PLANNING COMMISSION

Hanover Township        Northampton County

3630 JACKSONVILLE ROAD

BETHLEHEM, PA 18017

 

 

Minutes of the June 6, 2005 Meeting

 

Meeting #814 of the Hanover Township Northampton County Planning Commission was held at the Hanover Township Municipal Building, 3630 Jacksonville Road, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Monday, June 6, 2005, and convened at 7:30 P.M.

 

Planning Commission members in attendance:

                        Mark Tanczos                          Joseph Hilton

                        Susan Lawless                          John McGonigle

                        George Scoggin                        Glenn Taggart

Hanover Engineering Associates, Inc. represented by Charles M. Schmalzer, P.L.S.

 

Motion was made by Taggart, seconded by Hilton, approving the minutes of the May 2, 2005 Planning Commission Meeting.

   Hilton, yes;   Taggart, yes;   Scoggin, yes;   Lawless, yes;   McGonigle, yes;   Tanczos, yes

 

LVCC II - LOT 12     Hotel and Restaurant Conditional Use

Emil Kantra (Attorney)     Paul Szewczak (Liberty Engineering)

 

Proposed is a three-story 100 unit Limited Service Hotel and a separate one-story restaurant with seating for 200.  Access via right in from Schoenersville road .... main access via existing driveway from High Point Boulevard.  Intersection of High Point Boulevard and Stoke Park Road will be funded for a traffic light in the future.

 

Hotel occupant will be Marriot Towne Place Suites.  There is no occupant to date for proposed restaurant, which will face towards Schoenersville Road.  A patio is not included with restaurant. 

 

Kantra advised there will be minimal lighting on the back of proposed hotel for security/safety.  This is the view facing the Residential.  There will be no signage lighting on the rear or the sides of the hotel.  Parking lot lighting will be provided.  Rear of hotel will offer an emergency entrance/exit. View of the restaurant is buffered by the hotel.

 

Planners requested that architectural appearance blends with all building in the Corporate Center.

 

Proposed hotel is 43 feet 8 ¾ inches to the roof peak.  Maximum height allowed is 38 feet.  Planners stated the Township Ordinance be followed with regard to building height.

 

Planner Taggart advised developers to offer a view shed both day and night when park is built out of the rear of proposed hotel.  Developers should address noise levels.... security lighting.... lighting with source of light shown.... hours of operation.... times of truck deliveries....  filters to reduce/eliminate food odors emitted from restaurant.... dumpster locations.

 

Chairman Tanczos questioned if there was adequate area to the rear of the hotel to properly screen the building from the residents to the northeast.

 

Planner Taggart questioned the traffic impact at Schoenersville and Stoke Park Roads.  Stacking and queuing is occurring.   Szewczak advised a Traffic Study was presented to the Township Engineer for review.

 

Motion was made by Tanczos, seconded by Taggart, to send a letter to the Board of Supervisors, recommending the following conditions for approval of proposed hotel and restaurant uses:

     Hours of operation - Township should be consistent with hours allowed for Extended Stay                America Hotel and Bennigan’s Restaurant.  Hotel office is open from 9:00 a.m. until                     11:00 p.m. with arrangements for late arrivals.   Restaurant is open Sundays through                      Thursdays  from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. - Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. Until                  12 midnight.   Planning  views the restaurant as a family restaurant rather than a late night              stop.

     Building height should not exceed 38 feet.

     Security level lighting should be consistent with Bennigan’s and WaWa’s.

     Delivery days and times should comply with the Ordinance for the hotel.  Deliveries should                occur during day time working hours.    Truck traffic should arrive and depart via                          Schoenersville Road.  Trucks traveling east on Stoke Park Road to the residential                          development should be disallowed.

     Sufficient landscape screening must be provided to buffer the hotel from the residential to the           northeast.

     Noise levels and food odors must not be permitted to affect surrounding properties.

.         Hilton, yes;   Taggart, yes;   Scoggin, yes;   Lawless, yes;   McGonigle, yes;   Tanczos, yes

 

 

LVIP IV - LOT 42      Parking Lot Expansion      Preliminary/Record Plan

David Martin (Keystone Engineering)

 

Owner will rent a portion of existing building to Helping Hands Hospice Supply.  Additional parking spaces are needed.

 

Motion was made by Tanczos, seconded by Taggart, to send a letter to the Board of Supervisors, recommending approval pending satisfaction of all comments in letter from Hanover Engineering, dated May 31, 2005.

