Part 5 of series

Before a shovelful of dirt can be turned over for the proposed $70 million educational facility at Route 329 and Seemsville Road, Northampton Area School District officials must learn if the project is feasible.

The 92.32-acre Seemsville project needs approvals from the East Allen Township Zoning Hearing Board and Planning Commission, as well as regional, state and federal agencies.

The Seemsville site is zoned AG (agricultural-conservation). Schools are permitted in AG as a conditional use.

Approvals, if granted, are not expected until July 2022. The elementary school would open for the 2025-26 school year.

D’Huy Engineering Inc. was hired Feb. 2 by the NASD Board of Education to develop a master plan, at a cost not to exceed $540,500, for the Seemsville site.

The plan to place a new elementary school, administration building and other facilities in a phased development of the Seemsville tract and close Moore Elementary School, Franklin Elementary School, the Washington building (technology department), administration building and maintenance building is recommended in the Northampton Area School District Elementary School Options and Facility Improvements report, presented at the March 22 school board meeting and available on the NASD website, nasdschools.org.

D’Huy, represented by Arif Fazil, president, is to:

• Develop a site plan, including a drawing depicting buildings, structures, roads, parking lots, sidewalks, fields, fences and buffer yards

• Pursue conditional use and land development approvals with East Allen Township

• Pursue approvals with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, Northampton County Conservation District and water and sewer authorities

• Provide school district updates at the completion of each phase

Below is the project timetable.

Through August: preliminary planning, sketch plan submission

• Site survey

• Wetlands delineation

• Incorporate Route 329 and Seemsville Road improvements and utilities

• Develop program requirements for planned building and site improvements

• Develop concept floor plans for the building

• Perform preliminary geotechnical information for site design

• Perform phase one site assessment

• Prepare master plan and phased sketch plan with building schematic floor plans

• Prepare preliminary PlanCon (Planning Construction) forms for Pennsylvania Department of Education

• Hold initial meeting with East Allen Township officials

• Review preliminary requirements for Act 34, which requires a public hearing for a school project, and for PDE

• Determine water and sewer capacity

September-June 2022: land development planning and approvals

• Additional geotechnical investigation, including infiltration testing

• Review existing traffic impact study and update if needed

• Prepare site plan with grading, stormwater, utilities and site improvements

• Prepare landscaping and lighting plan

• Prepare soil erosion and sediment control plan

• Prepare submission to Lehigh Valley Planning Commission

• Prepare submission to Northampton County Conservation District for national pollutant discharge elimination system permit

• Prepare preliminary project budget estimate

• Coordinate with PennDOT for highway occupancy permit

• Water and sewer plans to be submitted for approval

• Submit plans for conditional use approval to East Allen Township

• Identify and apply for zoning variances

• Identify and apply for land development waivers

• Submit preliminary approval for land development plan to East Allen Township

• Courtesy submission to Allen Township

August 2022: retain design team

September 2022-March 2023: design and prepare bid documents

April 2023-May 2023: bid project

June 2023-May 2025: construction

School year 2025-26: building opens

Note: This is the final part in a series about the proposed Seemsville project.

For previous parts, see the Northampton Press at lvpnews.com: part 1, April 7; part 2, April 21; part 3, May 5; and part 4, May 20.