The Lower Macungie Planning Commission unanimously recommended against the rezoning of a parcel of land hedged by Spring Creek Road, Route 100 and Trexlertown Road at the August meeting.

Property owner Judy Daddona of Double D Lehigh LP sought to change the zoning of the five acre parcel from semi-rural to commercial. Daddona claimed the property's zoning designation rendered it unappealing to potential buyers.

"The problem is we still have the issue of trying to get past that it's not zoned commercial," Daddona said.

The property's current zoning conditions allow several exemptions for limited commercial use, such as a tavern, bank or office building, among other exemptions.

The majority of commissioners remain opposed to zoning changes for fear of increased traffic or truck usage along Route 100. The property is only accessible from Spring Creek Road due to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation mitigation protecting the area's wetlands.

Other commissioners expressed reservations regarding the industries of the property's potential buyers.

"A medical office building is one heck of a different use than a Wawa," Planning Commission member George Doughty said. "The two most obvious picks are fast food restaurants and gas stations, which makes us very uncomfortable," Commission member Thomas Beil said.

Daddona pointed out her neighbors are predominately commercially zoned (if not industrially zoned) in the wake of Lower Macungie's controversial rezoning of David Jaindl's farmland two years ago.

"This is my only neighbor, right here," Daddona explained, holding up a photograph. "This is the township equipment, stone piles and trucks that go along my front door." Michael Siegel, a Lower Macungie resident who attended the meeting, disagreed. "I am your neighbor," he said. "I can almost see your house from my backyard."

Double D Lehigh LP previously applied for rezoning last year; the request was narrowly denied by a 3-2 vote by the Lower Macungie Board of Commissioners. The board is scheduled to again hear the rezoning request this year Sept. 3.

The Beit Simcha Messianic Fellowship requested a deferral regarding a pathway along Grange Road, citing the current lack of connecting thoroughfares in the area. Rabbi Glenn Blank maintained his parishioners would not regularly utilize the proposed pathway.

"In general the township is leaning toward not doing deferrals,"Vice Chair Maury Roberts explained. The planning commission proposed the option of a two-year deferral conditional on the posting of an escrow to construct the sidewalk at the township's discretion.

"Deferrals tend to be a domino effect," Commission member Neil Dekker said. "Adjacent properties will say, 'Well, there's no sidewalk next to me, why should I have to put one in?"

The discussion was ultimately tabled.

The planning commission also reviewed waiver requests regarding the land development and parking area expansion of the Mack Truck facility. The current land development plan includes a proposed multiuse pathway along Route 100 to provide accessibility from the Grandview Crossings to Mack Trucks, as well as a pathway along Alburtis Road.