The Sept. 12 meeting of the Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission involved two projects, along with some department report items. There were two other projects, Mill Creek Pointe Apartments and Al-Maqasid Learning Center, which were removed from the agenda at the applicants’ request.

The first project discussed was 3510 Macungie Road. The project is located at Macungie and Indian Creek roads. The developer for the project is Reese Rosenthal and he was joined by Attorney Catherine Durso of Fitzpatrick Lentz and Bubba and Benjamin Garland of Holmes Cunningham Engineering.

The property would include 22 single family homes along with a loop road. The project would include a widening of Macungie Road. The plan includes purchasing and utilizing a stormwater basin located in a neighboring park on township land.

There was a waiver to allow the property to have an intersection with Macungie Road less than 400 feet from Indian Creek Road. Township Planning Director Nathan Jones asked for it to be a deferral rather than a waiver. A motion to recommend approval of the plan to the board of commissioners passed unanimously.

The second project discussed was Brookside Meadows Apartments. The project was represented by Durso along with Tony Ganguza of Boyle Construction and Jeff Bevin of Bohler Engineering. The property has frontage on Brookside Road. There was a discussion about the stormwater plan for the property. Durso talked about resubmitting a plan to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for two flashing signals at the Brookside Road crosswalk. She also talked about setting up other lights at the crosswalk.

Durso said PennDOT was not willing to allow curbing along Brookside Road. There was a discussion about adding an inlet and swale along Brookside Road instead.

The width of the walking trail between the property and the township pool and community center was discussed. Bevin was looking for the path to be 5-feet wide, but the township was asking for six feet. Bevin wanted the 5-foot width due to a utility pole next to the path.

The 5-foot path would be Americans with Disabilities Act compliant. Bevin wanted the path to be a pedestrian connection rather than requiring it to meet the bike path requirements.

There was a discussion about the Swabia Creek flood study, along with the two pipe culverts in the area. The planning commission talked about having inlets and a swale along Brookside Road and raising the buildings off the ground to prevent flooding.

The project was tabled until the next meeting.

The meeting finished with the department report. There was a discussion about adjusting the official map to show open space properties purchased by the township as well as new roads.

The township talked about looking for quality woodlands, open space and farmland to purchase in the future. A motion to move the official map to the board of commissioners for review passed unanimously.

There was also a discussion about possible zoning modifications, such as not allowing new construction in the 500-year flood plain. This would include roads and stormwater management structures. A motion to recommend approval of the zoning modifications to the board of commissioners passed unanimously.

The next Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission meeting will be Oct. 10. Usually the planning commission meets the second Tuesday of every month and occasionally there is a workshop meeting on the third Tuesday of the month. There will be no workshop in September.

Meetings begin 6 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.