Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners, at its Sept. 6 meeting, discussed an updated version of Lehigh Valley Health Network’s development plan and requested zoning amendment.

LVHN is seeking a health care overlay on a residential district.

The plan was first introduced at the May 9 board meeting but failed to move on to the planning commission.

In that plan, developers proposed a hospital, medical offices and a behavioral health facility on property across from the municipal complex on MacArthur Road.

The two-story hospital would have 24 beds and be able to take care of 80-85% of medical needs, while the medical offices would consolidate many practices in Whitehall Township.

The proposed medical complex aims to offer care closer to home and potentially take pressure off the Lehigh Valley’s other LVHN facilities. It is also expected to provide 400 jobs - with 325 to 350 of those being new positions.

The behavioral health facility originally presented with the health complex has been moved to another municipality where it is a by-right use, according to LVHN’s chief business development officer, Ed Dougherty.

LVHN has acquired land to add a third entrance off Mechanicsville Road, in addition to the two originally proposed off MacArthur Road. Project developers said they do not anticipate needing a traffic light at the Mechanicsville Road entrance, as they believe most traffic will come in from Route 145.

The maximum building heights decreased in the new plan from seven to four stories.

A potential vote will be taken at the next board of commissioners meeting.

The commissioners will also vote on an ordinance pushing the deadline to file business privilege taxes to Oct. 1. If approved, the amended deadline would only apply to 2022 taxes, since invoices were sent out late.

The commissioners next meet 7 p.m. Sept. 12 in the Coplay Whitehall Sewer Authority public meeting room, 3213 MacArthur Road.