WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Despite concerns over potential safety issues regarding tractor-trailer traffic near the proposed Fullerton Terminals distribution center, Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners approved the plan by a 4-3 vote Monday.
Board President Thomas Slonaker, Vice President Jeffrey Warren and Commissioner Elizabeth Fox voted against the plan.
Dissenting commissioners voiced concern about the potential safety impact of tractor-trailers needing to cross over two lanes to make a wide right turn from MacArthur Road onto a jug handle en route to the distribution center.
“If that truck has to go across two lanes, how do you propose it will do that if traffic is sitting in those two lanes?” Commissioner Philip Ginder asked.
“They’ll have a difficult time and will have to interrupt traffic,” township Traffic Engineer Peter Terry replied.
John McRoberts, manager of land planning and development at The Pidcock Company, presented a video showing a demonstration tractor-trailer driving along the roads in question.
In one video, a truck heading south on MacArthur Road needed to cross over the double line separating north and southbound roads in order to have enough swing to negotiate the turn onto a jug handle.
“They’ll have a difficult time and will have to interrupt traffic."Peter Terry, Whitehall Township traffic engineer.
Upon being questioned about that potential danger, McRoberts said that “this won’t be a common movement.”
The land development plan consists of a 190,400-square-foot distribution facility at 2451 Main St., near Range Road, would be built on 13.95 acres of the existing 37.19-acre parcel.
Potential increase in tractor-trailer traffic at Range and Eberhart roads were particularly troubling to commissioners.
The developer, Landston Equities LLC, an entity of Jaindl Land Co., has agreed to cap truck traffic during peak hours to two trucks entering and two exiting.
It also has agreed to cap the daily total truck traffic to 40 trucks in and 40 out.
The developer has proposed upgrades to certain intersections, including Range and Eberhart roads, and testified that traffic would be routed south toward Route 22.
"It’s going to be a mess, but there’s nothing we can do about it," Ginder said. "You meet all the requirements."
Rezoning request OK’d
Also Monday, commissioners approved a request by developer Catawba Associates, of Allentown, to rezone a 1.235-acre parcel from office park to regional/community commercial on Jordan Boulevard between Grape Street and Jefferson Street.
The vote was 6-1, with Commissioner Ken Snyder voting against.
The ordinance seeks to change the present zoning for the parcel north of the existing Chili’s restaurant and Olive Garden restaurant along Grape Street.
Brian Gasda, of Lehigh Engineering Associates, told commissioners that while there are no current plans for a specific type of development on the parcel, a restaurant is a possibility.
Curb, sidewalk deferred
Also approved Monday was a developer’s request to defer installing curbing and sidewalks for 193 feet along the frontage at 1055 N. Sixth St.
The applicant proposes demolishing a building and constructing a 6,419-square-foot commercial building.
Commissioners also unanimously approved the following:
- Buying a swift water rescue boat for the township’s fire department at $86,5000.
- Buying replacement of a self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCUBA, gear for the fire department. The cost will be offset by a $375,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency grant, with the rest of the expense assumed by the Whitehall Firefighters’ Relief Association.
- Buying the five-year Axon suite master services and purchasing agreement. Axon provides all equipment and other expenses for body cameras, in-car cameras, Tasers, investigative officer video, evidence room video and storage and other associated costs.
- Buying two 2024 Ford F-350 4x4 trucks for the public works department. Each vehicle will cost about $60,000.
In other business
- Resolutions were passed requesting the township to apply for Pennsylvania Local Share Assessment grants to buy an asphalt milling machine, improvements to the interior and exterior of the Mickley-Prydun Farm main house and replacement of the rescue pumper fire truck for the Egypt Fire Station.
- Christa Sterna was appointed to the township’s fire police department.
- Prior to the meeting, a moving video saluting military veterans was shown, produced by Lee A. Rackus, township bureau chief of zoning, planning and development.
- Mayor Joseph J. Marx Jr. presented a proclamation in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps. Marx, a Marine Corps veteran, made the proclamation on behalf of the township.
