- Majestic Realty unveiled its text amendments to a proposed development project to the Hanover Township community Tuesday evening and solicited comments from residents
- The new version of Majestic's plan consists of 10 buildings with 3.2 million square feet of land, a reduction from the originally proposed 28 buildings with 4.2 million square feet
- Citizens raised concerns over more warehouses in the region, as well as potential traffic and pollution increases, despite Majestic's assurance those issues would be negligible or nonexistent
HANOVER TWP., Pa. — Community members came together at Hanover Township Community Center on Tuesday to express concern about a more-than-300-acre development planned off Airport Road.
Officials representing Majestic Realty, the company behind the project, offered the community a quick presentation on changes to a plan that originally included 28 buildings and 4.2 million square feet of space, then took questions from the crowd.
The revised plan, known as the Master Planned Flex Center, has downsized the project to 3.2 million square feet of space, and 10 industrial buildings that could be used for multiple purposes.
“I love what you're trying to do as a developer with all this stuff, and the scare tactics and the setbacks and all that. But we got to be better then. No more warehouses here, please."Resident Chris Seacor
The largest building would be 690,000 square feet and a maximum of 400,000 square feet for others.
The development would be on land leased from the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority, which the developers hope will encourage airports to use the available spaces on the property for their own purposes.
In addition, the proposed improved plan boosts buffers from 150 feet to 300 feet, requires buildings to orient inwards and away from nearby homes, restricts dock doors any closer than 500 feet to the property lines, prohibits tractor-trailer intensive uses, and more.
The new plan also prohibits parcel hubs, at which individual packages are moved from inbound to outbound trailers and cold storage.
Mini storage facilities for individuals and businesses, data centers, indoor agriculture, airport-related uses, vehicle charging stations, solar energy systems, and showroom space have all been newly permitted under the new plan.
The land now is farmed but zoned for commercial and industrial development.
'That's our vision for this project'
Majestic Realty Senior Vice President Ed Konjoyan started the meeting trying to reassure the public of the company’s commitment to “build and hold” as opposed to establishing the large structures and leaving the region, over which some residents raised concerns.
Konjoyan said the proposed MPFC plan is ideal for attracting businesses to the land, offering them the opportunity to expand and grow in the area.
"We think this plan is an improvement over what we can do right now. We voluntarily came forward with that, trying to be a good steward and a good neighbor and provide a better point."Majestic Realty Senior Vice President Ed Konjoyan
“And so that's our vision for this project, for how we might develop this property, and again, we're grateful to be able to talk with you tonight," he said.
"We think this plan is an improvement over what we can do right now. We voluntarily came forward with that, trying to be a good steward and a good neighbor and provide a better point."
Joseph Uliana of J.M. Uliana & Associates, which represents Majestic Realty, explained the MPFC plan also would provide additional storage capabilities within a 500-foot setback.
“Storage and warehousing today is a permitted accessory use and up to 25 percent, and a conditional use up to 50 percent, of a building square footage," Uliana said.
"The master plan flex center use text amendment proposes storage and warehousing to be a conditional use from 50 percent to 100 percent of the building, but only if the building is inside this setback."
Citizen push back
Community members were quick to raise concerns about various points of the project, including a desire to limit the construction of more warehouses in the region, as well as the potential environmental impact.
Citizens appeared to doubt the projection from Majestic that the new plan would reduce traffic in the area by more than 60% from the previous plan.
Chrysan Cronin, a local resident and director and associate professor of public health at Muhlenberg College, challenged reassurances from the Majestic officials regarding the effects of traffic and how it could affect commutes, in addition to the local air quality.
“That will have an impact on traffic, on noise, but also on our air quality. So with all due respect, and I thank you for this presentation, your data is incorrect.”Resident Chrysan Cronin
Majestic had said traffic would improve and air quality had improved alongside increases in development throughout the Lehigh Valley.
Majestic relied on data from the American Lung Association during the presentation, but audience members questioned its validity and raised concerns about major industries supporting the organization.
“My concern is the amount of traffic that is going to result from… like how many parking spots, for example, are you envisioning here?" Cronin said.
"And is it going to be a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation? Do I have to leave an hour earlier to get to work in Allentown because I go down Orchard Lane to Airport Road because I can't get down [Route] 512 to [Route] 22 anymore?
“I mean, what are you thinking? That will have an impact on traffic, on noise, but also on our air quality. So with all due respect, and I thank you for this presentation, your data is incorrect.”
'It's bad. It's not going to get any better'
Resident Chris Seacor raised several questions, including the come-and-go nature of other large companies that once expressed interest in developing in the area.
In addition, Seacor questioned prohibited uses for the proposed plan — including churches, libraries and schools — and the effects warehouse jobs have on local businesses, which Seacor said suffer poaching of their workforces.
“This is a scary situation for people who live in this neighborhood," he said. "It's bad, it's not going to get any better.
"I love what you're trying to do as a developer with all this stuff, and the scare tactics and the setbacks and all that. But we got to be better then. No more warehouses here, please.”
The crowd applauded loudly.
“If you are offering us a parcel like Lehigh Valley Parkway over here — the beautiful brick buildings and landscaping and walking paths, you know, and a decorative pond — do you think we would be here arguing about this?"Resident Jennifer Levins
Jennifer Levins, another resident, questioned the developer’s claim to wish to work with the community. Levins asked how the revised plan would impact wildlife, nearby residents and schools in the area.
“If you are offering us a parcel like Lehigh Valley Parkway over here — the beautiful brick buildings and landscaping and walking paths, you know, and a decorative pond — do you think we would be here arguing about this?" she said.
"You know, you're offering us terrible options. I can't say this enough — we live here. Give us some consideration."
Toward the end of the meeting, the crowd seemed to become more receptive to the original Aircraft Flightpath Highway Business District plan, which Konjoyan confirmed still was an option.
Both Konjoyan and Uliana told the crowd they were receptive to further questions and concerns, and invited them to contact them directly, though the potential to rehaul the entirety of the project, as Levins suggested, is unlikely.
The proposed text amendment presented at Tuesday’s meeting is just the first step in a lengthy process, which will include various engineering and planning reviews, alongside numerous public meetings.