   Hilton, yes;   Taggart, yes;   Scoggin, yes;   Lawless, yes;   McGonigle, yes;   Tanczos, yes

 

3910 ADLER PLACE      Bethlehem Business Park - Lot 11A      Sketch Plan

Stan Lalka (Arthur A. Swallow Associates)

 

Adler Place Limited Place Partnership recently purchased the former Piercing Pagoda.  Building is approximately 73,000 square feet with 150 parking spaces.  Owner will request leniency from the Zoning Hearing Board in July on the number of parking spaces required.  Adler will max out the impervious coverage by adding 36 additional parking spaces.  Majority of building will be offices with the rear portion continuing as warehouse.  A common area will be proposed for recreation.

 

The bridge connecting Lot 11A to LVIP Lot 32 will remain open and will be maintained by both property owners.

 

TRADITIONS OF AMERICA      Active Adult Community      Sketch Plan

J. B. Reilly (Traditions of America)      Lewis Rauch, II (Lehigh Engineering Assoc.)

 

These 63 acres of land, rezoned R1-A, has not yet been subdivided from Hanover Corporate Center II.  Land is located south of proposed Jaindl Boulevard, west of Township Line Road and north of Hanoverville. 

 

An active age restrictive (55 and over) residential community is proposed.  Plan includes 241 homes in a private gated community with private streets.  65% are single family detached homes, 46 are twin homes, and there will be 38 town homes.   Main entrance is from Jaindl Boulevard .  Second entrance is from Hanoverville Road. 

 

Gravity sewer system will tie into pump station which will be constructed by Jaindl.  Water will be provided by the City of Bethlehem. 

 

A storm water detention pond will be located at the western end of this site.  A pipe will run across the site to pond to the east in Lower Nazareth Township.  This pond will be owned and maintained in perpetuity by this development.

 

Berm will be provided along the entire frontage with Jaindl Boulevard.  In low areas, a retaining wall will be erected, enabling building the berm high enough.  On top of the berm will be an open rod iron metal fence with arborvitae  plantings.  Between berm and Jaindl Boulevard, street trees will be planted.  Elevation to  the top of the berm will be 11 feet.  Plantings will add an additional 6 feet.  The earth berm is the most efficient noise mitigation.  Grade of Jaindl Boulevard is 1% to 3%.  Existing stand of trees across from IDI driveway will be saved. 

 

Regarding residential to the south, a 50 foot building setback exists.  Landscaped buffer will run along entire southern property line.

 

Four to six foot high berm with plantings will run along western property line along the PIBD District.

 

Berms will be provided along Township Line Road to the extent where they can be constructed.

Comments in letters from Hanover Engineering and the Shade Tree Commission request that 30 Oak trees be preserved where proposed tennis courts are shown.  Reilly will comply and perhaps offer a walking path in this grove.  One tennis court may be relocated.

 

Planners asked if sound attenuating materials would be used when building proposed homes.  Reilly will consider it.

 

Residents, living along Hanoverville Road, asked if they will be able to access the walking path.        Reilly stated it would be for the proposed adult community.

Residents asked if some Walnut trees, located beyond their property lines would be saved.

   Reilly stated he would try to save as many healthy trees as possible.

Resident asked about visibility from his back yard.

   Reilly stated trees will be planted in a staggered fashion.

Resident asked about sheds.

   Reilly stated restrictive bylaws will apply.  Sheds will be prohibited.

Resident questioned the progress of Jaindl Boulevard west of the IDI building.

Residents stated they have no place to walk.  They would like to be able to walk in the tree grove.

   Reilly stated the residents will take over the community.

Resident stated the surface of Hanoverville Road is disintegrating due to the truck traffic.

Resident questioned the pond located east of Township Line Road.

   Reilly stated when all pond construction is completed with pond fully landscaped, and all               agreements finalized,  including inter municipal agreement with Lower Nazareth Township,           they will then take it over.

Resident stated they have no noise buffering for trucks traveling south on route 512.  Can some screening be provided to buffer them from the noise?

 

GENERAL

Hanoverville Road residents complained that property owned by Petrucci at the corner of North Commerce Way is in deplorable condition. 

 

PLANNING

Meeting has been scheduled for June 20 to review the Adult Day Care.

 

 

                                                         Sylvia McLaughlin

                                                         Clerk - Planning Commission