finance and Treasurer Seth O'Neill gave his monthly financial report at the meeting. He said the township is in a “very strong financial position” with its total assets at $22.5 million.
Supervisors approved the hire of township Receptionist/Office Assistant Jessica Grim and the appointment of a new Planning Commission member, Kathy Crawford.
