ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A charter school’s proposal to renovate and occupy a building in Bethlehem has passed a staff review by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s Comprehensive Planning Committee.
The Commonwealth Charter Academy, a large, public, cyber charter school for all school-age children, plans to convert a nearly 47,000-square-foot, one-story building at 2200 W. Broad St. into office space for teachers and staff.
Headquartered in Harrisburg, Commonwealth Charter Academy has a location in Allentown called a Family Service Center on Lehigh Street. CCA also has 16 other locations in the commonwealth.Commonwealth Charter Academy
Officials Tuesday told the Comprehensive Planning Committee that the existing building would remain and surrounding parking improvements are proposed.
According to the submitted application, planned is a full interior renovation of the building, along with structural repairs to the exterior.
A lot consolidation of two parcels also is proposed.
Headquartered in Harrisburg, Commonwealth Charter Academy has a location in Allentown called a Family Service Center on Lehigh Street.
CCA also has 16 other locations in the commonwealth.
The LVPC recommends that educational institutions incorporate environmentally sensitive building and landscape design, such as green roofs or solar panels.
That would increase the cost-effectiveness of building operation and further academic endeavors related to these technologies.
It also would enhance the campus setting, demonstrating environmental leadership within the region and reducing climate change impacts through mitigation and adaptation.
Road and trail plan advances
In other matters Tuesday, a plan to construct a local road and multi-use trail between Allentown and Whitehall Township was advanced by the planning committee.
The project would stretch 2.3 miles along the former railroad right-of-way between Furnace Street in Allentown and Wood Street/Lehigh Avenue in Whitehall Township.
The proposal would extend Riverside Drive from Furnace Street to Wood Street, connecting to the Route 22 interchange at Fullerton Avenue, with additional links to Jordan Drive and Kimmet Avenue.
As part of the Riverside Drive Plan, the LVPC encouraged installation of distinctive neighborhood signage that reflects and uplifts the unique identity, history, and character of the surrounding community, the staff review noted.
Thoughtfully designed gateway signs, wayfinding markers, or interpretive displays can serve multiple purposes: reinforcing a sense of place and "promoting development that complements the unique history, environment, culture and needs of the Valley," it said.
The road would have a marked 25 mph speed limit, LVPC Executive Director Becky A. Bradley said.
The LVPC previously received preliminary approval from Allentown and Whitehall Township.
This project previously was reviewed by LVPC, which advised revisions be made and then resubmitted.
Macungie zoning map changes
A proposal by Macungie to amend its zoning map to rezone an area from medium density to low-density residential was advanced by the planning committee.
Generally, the proposed rezoning area is the existing R-7.8 and TC Districts near the southern edge of the borough bounded by South Church Street, Hickory Street and a small section extending up to Coach Street.
The properties being rezoned would restrict permitted-by-right residential uses to only single-family detached homes.
The proposed rezoning addresses to a degree a housing shortage of about 9,000 units in the Lehigh Valley, with a need for increased supply across all price points.
Macungie is experiencing a shortage of 62 housing units and will need 157 more housing units by 2050 to meet projected population growth, according to the Lehigh Valley Housing Supply and Attainability Strategy.
