Northampton Area School District is proceeding with development of a building design for the Seemsville tract in East Allen Township.

The NASD Board of Education voted 6-3 at the Nov. 22 meeting to approve “the development of an elementary school and administration center, also called an education center (herein called the Use)” on the 92.3-acre school district property at Route 329 and Seemsville Road.

Voting for the authorization were school Directors John Becker, Ross Makary, Roy Maranki, Robert Mentzell, Vice President Chuck Frantz and President David Gogel.

Voting against authorization were school Directors Dr. Michael Baird, Kim Bretzik and James Chuss.

The authorization to move ahead is based on East Allen Township Board of Supervisors granting NASD conditional use approval for the development Oct. 13.

The vote by the school board “approves and authorizes the district administration to proceed with further development of the property to include the development of a building design for ‘the Use’ on the property and the filing of an application for land development for ‘the Use’ on the property along with all other associated applications required to obtain all permits necessary to establish ‘the Use’ on the property.”

The board vote also approved and authorized “school board approval of professional services contracts with D’Huy Engineering for engineering services and KCBA for architectural services for all work related to the approvals and permits required to establish ‘the Use.’”

Moreover, the vote approval noted, “The board takes no action with respect to the ultimate use of or disposition of Moore Elementary School, Franklin Elementary Building, Washington Technology Building and district administration building.”

The closing of Moore, Franklin, Washington and the administration building and maintenance buildings was recommended in the Northampton Area School District Elementary School Options and Facility Improvements report presented at the March 22 school board meeting.

At the Nov. 8 and other board meetings, Maggie Kemp, former NASD school director, spoke against the Seemsville school project, citing student safety concerns because of tractor-trailer traffic at warehouses in the vicinity.

D’Huy Engineering Inc. was hired Feb. 2 by the school board to develop a master plan at a cost not to exceed $540,500 for the proposed $70 million educational facility on the Seemsville tract.

D’Huy Engineering Inc. 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 the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, Northampton County Conservation District and water and sewer authorities; and provide school district updates at the completion of each phase

The project timetable includes the following.

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

Through 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

Other timelines

• 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

• 2025-2026 school year: building opens

The Seemsville tract has been considered as a site for an educational facility since 1995 when the district purchased the land for $227,500 from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The school board voted Dec. 3, 2018, to give Northampton Business Center, which is the 288-acre Jaindl-Watson warehouse project, an easement on 13.6 acres of the 92.32-acre Seemsville tract, for a realigned Seemsville Road and Route 329 traffic light, stormwater improvements, extension of water and sewer lines and other improvements estimated to cost $4.5 million, to be paid for by JW Development.

The NASD master plan for the Seemsville site includes an elementary school, administration building, separate bus and vehicle entrances, parking for 200 vehicles, bus drop-off (16 buses), maintenance building, bus parking (42 buses) and athletic fields.

The $70 million project would add $2.6 million debt service annually to the NASD budget. The impact would be 2.29 mills over four years, with the average taxpayer impact $125 over four years, or $31.25 per year based on the average residential assessment of $54,600, which is for 50 percent of district taxpayers.

The NASD borrowing capacity as of June 30 was $96.5 million.

The board of education is next scheduled to meet 7 p.m. Jan. 10, 2022, in the auditorium of Northampton Area High School, 1619 Laubach Ave., Northampton.