The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) presented their bicounty annual report at the Northampton County council meeting on March 21.

The Lehigh Valley is growing and changing, and as such the LVPC had a busy 2023.

They reviewed over 1,250 projects, including 595 subdivision and land development plans and 190 stormwater management reviews, said senior community planner Jillian Seitz. Northampton County submitted 485 of those plans.

Both residential and nonresidential reviews remained high.

Over 4,900 residential reviews were completed last year, including 2,472 apartments and 764 single-family homes.

In 2023, the LVPC reviewed 21 million square feet of nonresidential reviews, with warehouses and industrial development making up 83.8% of that. There were no agricultural reviews for the first time in three years.

Finally, the LVPS developed the Lehigh Valley Priority Climate Action Plan.

The plan is funded by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and aims to reduce “transportation-related emissions by increasing the use of alternative fuel vehicles, increasing transit ridership, using technology and efficiency to reduce congestion, and creating green infrastructure along our busiest highways.”

In other business, county executive Lamont McClure recognized the retirement of director of corrections James Kostura effective May 1. Kostura served the department for 31 years, beginning as a corrections officer.

“The administration is proud, young, and eager to transition the [department] into the future. They represent what I believe to be the best in the state of Pennsylvania,” said Kostura in his letter of retirement.

County council meets next May 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the county building, 669 Washington Street in Easton.