The newly re-constituted Bethlehem City Council voted Feb. 15 to approve two certificates of appropriateness that green-light two multi-story buildings in South Bethlehem. Several city councilmembers expressed reluctance to vote for the projects, then proceeded to approve them.

Final vote on the projects had been tabled or delayed at a previous meeting to give the newly-hired solicitor Brian Panella time to review them.

Both projects had been rejected by the Historic Conservation Commission as being too tall to fit in with the historic architecture of the neighborhoods where developers wanted to build them.

City council, which is historically inclined to go along with HCC recommendations, were simultaneously faced with a growing political pressure to find solutions to the shortage of affordable housing in the city.

However, the developers produced slightly modified proposals that got HCC approval and gained, with some dissent, the approval.

One of these will be a five-story building with retail space and apartments at 305 E. Third St. The project by Peron Development LCC was represented by former Bethlehem mayor John Callahan.

Councilmember Dr. Paige Van Wirt gave her support, but explained how she had felt initial “consternation over approving” the building. She was concerned that the building when initially proposed was higher than surround buildings and that she wanted to “mitigate the visual impact to the pedestrian on the street.”

However, she said the current plan calls for a set-back of the top floor “like a wedding cake” which will allow more sunlight to reach the street level.

“The horse is already out of the barn,” said Van Wirt, referring to the fact that the project had already been approved by the administration, but the developer made accommodations to design features to make the building more like a part of a row rather than one big flat apartment building.

“You don’t want perfect to get in the way of pretty good,” Van Wirt said.

Councilwoman Rachel León said she was concerned how the taller building would affect small businesses across Third Street, but she would support the project.

Councilwoman Dr. Wandlyn Enix, a former history teacher and native of South Bethlehem, had just that evening been seated at the dais and this was her first action as a councilmember. She said, “I’m not convinced of the historical nature of preservation. It’s invasive in a sense, so I’m very hesitant about this.”

The certificate of appropriateness for the project passed 6-1 with Enix voting against.

The other multi-story building up for certificate of appropriateness was the one slated for 317 through 327 S. New St. The 327 South New Street Development, LLC, represented by Rafael Palomino and Jeffery Quinn, plans to build a nine-story building with retail space and apartments.

Discussion of the nine-story building also showed the frustration regarding the overall development process in Bethlehem.

“The size of the building is very problematic,” said Van Wirt. “It’s not the same as the contributing historic buildings in the area.”

She said it will cast a shadow on the Greenway, but said there was not enough data to know how much.

Because the height of the building has already been approved by the administration, Van Wirt said, “The threat of a lawsuit is real.

“With total reluctance, I’m going to be supporting this so we can focus more on what we can really do and make an impact on growth.”

“This will be one vote I really regret,” said Councilmember Grace Crampsie Smith, “but I am concerned the HCC did ask [the developers] to do a set-back [of upper floors] and they did not do that and I don’t understand why.”

A third project, the re-purposing of the Holy Infancy School building at 127 E. Fourth St. got approval from the city council. The plan calls for a mix of commercial use and 24 apartments.

“It’s a great project,” said Van Wirt. “It’s adaptive re-use. It’s taking a really great building and making it better.”