Manufacturer Ecopax proposed combining two lots at the Aug. 13 city planners meeting.

The lots, at 1355-1405 Easton Road, are part of LVPVII; numbers 53 and 54. Ecopax already has a manufacturing faculty on lot 53, producing polystyrene food containers. The expansion would house a manufacturing facility for biodegradable food containers.

Senior Principal at Maser Consulting Richard Rosenberry said the expansion would create 20 new jobs. This would create a need for more parking spaces on the site. A rail line siding on site 53 would be extended to reach site 54. Raw materials would arrive at the site by rail. Seventeen truck bays would also be added, for transporting finished products offsite. The entrance to the truck bays would be on Easton Road. The site was described as a former slag heap for Bethlehem Steel Corp. As a result of the remaining slag, the site is considered 100 percent impervious surface. So improvements to the site, such as adding fill and planting trees, would increase the permeable surface of the site. The site plan includes adding 208 trees to site 53 and site 54.

Site 54 includes part of the East Branch Saucon Creek. No development would happen in the protected area immediately bordering the creek.

Forty additional parking spaces, already “banked” in site 53, will be moved closer to Lot 54.

A traffic study was performed on the site. Both PennDOT and the city engineer were involved in the study. At this point, no changes are required, but Bethlehem City Traffic Superintendent Tiffany Wells explained that two more traffic studies would be done once the site is developed. These studies would center on the intersections of Cherry Lane and Easton Road, and Route 412 and Commerce Center Boulevard.

A letter from the Environmental Council, requesting consideration of further reducing the site’s impervious coverage was mentioned. Planning and Zoning Director Darlene Heller explained the letter was a suggestion, not a requirement.

In addition, a sidewalk deferral was requested.

Several neighbors spoke against the plan. The site borders Lower Saucon Township, and that is where the neighbors reside. Planning Board Chairman Robert Melosky reminded everyone that the city planning board does not have jurisdiction over properties in Lower Saucon, and many of the complaints would need to be addressed by Lower Saucon. The neighbors come from a group of houses sandwiched between the Industrial Park and I-78.

Larry Penfield said he owns 5.5 acres, but cannot build a residence on it. Henry Cambiotti said home values are plummeting in the area. Ryan McGann said they are asking Lower Saucon to rezone Mockingbird Lane. One of the chief complaints was noise from the polystyrene plants, and truck traffic. There were also complaints about fumes, and trains honking in the early morning hours. Denise Van Buskirk said she cannot let her grandchildren play in her yard because of fumes and ear-piercing noise. Christopher Campos spoke for the Saucon Community BFC Church. The church has property on both sides of the street, and he says truck traffic makes it unsafe for parishioners to cross.

Melosky said the city would look into whether the trains can stop honking in the early morning.

Jim Boser from JVI said the noise levels at the plant have been tested, and are within the acceptable threshold of 90 decibels for an industrial property. City Zoning Director Darlene Heller said the city would review the noise ordinance.

Melosky asked if more of the truck traffic could be handled inside the industrial park. It could not.

Planners approved the sidewalk deferral. The motion to merge the sites was conditionally approved, with the conditions that the Aug. 6 memo be followed, and that biannual reports on noise would be provided to the board.

The next case was the creation of a new LERTA district centering on former Bethlehem Steel properties on the Southside. Executive Director of Bethlehem Revitalization and Improvement Alicia Karner presented the plan. Developers of blighted/vacant sites in the district would receive tax abatement for up to 10 years. This would include commercial and industrial properties, and multifamily properties of more than three units. Commisioners were asked to make a recommendation on the boundaries of the LERTA. A motion to recommend the boundaries was approved.

The next agenda items concerned zoning code.

The property owner at 1838 Center St. was seeking to change the ordinance for the Institutional Zone to allow a grocery store as a permitted use. Heller explained that if the change was made, it would allow a grocery store on any Institutional Zone site, including school properties and cemeteries. The board voted to recommend city council not accept the text amendment. It was suggested the property owner could request relief specifically for his property, through the Zoning Hearing Board.

The next proposal concerned regulating uses for student housing. Heller presented an overlay map of the city, with current student housing displayed in red. The proposal was to limit development of student housing through a permit process, including annual inspections, and reducing the height of new buildings to a maximum of three stories. A parking requirement would also be added. This would affect properties in the RG and RT zoning districts. Dwellings over three stories would require two acres of land.

Several neighbors spoke in favor. Kimberly Carrol Smith said the city did a “fabulous job,” and she felt the ordinance was needed to “preserve neighborhoods.” Several neighbors spoke of real estate speculators coming to their homes, suggesting their entire block was being converted to student housing, and pressuring them to sell.

Assistant Vice President for Community and Public Affairs and Community and Regional Affairs, Andrienne J. McNeil spoke for Lehigh University. She said that as part of the university’s expansion plan, all undergraduate and graduate students would be housed on campus.

However, at present, only freshmen are being housed on campus.

Eray Donmez said he owns 10 properties just outside the proposed student housing zone. He is in the process of preparing to build townhomes. Under the proposal, his properties would not be eligible for a student housing permit.

Student housing investors, including Louis Intill, were concerned about having their non-conforming properties “grandfathered” under the proposal, and felt the parking requirement was too high.

Karner assured the board that the ordinance would not be in conflict with fair housing laws.

The board suggested modifications, including allowing existing building to be thoughtfully altered, grandfathering of existing properties, and lowering the parking space requirements.

The board agreed to pass their recommendation of the proposal to council, with the recommended modifications.

The final case before the board was consideration of changing the wording of the zoning ordinance affecting buildings in the CB district. However, due to the lateness of the hour, the board did not vote on the changes.