EASTON, Pa. — A community-based organization pushing against the development of the 1 million-square-foot Easton Commerce Park project may have made progress contesting the megastructure.
Easton Planning Commission originally was set to review the plan for the warehouse Wednesday, following a marathon meeting in May at which citizens packed council chambers to speak out against the project.
Many of those citizens, including members of the Stop the Wood Ave. Warehouse coalition, returned to City Hall for the meeting.
“We appreciate you, and we urge you, urge you, urge you to be bold in the choices you make."Stop the Wood Ave. Warehouse's Colleen O'Neal
Most were dressed in black in a measure of solidarity, in anticipation of several hot-button issues linked to the warehouse that they say were ignored or overlooked.
Developer Scannell Properties was not at the meeting and the agenda item regarding the warehouse had been removed, but the planning commission and city officials still provided a review of points of contention linked to the project.
'Areas of concern'
According to city Planning and Codes Director Dwayne Tillman, the Stop the Wood Ave. Warehouse coalition had reached out to city solicitor Joel Scheer with information regarding “areas of concern” with the warehouse plan.
“They had four areas of concern, which was the flood ordinance, the noise ordinance and steep slopes and environmental controls and protection,” Tillman said.
Tillman said he reviewed and "re-reviewed all of the information Thursday and Friday, "and looked at for compliance or if there was anything missing."
He said it was discovered that a retention basin and a room that's to be located in the one section of the floodplain in Easton "actually does require a special exception.”
Regarding the coalition’s point on the noise ordinance, Tillman said no variance was needed, as the warehouse would be 850 to 1,000 feet from residential property boundaries.
As for the steep slopes, the city’s engineering department had approved the plans and a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit had been granted on April 15.
Regarding the wetlands, Tillman said that fell under the purview of Wilson Borough, and the developer got approval from the state Department of Environmental Protection on April 11.
The noise ordinance issue
Easton Planning Commissioner Hubert Etchison raised concerns over how the warehouse property could meet the sound ordinance.
Tillman explained that the sound limit is set at 77 decibels, and tractor-trailers generally fall between 50 and 81 decibels.
Thanks to buffering from existing buildings, he said, and the overall distance from the residential line, the sound of those trucks would dissipate below the threshold and meet the ordinance requirement.
Etchison, along with a few other commissioners, expressed that having multiple vehicles moving in and out of the property would be problematic.
They urged city officials to look into the matter further.
“What we do know is there will be more than one" truck, Etchison said. "What we don't know is how high that number goes.
“And we certainly know that it will be way more than one truck operating around this gigantic structure. Otherwise, they wouldn't have 160 some-odd parking spaces for these trucks.
"So I would suggest to the staff to perhaps consider re-evaluating that element, because it seems unreasonable to me that decibel level could be acceptable in a valley with a rock face facing residential areas and public parks.”
After a brief discussion on the matter, Tillman told the commissioners he would look into the subject.
Opponents group speaks out
Attorney Cody Harding, representing Stop the Wood Ave. Warehouse, argued the location of the warehouse would almost certainly contribute to increased sound levels from trucks.
“The back north corner of that property is going to be on top of a 100-foot ball, and it’s going to be 300 feet from the residences on Bushkill Drive,” Harding said.
He said at least some of the wetlands fall within Easton and, as such, would require a variance.
Harding characterized the project as a “half-baked development plan,” and said Stop the Wood Ave. Warehouse would inevitably go back and forth with Scannell over the issues.
“And so I just want to remind you that the community is wasting hundreds of hours of paid professional time of lawyers, engineers, architects, community volunteers," Harding said.
"All to get the developer to do what they should have done in the first place.
“I know we're afraid to get sued because they're a bully, and that's the game that they play, but I just want to remind you how much community time is being spent to get them to do what they should have done in the first place.
"And I want you to consider that as we drag this out for six more months, when we want to spend our efforts turning this into something beautiful for the community, and I'll leave it at that.”
Group says it did board's work
Stop the Wood Ave. Warehouse’s Colleen O’Neal said that while she appreciated the work done by the commission, she had to question why significant points of concern had fallen upon a citizen group.
O’Neal also said she would like to see the commission review submitted plans “with the same rigor you are reviewing this one."
"You're in a position to help usher in a bright new era of symbiotic and smart development for our city and our region, and I really hope that you're able to do that.”Stop the Wood Ave. Warehouse’s Colleen O’Neal
She said she'd also like to see them "set a rule about when a developer would have to submit a new proposal if they continuously pushed off meetings, and to see a more complete agenda featuring planning documents made available to the public in advance of meetings."
O’Neal said she hopes that will lead to more thorough analyses of submitted projects, and offload the work her community-based group has taken on.
“I do ask you to be bold when you're faced with upholding our SALDO as well as the PA constitution’s green amendment," she said.
"Your efficiency and function sets the course our city will take and affect generations to come. We appreciate you, and we urge you, urge you, urge you to be bold in the choices you make.
"You're in a position to help usher in a bright new era of symbiotic and smart development for our city and our region, and I really hope that you're able to do that.”
