The Jan. 19 workshop meeting of the Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission began a one year review of the zoning ordinances.

The discussion included signage, parking regulations and mixed use.

Township Zoning Officer Carl Best talked about how he had tried to make the signage ordinance more user-friendly and easier to understand. He also discussed the height requirement for freestanding signs.

Best said he renamed the changeable signs category as digital LED signs. Best decided to remove freestanding signs from residential zones, but add the option of monument signs in their place. Planning commissioners talked about removing freestanding signs in the East Texas zones and encouraging monument signs.

The commission discussed single pole projection signs. Best decided to rename the advertising sign category as billboard sign.

The commission discussed allowing electronic or digital billboards. There was a discussion about enforcing an ordinance to keep billboards turned off between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. Best wanted regulation limiting message changes to every three minutes.

The commission decided to allow temporary signs, but did not want to allow permanent advertising signs.

Planning Director Nathan Jones talked about the parking regulations aspect of the zoning ordinances. Jones wanted to require street walls on outward facing parking areas to prevent headlight glare onto other properties. Jones said street walls should replace the street fence or hedge options.

Jones also talked about adding pedestrian resources along Hamilton Boulevard. This would include a street wall, lighting, landscaping and a walking path or sidewalk. The commission talked about electric charging stations and how many should be required. It was debated whether the township should require a 1-75 or 1-100 ratio.

Planning Commission Secretary Al Perez asked about protecting parking areas from chemical spills or leaks.

The commission discussed snow removal at shopping centers. It was suggested shopping centers could have an area designated for snow dumping. Jones questioned if enough snow falls each year to need this in the ordinance.

Commissioners also talked about the issue of mixed-use development during the workshop meeting.

A mixed-use development is meant to be a combination of residential use, rather than an entirely residential use.

Planning Commission Chairman Thomas F. Beil questioned how a high-density residential property would affect the local school district and road network.

It was questioned if the demand for commercial development would improve in the coming months or further in the future. Jones said he felt basic human nature will pull us back toward some sort of normalcy.

The planning commission talked about the Woodmont development outside of Macungie. Jones said this location would have more of a neighborhood draw. Jones continued saying other properties along Hamilton Boulevard closer to the highway have the chance to draw people from all over the Lehigh Valley and beyond.

Jones talked about requiring public open space in mixed use developments. He also talked about the chance to shape the groundwork of how Lower Macungie wants mixed use to look. Some of the first properties developed would not look like surrounding commercial properties and stand out.

The planning commission talked about some of the areas that had success with mixed use such as the Town Center in Valley Forge and downtown Emmaus. Jones said there should be a discussion or partnership with Macungie Borough regarding development in the area.

Jones said the new Weis Market might bring more pressure to develop properties in the area. Perez said the township needs to be ready for development pressures that might come in the future.

The next Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission meeting will be Feb. 9.

Usually the planning commission meets the second Tuesday of every month and occasionally there is a workshop meeting on the third Tuesday of the month.

Workshops begin 6 p.m. while meetings begin 7 p.m. Currently all planning commission meetings are held over Zoom with a video recording uploaded to the township’s YouTube channel at a later time.