NORTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Local residents voiced concerns Tuesday after learning that about a hundred new houses may be coming to North Whitehall Township.
The township Planning Commission reviewed a plan for the proposed Rising Sun Subdivision, which would have 116 single-family homes on about 100 acres.
The subdivision would be at 1321 Rising Sun Road, between Fells Creek and the Lehigh River. The land now is used for agriculture.
Single-family homes are permitted “by right” in the zoning district of the property, meaning landowners have the right to build them as long as they meet township requirements.
About 50 people attended the meeting and several raised concerns about the increased number of cars the project would bring to Rising Sun Road and Route 145.
The traffic study for the development has not been conducted. But North Whitehall resident and former Allentown traffic engineer Don Steele said he thinks the development would add about a thousand more car trips per day on Rising Sun Road.
“I am acutely aware of the hazards of Rising Sun and 145, and I hope you are becoming familiar with that as well."Planning Commission member Rod Lowe
Several residents said the roads already are unsafe because of speeding and a lack of visibility.
Planning Commission member Rod Lowe said he lives near the proposed development.
“I am acutely aware of the hazards of Rising Sun and 145, and I hope you are becoming familiar with that as well,” Lowe said, speaking to representatives of the developer.
“That's going to be a major problem with this many houses.”
The developer is commercial real estate agency Access Commercial Development.
On Tuesday, it presented a sketch plan, which is made early in the development process to allow municipalities to ask questions and give feedback ahead of a formal submission.
Access Commercial Development Director of Development Jacob Kim said the company plans to do a traffic study for the project to understand any safety concerns.
Traffic studies investigate whether developers would create unsafe conditions. If they would, the municipality or the state can then require the developer to make improvements to the roads within the land they own.
‘We want people to be safe and happy’
Other issues residents raised were the potential for increased traffic, more flooding in the area, and a strain on the sewage system.
Resident Heather Skorinko asked whether the development would pollute the nearby Fells Creek and Lehigh River.
“What impact is this increased water runoff, yard waste, fertilizer — what impact is that going to have?" Skorinko said. "I think it's very important to determine that."
The Lehigh River is included in a new list of endangered rivers released in April. Experts say the river is threatened by “poorly planned development” of warehouses and distribution centers.
Several residents raised concerns about a narrow S-curve on Rising Sun Road just east of the proposed development.
“Several times I've got around that, there's trucks coming the other way, and they're over the center line," resident Kevin Watkins said. "I’ve had to literally go into grass on the other side to avoid them.”
The S-curve is not on Access Commercial Development’s property. The township can ask the developer to contribute to a fix to that road but can't make that a condition for approval, Township Manager Randy Cope said.
The proposed housing development would be next to St. John's United Church of Christ.
Pastor James Gottwald had similar concerns about road safety on nearby roads. He urged the Access Commercial Development representatives to address the issue.
“We want to welcome people, but we want people to be safe and happy in their new community,” Gottwald said.
Access Commercial Development likely will come back with a more detailed plan in the spring, representatives said.
New camp recreation center
Also Tuesday, the Planning Commission recommended the township Board of Supervisors grant preliminary/final approval to a plan for a new recreation center at Orefield-based Camp Fowler.
Camp Fowler is run by Bethlehem-based nonprofit Valley Youth House. It offers therapeutic summer programs that use outdoor behavioral healthcare to treat at-risk children and teenagers.
The camp’s programs are free for youth who are from low-income families, are in foster care or are homeless.
The recreation center would be called the Carter Family Center and would let the camp hold more group activities in inclement weather.
The building would be about 5,000 square feet and would have two multipurpose rooms, an office and storage space.
The plan now goes to the township supervisors. If they give preliminary/final approval to the plan, Valley Youth House would not have to go before the township again.
The nonprofit originally asked for a waiver from the land development process to keep costs down, but supervisors denied that request.
