Monday, May 07, 2007
More Warehouses Coming to Lower Nazareth
Both the Morning Call (read it here) and the Express-Times (read it here) have articles addressing the new warehouse/distribution centers (three total) being planned in Lower Nazareth. The three new centers are all being built by Industrial Developments International and will be discussed on Wednesday at the Township Building.
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14 comments:
Just what we need in Lower Nazareth, more truck terminals.
Way to go to the township manager and the board of supervisors.
Your are doing SUCH a great job running this township.....INTO THE GROUND!
I guess they don't remember their own complaints about too many trucks on the roads with the terminals we already have.
I would complain at the BOS meeting, but since they have already made up their minds, it would be a waste of time.
Anon 7:30-
I guess it's a matter of what you want more (or least) - A sprawling housing development that will burden the schools with more kids OR a truck terminal that increases the commercial tax base with no additional kids?
I know, it would be great if we could turn the land into a great big park with recreational facilities, but those don't pay the bills.
Truck terminals are probably worse then residential development due to the fact they they generate very little in taxes. Since they are a distribution center, they typically have minimal employees and the earnings of the companies are reflected at their corporate headquarters. The only real tax base is the property tax which is minimal compared to other commercial properties.
Maybe, just maybe, they should look at luring some real businesses here they way that Saucon did with Olympus.
These terminals contribute little to the local employment, and some even less in that they use contract labor only when a truck comes in.
I look at the Riverport in Bethlehem and see where they have taken a deralict building and converted it to high density housing (aimed not at families, but young professionals) and added some nice businesses.
Instead of YET another terminal, why doesn't the township convert some of the deralict cement plants into something beneficial to the community.
This would preserve the history of those cement plants while substantially adding to our tax base without clearing another patch of open space.
But, I guess you need to have forward thinking leadership to come up with an idea like that.
Olympus was brought in by the LVEDC not Saucon. Riverport is in a highly desirable location next to the new Casino and Lehigh U. Although I'm not a fan of warehouses, Lower Nazareth (or any other township for that matter) does not have the expertise or budget to lure outside business ventures into our corn fields or run down cement plants. The only incentive Lower Nazareth could offer is possible tax incentive for certain types of desirable businesses.
It's only going to get worse - MUCH worse. There are three new warehosues going in on Hanoverville Road in the not too distant future. You can read many of the details here:
Almost all of this information was regarding Greenfield Development and the THREE NEW pending warehouses on Hanoverville Road..
http://www.lowernazareth.org/html/archived_od.html
Regarding the noted warehouse from IDI Development - The IDI development is mentioned in the minutes from the following meetings (available at the web site http://www.lowernazareth.org)
Planning Commission: 11/20/2006
(http://www.lowernazareth.org/html/2005-6_minutes.html)
Board of Supervisors: 12/06/2006
In this meeting Stu Schooley alerted the Supervisors to the pending IDI plan and expressed concerns on behalf of Palmer Township residents. Also at - (http://www.lowernazareth.org/html/2005-6_minutes.html)
Board of Supervisors: 03/14/2007
(http://www.lowernazareth.org/html/scheduled_meetings.html)
Apparently IDI has submitted for a Conditional Use Hearing with the Board of Supervisors (I could not find any record of the Planning Commission having made a recommendation for or against). Attorney Blake Marles had filed for an extension on behalf of his clients to May 10, 2007. So as we speak they are scheduled to be heard at the Supervisors meeting May 9th, 2007 (Wednesday at 7:30pm Lower Nazareth Twp. Municipal Building). A Conditional Use Hearing is a legal forum. All testimony is recorded by a Clerk of the Court. Witnesses are sworn in.
Anon 9:43
And that is the reason it will never happen here. Everyone says it can't be done, so let's not do it.
There was a proposal to redevelop the racetrack a while back that would have brought in some upscale retail and entertainment, the type of things that people and businesses look for in moving to a new location. The plans were shot down.
If we never try, then it will never happen. We can continue the easy route and just keep adding truck terminals. Take a ride out Rte. 100 and 222 and admire the miles of terminals. That will soon be our fate.
Anon 9:43am
Actually the development of Nazareth Speedway is one of the few developments that the supervisors of Lower Nazareth Township actually supported. Lois Pektor made a multi-media presentation to the Board at the May 24, 2006 meeting which was well received by the Board and the citizens present. (you can read the minutes for the May 25th meeting: http://www.lowernazareth.org/html/2005-6_minutes.html)
That was over a year ago. Last time we asked the Township manager, they had not received any additonal info from Pektor or Ashley Development.
webadmin @ 9:43
I was speaking of the Atiyeh proposal which would have turned the racetrack into a main street type lifestyle center.
They had plans for Dave & Busters, PF Changs, and other upscale establishments that would have made LNT a destination for all of the valley.
It was focused more on commercial development, not more houses, which last I heard, was a big part of the Ashley proprosal.
If I remember correctly, Atiyeh was looking for grant money to foot much of the bill and huge tax breaks from the township and school district. He was also looking to build an apartment complex that coupled with the tax breaks would have put a much greater burden on the school district to raise taxes to pick up the slack for the families moving into the apartments.
So we traded the apartment complex and a lot of commercial businesses for a much larger housing project.
Lose - lose.
I would venture to guess that the terminals are probably getting their fare share of tax breaks as well. That coupled with the limited number of jobs actually created really does us no good.
Add the large volume of truck traffic we will soon have and you have one big mistake.
They botched it with the terminals on Hanoverville Rd., they will do it here as well.
to Anon 8:31 - And your well educated two cents is?
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