LOWER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — Against much public dismay Monday, Lower Saucon Township Council voted to take another look at an ordinance that would let Bethlehem Landfill expand.
Following a public comment period complete with shouting and even some tears shed, council voted 3-2 to have the township solicitor prepare a new ordinance regarding the proposed expansion, even as the previous proposal has been sent for Commonwealth Court review.
- While an original ordinance to let Bethlehem Landfill expand gets Commonwealth Court review, Lower Saucon Township Council approved preparation of another landfill expansion ordinance
- The board voted 3-2, with Priscilla deLeon and Sandra Yerger opposing
- Citizens for Responsible Development-Lower Saucon Township say the fight is far from over
Jason Banonis, Thomas Carocci and Mark Inglis supported the motion; Priscilla deLeon and Sandra Yerger opposed it.
The new proposed ordinance is scheduled for a vote at council's July meeting. That date has yet to be determined.
'Sacrilege'
Council's agenda read that the map amendments proposed “would be in the area north of Applebutter Road, east of Steel City, south of the Lehigh River, and west of the Route 33/Route 78 intersection.”
Council President Banonis said rezoning parcels all the way east to Interstate 78 and down to Route 33 would provide a larger parcel for light industrial use possibilities.
“Sacrilege.”Lower Saucon Council member Priscilla deLeon
The first expansion proposal required conditional use approval.
A couple of audience members at Tuesday's meeting responded to the proposal out loud, saying, “Spite!”
“Why not look at a bigger footprint than what was initially being done here?” Banonis said. “And doing it as a matter of right, I don’t see the need for conditional use.”
Council member Carocci supported that, saying he felt surrounding properties values would increase as a result of the specific expansion.
One audience member yelled out, “Come on!”
Council member deLeon called the vote “sacrilege.”
Public comments
Before the vote, a number of residents came forward during the public comment period.
Township resident Ginger Petrie said council was after benefiting financial interests involved.
“You are planning to allow a company based thousands of miles away to destroy 275 acres of beautiful forest for only one damn reason: money. You’re going to kill wildlife, destroy soil, pollute air and water.”Township resident Ginger Petrie
“You are planning to allow a company based thousands of miles away to destroy 275 acres of beautiful forest for only one damn reason: money,” Petrie said.
“You’re going to kill wildlife, destroy soil, pollute air and water.”
Resident Frank Palumbo said opposition to the landfill expansion is staggering, yet the council chose to vote the way it did regarding the first proposal now in Commonwealth Court.
“All I hear is people in opposition,” Palumbo said. “I have never seen one single person — at least at the meetings I’ve been to — for this expansion.
“So again, who does this council work for? Developers? For the taxpayers?”
Monday's meeting was delayed twice: Once because of the rowdy crowd and the second because of stormwater making its way into the building during the downpour outside.
