At City Hall, the Allentown Planning Commission gave its approval to the proposed tractor-trailer parking lot.
The plan, put out by Exchange 32, LLC and developer Abraham Atiyeh, would keep the east side of the land, which is currently home to an abandoned four-story office structure, and use the west side of the tract at 2268 S. 12th St. for truck and trailer parking. To put it briefly, the project will add 25 parking spots for trailers and truck transporters.
The proposal also includes for building new street corner curbing with an accessible ADA ramp at the intersection of South 12th Street and West Sesqui Street, as well as using the driveway at that location as an additional access point. The Allentown Vision 2030 study, according to a project evaluation by the city's bureau of planning and zoning, called for South Allentown "to conserve and strengthen its industrial past via the deliberate rehabilitation of empty and under-utilized sites." Nonetheless, stable residential districts are "also recognized in this proximity juxtaposed with dynamic commercial-industrial activities," according to the city's comprehensive plan.
"The site plan appears well studied in terms of shielding the parking lot from the street and surrounding properties," the agency continued. Zoning regulations for parking lots mandate the addition of more inner trees."
One ongoing local worry is truck traffic on South 12th Street and the flow of vehicles entering and leaving the property. Another problem is that although while truck parking is allowed in the zoning area by right, property owners are still responsible for monitoring and addressing any issues that arise. These consist of operating an unregistered business, disposing of waste and debris improperly, maintaining the site poorly overall, and running an unorganized parking system.
A few members of the planning commission questioned how trailers might fit into the parking lot with such maneuvers. Nonetheless, the planning committee was pleased that the applicant had resolved the majority of the concerns that had been brought up before. The permission on Tuesday afternoon came with a number of stipulations.
A planned affordable housing development located at 38–40 S. Eighth St. has had design amendments approved by planners.
The updated proposal from Walnut Square Apartments, LP calls for a more condensed version of an earlier approved project for a building with multiple units. The original plan called for a four-story structure with 52 reasonably priced units, and it was authorized on June 13, 2023. The updated plan calls for a 44,332-square-foot, three-story structure with 38 reasonably priced apartments. The cut was required in order to match the grant cash that was acquired. The project entails grading, clearing, and the demolition of an existing parish house's asphalt paving. The structure at 36 S. Eighth St. is a church; it will remain intact.
The main lobby entry on South Eighth Street and a secondary entrance on Walnut Street are the two proposed entrances. Items will be loaded and unloaded on South Eighth Street, and the first floor will have a shared washing room. Additionally, off-site, leased parking in a garage building across South Eighth St. is called for in the project. According to Christian Brown, "there is definitely a desire to see this in the city." "I believe it to be a good project."
The Center Square at Seventh and Hamilton streets received approval from the commission for the proposed upgrades.
According to the City of Allentown's proposed design, the intersection of Seventh and Hamilton streets will change. The most significant modification to Seventh Street's land configurations as part of the project is the creation of a bicycle lane between Linden Street and the monument and the restriction of traffic to two lanes between Walnut and Turner streets. A closer look at the proposal indicates that the city wants to remove the designated left turn from North Seventh Street to Hamilton Street at the monument and allow this left turn option to diverge from Seventh Street's traffic flow.
The proposal is to remove the eastbound south lane option from the 700 block of Hamilton past the monument and onto the 600 block of Hamilton on Hamilton Street at the monument. In addition, the plan calls for longer sidewalks from the northwest and southwest corners of the Square all the way to the monument, where the traffic lanes were removed. In addition to improving pedestrian safety, a bicycle lane will be designated on the east side of Seventh Street between Linden and Walnut streets in order to match the traffic modifications at the monument. New street lighting and landscaping are two more project enhancements.