The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission will examine new zoning regulations and official maps from the Borough of Slatington and Washington Township in an effort to realize the objectives of joint municipal plans.
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The Townships of Heidelberg, Lynn, Lowhill, Washington, and Weisenberg along with the Borough of Slatington adopted the most recent Northern Lehigh Multi-Municipal Plan in 2022.
The collaborative effort permits more precise zoning between them and aims to control development along this more rural stretch of Lehigh County. Recent years have brought various challenges due to development in the area. The township of Lowhill has been involved in court disputes in an attempt to control and stop the planned development of warehouses within the township. Municipalities are required to have a site for every use, which means that anything from a solar farm to an amusement park must have its own designated space.
To circumvent that rule, one must participate in a Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan. Then, other municipalities are not required to have a space designated for a particular function if one municipality does. The municipalities under the proposal are currently working on these zoning modifications in order to get this into law. The new plan was devised, and now that it is being implemented, a great deal of coordination has been needed between the towns, Lehigh County, and the LVPC, according to Slatington Borough Manager Daniel Stevens. "Every municipality is attempting to work together to update the zoning because we have a deadline to complete this," Stevens stated.
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission is scheduled to evaluate the official maps and zoning rules on Thursday. The proposed legislation's conformance to state regulations and the multi-municipal and LVPC FutureLV plans is praised in a letter that the LVPC proposed to the administration of Slatington and Washington Township. It includes some more important advice along with an encouragement to revise the text in order to correct any problems.
The LVPC expressed worry about housing restrictions in the letter to Slatington's administration, but it also applauded the wide variety of dwelling types permitted in the Suburban Residential, Town Residential, and Town Center zoning zones. It was suggested that upper-story residential units should have additional definitions and provisions so that they may sustain a "broad variety of accessible housing" in the downtown area of the Borough.
In order to boost options for mixed-use complexes and affordable housing, it was also suggested that townhouse homes be permitted in the Suburban Residential district. The LVPC pointed out that certain suggested environmental requirements—like a riparian buffer legislation, more precise slope regulations, and development permits for floodplains—were not included in the designs. It is recommended that the municipality locate its proposed industrial zoning district in a different area, away from the Lehigh River.
Regarding the municipality's first-ever official suggested map, the LVPC invites the borough to identify potential future transportation enhancement projects inside the borough. It also promotes the recognition of the recreation and historic places within the borough. Official maps designate public lands and infrastructure that are now in use as well as those that are planned. They also indicate a local government's interest in purchasing land in the future for public use.
According to Stevens, the only significant modification was "some adjustments to the industrial zone" to take into account the encroachment of residential development into that area. Additionally, he said that a public hearing on the zoning change will be held on September 9 and that a vote by the Borough Council members will follow at a later meeting. Restricting development to single-family detached homes could lead to "sprawling development patterns that may not fulfill the township's desired community character or resource preservation goals," according to a warning from the LVPC.
In the interest of public health, it also recommended that care be taken to guarantee that the necessary infrastructure for emergency services and utilities is available to meet demand, and that mobile homes be removed from the Regional Use Overlay District. Additional suggestions were related to truck loading laws and the length of parking spaces. It was also suggested to include provisions for solar and wind energy, forestry, and logging.
Similar to Slatington, certain draft text problems were found, and the absence of a riparian buffer—a buffer that is located alongside a river—and the protection standard were mentioned as concerns. In order to support the preservation of open space, the LVPC advises the township to designate desirable mobility improvement projects and include present agricultural security areas and easements on the official map. The Washington Township Board of Supervisors is anticipated to consider the ordinances at a later time.
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