Abraham Atiyeh’s bid to bring a grocery store to his property at Center Street and Dewberry Avenue made an aisle change Tuesday when Bethlehem City Council voted to defeat a proposed zoning amendment.

Instead, Atiyeh may apply for a zoning overlay which would permit a retail business to be located on the property. Bethlehem City Council President Adam Waldron made the suggestion that Atiyeh seek an overlay that would permit the grocery store.

If recommended by the Planning Commission and approved by the Bethlehem City Council, the developer may be able to erect a building for his client, Germany-based grocery chain Lidl.

In other business during a public hearing, Atiyeh, operating under the name of Creek Investors LLC and Exchange 9 LLC, presented a proposal to build a retirement home on the 100-year flood plain of Saucon Creek.

The location, 2105 Creek Road, is on 10 acres just off Friedensville Road fronting on Saucon Creek. The property comprises two tracts of land.

He is requesting the rezoning of the two tracts, which are located in the RR Rural Residential Zoning District, to Residential Retirement Complex Zoning District.

The plan calls for a four-story building with 40 units and 60 parking spaces. Twenty of the units would be two-bedroom

Atiyeh, who spoke with city council during its remote meeting, said the building would not be noticeable to neighbors because of existing trees that would minimize its visual impact. He said he would add trees to improve the buffer effect.

He said his target resident would be aged 70 to 75.

“It will be one of the nicest [retirement residences] in the Lehigh Valley,” Atiyeh said. “It is adjacent to a creek. It has walking paths to observe nature and it has fishing.”

He said it would be marketed to blue-collar residents who don’t want or can’t pay for what he called more expensive retirement communities like Kirkland Village, Moravian Village and Country Meadows.

He said the average cost for a unit would be $2,795 per month, which would include utilities, meals and landscape services.

“Wow! What a place to live!” said the developer.

However, he said he recognized that there would be some who do not want four-story retirement home in their backyard.

“If I were a resident, I would scream. too!” he said, referring to expected opposition from current residents.

Director of Planning and Zoning Director Darlene Heller said the City of Bethlehem acknowledges the need for senior housing, but doesn’t want it at that location.

“We want [senior housing] in the core of the city.”

When the Councilmembers had their opportunity to ask questions, Councilman Bryan Callahan told Atiyeh that his presentation, “changes my calculations.

“This is probably one of your better projects,” Callahan said.

Atiyeh reminded council that he could, by right (in accordance with the current zoning ordinance), build 10 single family homes on the property, which, he pointed out, would be a bigger footprint than the retirement residence.

He also pointed out that he plans to build the entire project to include parking lots at least two feet above the existing grade as a hedge against flooding.

One resident complained, “Abraham Atiyeh is known for buying property on the cheap and then asking for rezoning.”

Another resident spoke against the project because it is in wetlands and has historic homes. She said she wants “to preserve the natural environment.”

Bethlehem Environmental Advisory Council member Elizabeth Behrend voiced “strong opposition to the project.”