UPPER MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. — A revised warehouse plan in the township is one step closer to construction.
Upper Macungie Zoning Hearing Board on Wednesday unanimously approved a revised plan for a warehouse at Nestle Way and Schantz Road, across the road from the municipal building.
The warehouse would be just over 82,000 square feet and employ about 60 people. The developer is Real Deal Management Inc.
The plan is in the township’s Light Industrial zoning district and is a permitted use allowed by special exception.
A “special exception” is a type of use that is allowed as long as the developer proves it meets certain conditions, Zoning Hearing Board attorney Stephen Strack explained.
“The zoning ordinance is essentially a cookbook,” Strack said. “As long as they demonstrate that the recipe for the warehouse will meet all the requirements of the ordinance, the board should grant the special exception.”
The warehouse would be built on spec, meaning there is not a set tenant for the building.
The plan still needs to be reviewed by the township Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors before final approval.
What changed about the plan?
The revised plan slightly increases the square footage of the warehouse from 81,731 square feet to 82,167 square feet.
The engineer for the project, Stephen Walsh, said the slight increase makes the building “more marketable.”
The revisions also added about 10 more parking spaces to give flexibility for shift overlap and more loading docks for tractor-trailers.
“You’re probably all familiar with trucks being out on the roadways where they're not supposed to be,” Walsh said. “This will help avoid that.”
“You're pointing it towards a residential area now."Zoning Hearing Board Chairman Andrew Snyder
Zoning Hearing Board Chairman Andrew Snyder said he was concerned about a new driveway on the northeastern side of the property.
“You're pointing it towards a residential area now,” Snyder said.
Traffic engineer Corey Chase said that driveway is too small for tractor-trailers to use.
“They won't be able to navigate that,” Chase said.
Chase said the developer can work with the township to put up additional signs to make sure tractor-trailers would go the right way.
