ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Another vote, another step forward for the Parkland School District’s new operations center.
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on Thursday night accepted the LVPC’s Comprehensive Planning Committee’s staff review on Tuesday of the school district’s project application on Tuesday.
The vote to approve was unanimous, with one abstention.
The school district’s application is for a 12,832-square-foot addition to the second floor of the new operations center currently under construction at 2619 Stadium Road, Orefield.
The new operations center will be a two-story, 39,295-square-foot facility that will house the district's food service, curriculum, facilities and operations, technology and teaching and learning departments.
The lower level will be for storage space, and the upper level for offices.
The addition would house the district’s alternative education programs, which include Alternative Education Disruptive Youth, Parkland Behavior Strategies Program and the Parkland Virtual Academy, as well as the district’s social workers.
Construction costs were estimated to be $19.9 million.
The original operations center plan is expected to be completed in October.
The initial proposal to build the new operations center was originally reviewed by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission on December 16, 2022.
School district operations are now based mainly in the Troxell building at 1210 Springhouse Road, but other departments operate in other buildings.
During its review of the proposal for the addition, the comprehensive planning committee recommended that because of the proximity of Interstate 476 to the east side of the tract, communication with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to ensure that impacts to the turnpike rights-of-way are addressed.
The LVPC also recommended that the school district verify there will be sufficient onsite parking to accommodate the expansion, compared with the previous review provided by LVPC in December 2022.
Signage and a pavement-marked crosswalk should be added on Stadium Drive to communicate to drivers that vulnerable road users cross the roadway to access the buildings and Orefield Middle School, the committee recommended.
School district operations are now based mainly in the Troxell building at 1210 Springhouse Road, but other departments operate in other buildings.
Street vacation petition
The LVPC unanimously accepted the Comprehensive Planning Committee’s staff review letter regarding a street vacation petition by two residents near North Elizabeth Street.
A street vacation, also known as an alley vacation or vacation of public access, is a type of easement in which a government transfers the right-of-way of a public street, highway or alley to a private property owner.
The portion of North Elizabeth Street in question is an undeveloped, unimproved plotted street. The area is currently maintained by property owners and is essentially lawn and trees in the area of rights of way.
The street vacation petition was co-signed by Jonathan Andrews of 329 North Ott Street and Nicolas Fulton of 328 North 26th Street.
The LVPC recommended that the petitioner acquire concurrence signatures for the street vacation petition by all affected property owners including the property owners of 314, 334 North 26th Street and 313 North Ott Street.
Concurrence of all property owners brings awareness of property and maintenance responsibilities of the area petitioned to be vacated if granted.
LVPC meetings stay virtual
The LVPC voted to keep its meetings exclusively virtual, at least through its May meeting.
Discussion was held at the Comprehensive Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday and by the LVPC on Thursday on whether to remain virtual or to offer both virtual and in-person meetings.
LVPC Chairman Christopher R. Amato on Tuesday expressed an interest in hybrid meetings “in case some of us want to go in person.”
On Thursday, Amato called for a vote and members decided to remain hybrid, at least through the May meeting.
The LVPC on Monday relocated to its new offices at 615 Waterfront Dr., Suite 201, from its offices in Hanover Township.
“We’re in this space now,” Bradley said on Tuesday. “This is fantastic. No small feat.
“But we’re living among boxes, they’re hanging blinds and the security people are here to make sure our (door access) card swipes work. We’re working out the bugs.”
New meeting
Amato announced a new Lehigh Valley General Assembly meeting on Tuesday, May 14.
The meeting will bring together representatives from each municipality, school district and legislative district to discuss issues relative to the Lehigh Valley.
Many of the LVPC's first-quarter accomplishments noted by Bradley included:
- Priority Climate Action Plan, including implementation of the first-ever transportation decarbonization goals and policies.
- A grant application request for $115 million to the EPA for the Lehigh Valley Green Transportation Infrastructure Project.
- A $15,000 request to DCNR/Lehigh Valley Greenways for the Trail Gap Inventory and Analysis Project.
- Panel presentations, conferences and discussions relative to growth throughout the Lehigh Valley.
The LVPC is an advisory body only. The staff reviews projects that are submitted and hold discussions on them. Its focus is on how the projects coincide with the goals of FutureLV, the long-term plan for the Lehigh Valley.
