After two hours of hearing one resident after another voice their opposition to a proposed warehouse on Freemansburg Industrial Drive, Bethlehem Township Commissioners voted unanimously against the project Jan 15.

Located at 1600 Freemansburg Ave., Trammel Crow Company’s proposed warehouse has been met with strong opposition. In 2023, the developer failed to receive approval from either Lehigh Valley Planning Commission or Bethlehem Township Planning Commission with both citing traffic-related issues.

Conditional preliminary approval was recently granted to build the 866,350 square foot warehouse.

Tensions and emotions ran high throughout the evening with Chair John Merhottein gaveling to restore order more than once.

With no tenant confirmed, representatives of the Trammel Crow Company could not answer details of what would be stored or the usage of the property.

AnnMarie Vigilante of Langan Engineering presented to the board the highlights of their Transportation Impact Study, which examined traffic patterns and congestion. It raised more questions and concerns, especially with the increase in tractor trailers, as well as safety at the intersection of Freemansburg Avenue and Willow Park Road.

Twenty-five residents spoke about traffic concerns, calling the traffic report “shady,” a “nightmare scenario,” with most asking commissioners to do the right thing and “fight this.”

Commissioners had questions for Vigilante.

Chair Merhottein said he did not feel the hill near the warehouse had been taken into consideration. He told Vigilante, “I have to assume that those eighteen-wheelers are not very fast getting up there. They’re slow and when it’s bumper to bumper, it’s just going to cause a bigger issue.”

Vice-Chair John Gallagher followed the argument, noting, “The traffic impact study showed 520 trucks and 981 passenger vehicles per day forecast. That’s 1481 total trips per day.”

Vigilante said the number was speculative.

Gallagher continued, “That’s still 520 trucks on the road, wearing them out, moving the air, disturbing the people.”

Those in attendance applauded Gallagher for his remarks.

After the vote, Township Solicitor James L. Broughal said to the board the issue could possibly now go before a judge.