“Not a very creative site plan,” is how Bethlehem Township Commissioner John Gallagher described the Chrin V-7 residential sketch plan to its developers during a board meeting May 20. “Those units are packed in there, and most units have views of other units.”

Greg Elko of Langan Engineers and Marc Kaplan of Kaplan Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein had just finished providing an update on the project to the board when Gallagher made those comments.

The sketch plan is for a garden apartment residential development, consisting of nine three-story apartment buildings, a total of 264 units. There will also be an amenity structure, to be in the center of the 16.9-acre development.

The development, located on William Penn Highway and Hope Road, Commissioner Jane Beatty raised concerns about the view from the road, specifically the parking lot. Developers assured her a garden wall will run along the front of the development. They also questioned the requirement of 2.5 parking spaces per unit and proposed 1.75 parking spaces per unit.

Access to Baird Street to and from the development became a point of contention between the board and the developers.

The developers agreed to return to the board at a future date with revised plans with access to Baird Street. Sketch plans are not subject to votes by the board.

A waiver was granted to the Green Pond Homeowners Association to allow an outdoor kitchen area application.