EASTON, Pa. — A proposed planetarium for Easton’s Nurture Nature Center has been recommended for conditional approval for key elements of the project by the city Planning Commission.
Barry Isett & Associates Project Manager Robert E. Korp and project engineer Cody Callahan last week appeared before the board to request permission to knock down one part of the existing building and consolidate parking.
Nurture Nature Center’s Rachel Hogan Carr was in Geneva, Switzerland for the World Meteorological Organization.
Planners recommended approval of both requests.
“What will be ripped down is some ancillary support space, so then the planetarium is an adjunct to all of that.”Barry Isett & Associates Project Manager Robert E. Korp
The developer required permission to demolish a part of the rear of the building to build a four-story edition at 516-22 Northampton St.
The planetarium, or “immersive dome,” would be 3,600 square feet.
The owners also proposed consolidating parcels along Pine Street that currently have a parking lot, behind the building, which will be redesigned for an urban gardening program.
Easton’s Zoning Hearing Board granted a variance for off-street parking in March 2024.
Asked whether the center will be able to continue programming in the building after the demolition, Korp said, “What will be ripped down is some ancillary support space, so then the planetarium is an adjunct to all of that.”
'Expand programming for the community'
Some concerns were raised about the height of the proposed structure, particularly in regard to accessing the road in case of a fire or other emergency.
But Planning Administrator Carl Manges said the fire chief had no significant issues with the proposal.
“The fire chief did have a comment about asking for the fence posts at the northeast and northwest corners of parking lot to be pulled in so the fire truck can jump the curb if they need to, and applicants agreed to do that,” Korp, the project manager, said.
"They're quite impressive things now and would allow for some theater capability and neat opportunities beyond the old-school planetarium.”Nurture Nature Center’s Rachel Hogan Carr
Developer Mark Calafatello, who said he owns seven buildings within 100 feet of the Nurture Nature Center’s parking lot, expressed concern about the layout of the lot, which is set to be reduced from 32 to 15 spots.
Calafatello said as a building owner, he “needs access to parking behind my buildings, which would put them out of code if they don’t have the extra spots.”
He asked to look at the schematics for the lot.
Korp displayed the plans and showed Calafatello that the spaces would be “tightened to the center,” and surrounded by green space on most sides, with no encroachment onto surrounding streets.
An existing chain-link fence around the lot will be left in place.
The commission wished the center luck on the project.
Carr had said that the zoning meeting that “we're hoping that this would expand programming for the community, as well as for our school visitation.
"And by planetarium we're referring to something that now in the modern era is really an immersive dome theater. It can show full immersive programs on underwater science as well as planetary science.
"And they're quite impressive things now and would allow for some theater capability and neat opportunities beyond the old-school planetarium.”
