BOC Agenda preview Oct. 20th 2016

HERE IS A LINK TO THE AGENDA WITH DETAIL
All township BOC meetings are available on video online. (Budget workshops also)
You can also always watch all our board meetings live on Channel 66 RCN cable.

Here is your agenda preview for the Thursday Oct. 20th township meeting. The BOC meetings are the formal business meetings of the elected Board of Commissioners.

Announcements and Presentations:
Donation Presentation from Lutron to Emergency Services
– Presented by Andy Hines – THANK YOU! I wish more of our high impact commercial users would do the same.

HEARINGS & APPROVALS

Resolution 2016-23 – Land Development Approval for Signature Personal Care – The planning and zoning committee recommended approval at our last meeting. This is the old Lower Macungie Elementary School. It’s a proposal for a 1 story building that will house 80 memory care / personal care units. As a use it’s a good low intensity fit for the neighborhood. It’s also a decent design and the developer has worked with us on a number of design elements including addressing walkability issues offsite. A credit towards the recreation fee will be considered for off site walking improvements. This will result in a walking connection made from Spring Creek Rd. (existing trail adjacent to Rolling Meadows) to South Krocks Rd on both the North and South frontages of Lower Mac Rd. This is an important connection.

The only issue I have with this project was the lost opportunity. If this property must be developed this is a good fit. Problem is I don’t think it had to be. In fact I know it could have been prevented. Had the township known this property was for sale and available we would have strongly considered purchasing it. At least 4 Commissioners have expressed that point of view.

The price the district ended up selling the property for represents a deal in my opinion. We would have jumped all over it. This would have allowed the township to retain the playground as a public amenity and also to subdivide the school building and sell separately remaining intact. I think we could have gotten an addition public playground, preserved the school building and still found a low intensity user. There was zero communication from the district before state law required them to.

Unfortunately, because of this we never had the chance. While there were signs indicating (they are still there) that the millcreek district property was/is for sale there were none at any point in time on the elementary school. By the time the district was required to notify the township planning commission it’s intent to sell it was too late.
Too late for the township to have a conversation with the school board about purchase. In fact the planning commission came out with a letter opposing the sale in general. This is a summary. This is exceedingly unfortunate. 

Land Development and Lot Consolidation Approval for Spring Creek Properties Lot 9

This is one of the Jaindl settlement agreement warehouses. We are unfortunately bound by the agreements of the 2010 board here. The consolidated lot will be 75 acres. Proposed is a 875,000 SF facility with 170 dock doors.

The major concern I have with this project is preventing trucks from turning right off private Congdon Hill Rd. (the main entrance to multiple warehouses off Spring Creek Rd. into the Borough of Alburtis. I also have concerns with trucks using Mertztown road and Creamery Rd. west as shortcuts to avoid congestion on Rt. 222.

This is a spec building meaning we will know the user or truck routing until one is identified.

Related however, it was just announced recently that another warehouse off Congdon hill road will likely house Deka (East Penn properties) warehouse. See Morning Call article here. So the obvious concern is that trucks will use front street and state rd to get to the main topton manufacturing and related facilities. This being the last big superbox on the property, it’s our last crack at addressing global truck issues related. However, we are severely constrained by the 2010 settlement agreement.