The May 10 meeting of the Lower Macungie Planning Commission involved three applications. There were two other applications, The Cove at Millbrook and Mill Creek Pointe, which were removed from the agenda at the applicants’ request.

The first application discussed was a Wawa drive-thru at the Trexler Business Center on Hamilton Boulevard. The property would not have any walk in business. There would be a two lane drive-thru that narrows down to one lane near the pickup window.

The development was represented by Erich Schock, of Fitzpatrick Lentz and Bubba, Bud Newton, of Newton Engineering and Mike Siegel, of Wawa. There was a discussion about improving the landscaping plan and possibly bringing an arborist to the property.

Newton talked about the traffic flow on the property. The planning commission questioned if one of the driveways onto the property could be eliminated. Newton wanted to keep the second driveway as it allows for better truck turning.

There was a discussion about adding an easement for future interconnectivity with neighboring properties. The project was tabled until the next meeting.

The second application discussed was Chick-Fill-A’s Modification of an Existing Plan. The property in question is located at 6379 Hamilton Blvd. The applicant’s representatives did not appear at the meeting.

The proposed plan was to double stack their drive-thru lanes. There would be two canopies along the drive-thru where orders would be taken and delivered car side. The planning commission talked about adding landscaping to reduce impervious coverage.

Planning Director Nathan Jones commended Chick-Fil-A for trying to improve their queuing issues. Jones noted at peak hours the applicant’s traffic can affect Hamilton Boulevard and the rest of the shopping center. The plan was tabled until next month’s meeting.

The final project discussed was Stone Hill Meadows IV Sketch Plan. The plan is for 18 lots off Mountain Road. The property would have a hammerhead cul-de-sac with one way in and one way out. Jones said it creates an opportunity for good connectivity with other walking trails.

There was a discussion about the stormwater issues on the property. Jones talked about adding a buffer to the northern end of the property. Township Engineer Brian Cicak expressed concerns about grading and slope on the property. Cicak said there are a lot of hurdles to overcome with the current layout.

The property was represented by Justin Moceri, of Wilkinson & Associates and Mark Thaler, of DY Stone LLC. Thaler talked about the importance of preserving the tree line and possibly adding additional buffer. He also discussed linking the walking trails on the property to neighboring trails.

Moceri talked about the stormwater basin and drainage improvements on the property. He also discussed the grading and leveling on the property. The planning commission felt there are steep slopes on the property and the density is too high for the slope of the land.

It was suggested Thaler try to correct stormwater issues in earlier phases of the project before further development. The sketch plan did not require any action.

The Lower Macungie Township 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. and currently all planning commission meetings will be held both in person and over Zoom with a video recording uploaded to the township’s YouTube channel after the fact.