“We are tied. If the project fails, the township fails” Bethlehem Township Commissioner John Gallagher told attorney Marc Kaplin, of Kaplin/Stewart, in regards to the proposed Penn Center 33 development. This statement came as a clear effort to try and ease growing tension over Resolution R069-22 pertaining to the proposed Penn Center 33 (formerly Mill Creek Business Park) on a 62-acre site, to be located by William Penn Highway and Route 33.

Kaplin, attorney for developer Lou Pektor, tried for nearly an hour without success to convince Bethlehem Township Commissioners to waive a condition of final land approval of the Penn Center 33 project during the August 1 commissioners’ meeting.

Commissioners had agreed July 5 to grant final land development approval as long as 24 conditions were met.

Kaplin argued for the relief of one those conditions: pertaining to the Highway Occupancy Permit from PENNDot, which has not been finalized yet. Without this, the plan cannot presently be recorded with the township, which in turn means that a building permit cannot be issued.

With two perspective tenants for this development, Kaplin argued that the longer the wait for the issuing of the building permit, the greater the potential lost in revenue for everyone. He ended his presentation with a litigation threat should this development plan fail.

Commissioners were not swayed by Kaplin’s arguments or threat, unanimously passing the conditional final land approval resolution by a vote of 5-0.

Commissioners did approve resolutions to authorize two police officers to attend crime scene processing training; a resolution in support of preserving abortion rights in Pennsylvania; and Resolution R071-22 authorizing an application to a state transportation grant program.

A motion to approve a School Resource Officer agreement with the Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School also passed by a vote of 5-0.