The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission is recommending two way stations, one for monarch butterflies and one for electric cars, at Northampton Area School District’s proposed elementary school and education center at Route 329 and Seemsville Road.

The recommendations are contained in a review letter from LVPC to NASD and Terraform Engineering LLC, project engineer for the education complex.

LVPC reviewed the $70.3 million project in East Allen Township at Aug. 23 and 25 meetings, held virtually via Google Teams.

At its 6:30 p.m. Sept. 12 meeting in the Northampton Area High School auditorium, 1619 Laubach Ave., the NASD Board of Education will be asked to give guidance to the administration for an Act 34 hearing on the school project.

The Act 34 public hearing was announced for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Northampton Area Middle School cafeteria, 1617 Laubach Ave.

In addition to raising concerns about the location of a playground at the proposed elementary school, the LVPC addressed 10 topics. The playground topic was covered in a Sept. 1 article in Northampton Press.

One topic includes an environmentally sensitive building and landscape design.

“The addition of educational and climate-mitigating additions could be included that would both enrich the educational opportunities and promote preservation,” LVPC said. “An example would be including several of the species of milkweed that are native to Pennsylvania in the natural landscaping and consider adapting part of the conservation area to be a monarch way station to attract and help protect monarch butterflies.”

These changes would “reduce climate change impacts through mitigation and adaptation” and support “native, climate-adaptive and carbon-sequestering landscaping” while increasing outdoor educational opportunities.

“The LVPC recommends that educational institutions incorporate environmentally sensitive green infrastructure improvements, such as natural landscaping that can support climate change mitigation. These enhancements would demonstrate environmental leadership within the region and ‘reduce climate change impacts through mitigation and adaptation,’” according to the LVPC.

Another topic addressed was electric charging stations.

“Electric charging should also be planned for and integrated into the passenger vehicle and bus parking areas to help plan for the future of electric vehicles, as virtually all vehicle manufacturers are greatly increasing the production of electric vehicles to follow market trends in the next 20 years,” LVPC said.

Conservation priority natural resource areas were addressed. A northeast section of the lot is a mix of high- and medium-conservation-priority natural resource areas.

“The LVPC commends the site design for protecting these conservation areas,” LVPC said. “A walkable trail could be used, creating an outdoor classroom.”

The Farmland Preservation Plan was discussed. Approximately 78 net acres of farmland will reportedly be lost.

“Preserving sections of farmland for educational opportunities, such as incorporating a raised bed and a classroom garden could help in developing school gardening programs,” according to the LVPC.

Other topics addressed include steep slopes of 15-25% in the northeast section and a section of the parcel being in the 100-year flood plain.

LVPC also advised they ensure proper Geotech testing before any land development occurs.

Additionally, it was recommended they coordinate traffic-calming measures with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to mitigate speeds and unsafe driving behavior along Route 329.

“The entrances are directly connected to industrial commercial development across Seemsville Road from the proposed school,” LVPC said. “Additional calming measures include school-zone signage and signalization, as well as a roundabout for that intersection and at the entrances to the proposed school building.”

The review letter includes photographs of a roundabout along Preston Lane at Southern Lehigh High School, Center Valley, Upper Saucon Township, for reference.

Multimunicipal coordination was also addressed.

“Any future land developments to neighboring parcels or within the area have the potential to be incompatible with an elementary school,” LVPC said. “Careful consideration should be given to any future land developments in this area.”

The LVPC review is required by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.

According to the LVPC review, “the subject application is considered a land use of regional significance under FutureLV: The Regional Plan in the educational facilities land-use category.

“The project proposal conceptualizes the land development and construction of a 113,238-square-foot elementary school and 36,172-square-foot administration building-education center with associate parking lots and school bus parking located at the intersection of Nor-Bath Boulevard and Seemsville Road in East Allen Township,” LVPC said.