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LEHIGH VALLEY WEATHER

Letter to the editor: Does Lehigh Twp. need a Wal-Mart?

The Lehigh Township Zoning Hearing Board convened April 14 and granted Wal-Mart approval for three variances, so it can develop a new store and gas station on the land located at Route 145 and Birch Road. Unfortunately, this project does not adhere to developing the area in a sustainable way.

The project is too “intense” for the area. The scale of this project is quite large, and there will be increased impervious surfaces and an overabundance of soil and vegetation degradation. While the majority of the land is currently being farmed, there is a patch of land containing trees and shrubs that serves as a wildlife habitat.

The Lehigh Township Zoning Commission granted Wal-Mart a variance from its Steep Slope Protection Standards. This variance is inconsistent with Pennsylvania DCNR’s Growing Greener approach and the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s Guide and Model Regulations for Steep Slopes. The land adjacent to the proposed Wal-Mart may likely become highly susceptible to erosion, land slippage and subsidence. There will be degradation of wildlife habitat, and the aesthetic character of visually prominent hillsides will be removed.

The area will become a visible eyesore. This will be especially true for the residents of the Greenock Hills subdivision that is located right next to the proposed development area.

Most concerning with this project is the impact it will have on Birch Road. Birch Road is a very narrow rural road. It does not have yellow lines painted on it. There are sections that two SUVs would have difficult passing each other. The road has a steep drop next to the Birch Creek on one side and a very steep hill on the other side.

Car GPS systems will bring many Wal-Mart shoppers on this road. There will be a substantial increase in traffic that this road is not designed to handle. This will cause severe environmental impact to the Birch Creek.

The Wal-Mart development plan is also incompatible with Lehigh Township’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Code 147-24 discusses the importance of preserving natural features and aiding in providing adequate open space. This includes preserving the natural terrain of the site and scenic views. Unfortunately, the residents of the Greenock Hills will lose their scenic views.

Wal-Mart’s loading docks will be 150 to 250 feet away from the backyards of many residents. The trucks that deliver goods to Wal-Mart 24 hours a day will create additional air and noise pollution. There will also be light pollution from the store.

Is Wal-Mart really needed in this location? The Whitehall Wal-Mart is a 15-minute drive to the south. The Lehighton Wal-Mart is a 20-minute drive to the north. The K-Mart in Walnutport is a three-minute drive. There are also two gas stations located a mile up the road.

On the other hand, Lehigh Township will get much tax revenue from this project, and the area will get a new grocery store.

I hope the Lehigh Township Planning Commission will think sustainably as its continues to work with Wal-Mart on this project. There are opportunities to provide green space to the area, plant many big trees to provide a buffer so that residents of Greenock Hills do not have to view Wal-Mart in their backyards, build a sidewalk on Birch Road to help residents walk safely to Wal-Mart and consider placing bike lanes on the roads to decrease the safety risks of bikers heading towards the DNL trailhead from the Wal-Mart area.

Dr. Alec Bodzin

Lehigh Township