UPPER MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. — Upper Macungie Township residents who live near a warehouse with a proposed expansion have hired a lawyer to negotiate details of the plan.
Upper Macungie Planning Commission on Monday recommended the township Board of Supervisors approve a preliminary plan to expand Americold Logistics' cold storage warehouse.
The plan is to build a 60-foot-tall, 326,859-square-foot expansion to the warehouse at 7150 Ambassador Drive. That would double the number of daily truck trips to the facility.
The township Zoning Hearing Board approved the plan in December.
At that meeting, residents from the nearby Lochhaven Street housing development had asked zoners not to approve the project.
They cited concerns such as noise created by the expansion, more traffic at the nearby intersections and increased pollution from the trucks.
During public comment before the vote, Attorney Christopher McLean from local law firm Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba said he was representing those residents.
McLean asked the commission to consider requiring improvements residents want to see, such as adding directional signs, building a sound barrier and ensuring ample parking so tractor trailers do not park along the road.
“We’ll continue the dialogue, because we're looking to be good neighbors, obviously."Americold Logistics attorney Graham Simmons
Township solicitor Andrew Shantz said the township can't require those improvements because they are not in the township ordinances.
But Americold Logistics attorney Graham Simmons said the company will try to implement the residents’ requests. He said the residents and company representatives are currently discussing what the sound barrier will look like.
“We’ll continue the dialogue, because we're looking to be good neighbors, obviously,” Simmons said.
The preliminary plan for the expansion will now go before the township Board of Supervisors for approval.
