New Route 33 Interchange - Good or Bad?

The Morning Call has a story on the proposed interchange in Palmer Township for Route 33 and discusses the pros and cons of it (read the article here).

Palmer Twp recognizes they have a tremendous potential for financial gain from the project. Upper Nazareth, at least the supervisor quoted, is more concerned with the potential cost.

There is undoubtedly commercial growth around highway ramps. Look at the recent development along route 33 from 248 south for proof. The question really is which school district will benefit from that development, and at this point it seems the Chrin plan is all about development in Palmer, with minor development in Tatamy, so Easton will be the primary beneficiary.

Route 33 Access from Tatamy Road?

The Morning Call reports that Chrin is interested in building a ramp from Tatamy Road to Route 33 to spur sales of business in a new industrial park (read the article here).

The interchange is anticipated to cost Chrin $25M and could be open as early 2011.

The plan could impact seven municipalities and face challenges from the state due to the close proximity to routes 248 and 191.

Despite that, it has seemed pretty obvious the road should have a ramp and with further development it makes even more sense than before.

Warehouse Developer Suit Dismissed

The Express-Times reports that warehouse developer IDI had its court case to remove restrictions imposed by the townships of Palmer and Lower Nazareth essentially thrown out in Northampton County Court (read the article here).

Of most importance to residents who live near the proposed development was Judge Kimberly McFadden's decision, according to the article, to:

...complete an air quality study, upgrade a connector road, screen the buildings and lighting from the view of neighboring homes and limit the hours of outside activity to between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. before the company moves ahead with plans to build.

New Senior Apartments?

The Express-Times reports that developer James Faust has requested a variance to allow him to build 55 and older apartments at Green and Prospect streets (read the article here).

The variance for eight additional feet in height, with that he would need another to increase the number of units allowed.

Payoff Park Resolution in Works

The Express-Times reports (read the article here) that Upper Nazareth Supervisors and developer Tuskes Homes are near a resolution over the park that Tuskes proposed in 2003 to give to Upper Nazareth in exchange for developing twice the number of homes allowed by zoning.

Upper Nazareth Supervisors happily took the offer, but the devil was in the details and the two parties have been squabbling over items within the Park which has resulted in ownership not being transferred so far.

Now it appears the parties have resolved their differences and the Supervisors are expected to vote to accept Payoff Park as a township property in the near future.

Eat More Chicken!

The Express-Times reports that Chick-fil-A is going to be opening in the new shopping center adjacent to Wegman's which will also be anchored by Target and Sports Authority (read it here).

The center is to open this summer.

PA Warehouse and Distribution Centers

New Jersey Business has an article on the high vacancy rate of a once leader in warehouse and distribution centers, 8a, an area off the NJ Turnpike (read it here).

In the article the drop in rental and increase in vacancies is indicated as being the result of competition from PA and to a lesser extent northern NJ where brownfield conversion has increased opportunities.

Given the recent battle in Lower Nazareth, I found this perspective interesting:

The biggest threat comes from Pennsylvania, which is often seen as the cheaper, friendlier alternative to its neighbor to the east, says Milanaik. “The rents are lower, and the labor is more abundant and less expensive,” he says. “It’s still easier to do business there. Getting buildings approved is easier out there. The tax situation is not as steep out there.” He notes Pennsylvania offers tax incentives such as the Keystone Opportunity Zone, which designates certain areas of the state to be tax-free for businesses, which can be a significant advantage for prospective tenants.

Downtown Design

For the second year the Northampton Community College has used the downtown district in Nazareth as a hands-on learning center for design students.

JD Malone explains the program and perspective from leaders of both the college and community in an article Monday (read it here).

Hollo Road Update

Hollo Road has been closed for some time and this weekend the Morning Call had some information related to it (read it here).

The road was to have been widened and straightened and then reopened to the public in September according to the report.

LN Development

The Express-Times reports on updated plans for additional restaurants and a bowling lane at 248 and route 33 (read it here).

IDI Takes LN to Court

Industrial Development Inc. (IDI) has taken Lower Nazareth to court over restrictions placed by the township on IDI's proposed warehouse according to the Morning Call (read it here).

Development Slowdown

The Morning Call reports (read it here) that the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission will release a report announcing the extent to which development has slowed in the Lehigh Valley.

The article reports the good news is that this slow down will give municipalities a chance to catch their breathe and plan for how they want to address open space in the future.

The article notes, "While 17,348 homes were listed for sale last year in the Valley, only 7,231 sold, according to the Lehigh Valley Association of Realtors." And that "Building permits issued Valley-wide dipped to 2,060. That's a drop of more than 900 in one year, and a drop of nearly 1,700 -- or 46 percent -- since 2005, according to the report."

Porsche May Back Out

The Morning Call reports (read it here) that Porsche may back out of its agreement to move its parts distribution to Lower Nazareth following the restrictions the supervisors have placed on the IDI facilities.

Two Target Stores Planned in Vicinity

The Express-Times reports that two Target stores are in the plans for area development (read the article here).

One would be at a new retail complex adjacent to Wegman's at Route 33 and 248, and the other a few miles down the road near Freemansburg Avenue and Route 33.

IDI Hearings part 8

The Morning Call reports that the hearings related to the distribution center in Lower Nazareth continued last night (read it here) and one attorney noted there are allowable uses worse than what is being planned.

Residents living near the site want to see the plans denied or at the least use restricted from the current 24-hour a day operation.

Warehouse Hearing Continues Tonight

The IDI warehouse hearings continue tonight according to the Morning Call (read it here).

The meeting will take place tonight at 7 at the Nazareth Middle School.

County Halts Tax Incentive Request

The Morning Call reports (read it here) that the request to provide reduced tax to developers in Lower Nazareth at route 33 and 248 has effectively ended with Council's 5-4 vote against it.

In opposition to the TIF:

Councilman J. Michael Dowd said the financing districts should be reserved for projects that would not otherwise succeed, in most cases in cities and boroughs.

The proposed land development was the retail shopping center that might be anchored by a Target store.

Warehouse Hearings Continue in Lower

The Express-Times reports on the Warehouse Hearings that continue to take place regarding the new facilities off Newburg Road in Lower Nazareth Township (read it here).

This hearing focused on a noise study presented by IDI to the Township.

You can follow this story in great detail through the Lower Nazareth Citizens site and blog.