PALMER TWP., Pa. — Most of the public comment Monday at the Palmer Township Board of Supervisors meeting had nothing to do with an agenda item.
Rather, the speeches and dialogue focused on the million-square-foot Easton Commerce Park warehouse, the impact it will inevitably have on Palmer residents, and what, if anything, can be done about it.
And while speakers on Monday night understood the limited scope of Palmer’s power in the mega-warehouse debate, the primary push revolved around encouraging their municipal government to open up better lines of communication with Wilson Borough, where the bulk of the land for the project sits.
“What I'm asking everybody to do is collectively get together, because I hope this is a reality check that we need to work together as municipalities and come up with a plan, because we're neighbors, all of us."Kendra Cooper
Hot topics included road safety and maintenance with increased truck traffic, the environmental impact from diesel fuel and the warehouse.
Catrian Huynh touched on all the familiar topics before imploring the board to take a public position on the project.
“I ask that you end the silence," Huynh said. "The lack of public stance implies indifference to the concerns being voiced by your community.
"And I ask that you be transparent, make your position known so local voters can make informed decisions about who truly advocates for their health, safety and quality of life.”
'That's all I ask'
Board President Jeffrey Young said he understood the problems, but said the fact that no construction or development will take place on Palmer land makes it tricky to be involved in intermunicipal discussions.
“You know what I think, and what I’ve told others: It’s hard for me as their supervisor to go tell Wilson what they should or shouldn’t do," Young said.
"Because when we built our industrial parks, which caused grief for our northern neighbors, we didn’t go ask them. It’s hard for me… I don’t want to be that kind of person to go one way and not the other.”
“Palmer Township doesn’t have any authority or ability to really have any leverage over it other than just some recommendations,”Palmer Director of Planning Craig Beavers
Palmer Director of Planning Craig Beavers said most of the impact on roadways would be state roads for the project.
“Palmer Township doesn’t have any authority or ability to really have any leverage over it other than just some recommendations,” Beavers said.
He said the state Transportation Department had submitted notes about a nearby interchange, but in the end, “there are very little requirement that PennDOT has on the project.”
Lori Loccarini requested that even if Wilson was the deciding authority on the warehouse, Palmer still should reach out and convey residents’ concerns — and try to implement changes.
“I get what you're saying where, you know, your neighbors to the north," Loccarini said. "But this property actually sits on three municipalities.
"Whether it's being built on or not, you guys still have a stake in this.” I hope you understand that any change to the plans, if it's too large, they have to start all over again.
"If anything, continue to delay this project and do anything that you can to do that. That's all that I ask.”
'This is about the people'
Laini Abraham stressed how much the project could affect the safety of nearby school children, with increased truck traffic also causing issues to bus routes.
“I understand that the building itself will not be in Palmer," Abraham said. "However, our children are going to go through there every day, twice a day, while they're attending middle school.”
“Whatever you guys can do and whoever we can speak to and come together as a community, I think, is very important.”Kristal Americus
She encouraged the board to review footage from other municipal meetings attended by the Stop the Wood Ave. Warehouse group, and see how that organization tapped into local experts to help facilitate an opposition to the project.
Kendra Cooper, speaking on behalf of Wilson residents attending the Palmer meeting, acknowledged the apprehension to reach out to other municipalities.
But she stressed how imperative that would be for residents in Palmer, Wilson and Easton.
“What I'm asking everybody to do is collectively get together," she said. "Because I hope this is a reality check that we need to work together as municipalities and come up with a plan.
"Because we're neighbors, all of us. I've lived in Palmer, I've lived in Easton, I've lived in Wilson, where I now reside, but we don't know the lines.
"This is about the people that live in these in these communities."
Kristal Americus spoke on how the warehouse could cause environmental impacts harmful to children and other citizens — especially those with medical issues.
Americus asked the board to communicate more with Wilson and Easton.
“Whatever you guys can do and whoever we can speak to and come together as a community, I think, is very important,” Americus said.
“So I know that your voice may only be just a voice, and you don't have a vote in it, but you know, standing together as a community, I think, is really important, so I would appreciate anything you gentlemen can do.”
Small stakeholder, big impact
Board member Michael Brett, who was not at the meeting but spoke with LehighValleyNews.com beforehand, said that while the township is “not technically a big stakeholder,” it will see impact from the warehouse.
“My biggest concern is the impacts on Palmer Township, the traffic that will be coming through, up Tatamy Road, up around Hackett, and the strain it's going to put on our police and fire departments responding to issues over there,” Brett said.
He said the idea that the warehouse will bring a revenue bump to the region is misguided, as “a lot of the residual expense that comes along with these types of projects.”
Brett also said he is concerned about how nearby Palmer residents will be impacted via traffic, pollution and other concerns, in addition to the effect LERTA or TIF taxing districts could hurt the community.
Palmer solicitor William Oetinger and Beavers made it clear that while a sliver of the property for the warehouse falls in Palmer, the building itself is squarely in Wilson.
“There’s currently no improvements proposed on the Palmer Township portion of that site,” Oetinger said.
“As far as I understand, I don’t even think there’s any grading. But there are no buildings, there’s no road into our township road.”
Oetinger said Palmer lacks any authority to demand Wilson or Easton to request approval for the project from their township.
Nevertheless, residents and some board members — including supervisors Joseph Amato and Brett — have voiced concerns with the project, and at the very least, increased communications to mitigate potential damage to Palmer.
“I want to say, simply to try to open up lines of communications between the two town municipalities," Brett said.
"Not to oppose the warehouse, which I'm still not saying I oppose it. I'm just saying I don't think it's appropriate. It's their decision that they have to make on their own, obviously, but to open up for lens communication.
“Say, ‘Hey, we've learned a lot from these types of developments. We want to share this with you. We want to share our concerns and help you mitigate those concerns, while still trying to make this into a successful project.
"Because we know you have developed needs within your own borough, they were not very receptive to it.”
