ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Lehigh Valley Planning Commission would like to know exactly what will be done with a proposed 350,400-square-foot industrial building in Northampton.
LVPC, reviewing the proposal submitted by Smith Lane LLC and headed by Atlas Industrial at its meeting last week, noted a few points of contention for the project in its recommendation letter — including traffic safety issues.
According to plans for the project intended for 799 Smith Lane, the property will feature 307 parking spaces — including 210 passenger vehicle spots, 51 truck loading spots and 46 tractor-trailer spots — a loading dock and trailer storage spaces.
The plan initially was reviewed by the LVPC earlier that week.
But perhaps one of the biggest issues revolves around the exact intent for the structure, which could greatly impact the community, according to the LVPC.
Industrial? Warehouse? Both?
In its letter regarding the project, LVPC “recommends the developer identify if the end user is intended to be industrial or warehouse.”
“There is a discrepancy where the submitted site plans refer to the building as general industrial and the [traffic impact study] refers to it as a warehouse building,” Regional Planner Joseph Dotta said at the recent meeting.
"I don't believe that neither this commission or the township can really, especially the township, can really apply meaningful conditional uses if we don't really know what the intended use is.”Lehigh Valley Planning Commission member Sunny Ghai
“If an end user is identified, the proper use should be reflected as trip generation between different industrial uses can vary greatly.
"Last-mile distribution warehouse facilities can introduce a large number of passenger delivery vehicles compared to other freight-centric industrial land uses.”
Commissioner Sunny Ghai requested LVPC go a step further and “make that a little stronger.”
“And the reason being is that I don't believe that neither this commission or the township can really, especially the township, can really apply meaningful conditional uses if we don't really know what the intended use is,” Ghai said.
“And I think it's almost essential that the end use be identified. And so I would like to suggest that we strengthen the word 'recommend,' make it an essential requirement.”
'Vital to know this stuff'
Ghai said the end-user was important information, pointing out that there already are discrepancies in the project, and different traffic models for particular uses.
Commissioner Bob Elbich agreed, stating “the definition is vital for a thorough analysis of the project.”
"I think that we could add that it’s critically important to understanding the impact of all forms of industrial uses. And then list some examples, or something along those lines, that gets the same point across.”Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Executive Director Becky Bradley
Executive Director Becky Bradley stated that while the commissioners had a valid point, such an addition would require “a little bit more language-smithing than that to get the point,” as a warehouse would qualify as an industrial use.
“So I think that we could add that it’s critically important to understanding the impact of all forms of industrial uses," Bradley said.
"And then list some examples, or something along those lines, that gets the same point across.”
Another commissioner pointed out that granting a conditional use for the property would be difficult if the local government did not know the end user.
Bradley responded that LVPC could emphasize that “it’s vital to know this stuff” as a method of coaching the municipality.
LVPC ultimately approved the adjustments to their recommendation letter, and the letter as a whole.
Other amendments
LVPC also advised the installation of signage to direct trucks in such as fashion as to reduce interaction with traffic coming to and from Northampton Area High School, Northampton Area Middle School, and the borough’s residential neighborhoods.
“Making sure that trucks avoid the school zone during peak hours, where students and parents will be for pickup/drop-off or for after-school events, is essential to avoid conflicts," the LVPC letter reads.
"A traffic impact study for the project suggested a traffic signal installation.”
A Traffic Impact Study attached to the project recommended installing a traffic signal at Horwith Drive and Route 329.
Preservation of environmental factors also was pointed out in the LVPC letter, including references to maintaining “large lots with low site coverage.”
Further suggestions to protect a wooded buffer which separates the development from the Hokendauqua Creek also were mentioned.
