Planners OK Jaindl Land Co. Reclassification Request

Upper Macungie Township's Planning Board approved a sketch plan from Jaindl Land Co. during its April 20 agenda meeting that reclassifies two roads for the purpose of the proposed Lehigh Hills subdivision project.

Previous concept plans for the proposed mixed-use development off Route 100 in Fogelsville were not acceptable to planners or the township's Board of Supervisors, as they intruded too far into existing woodlands.

Another presented plan preserved woodlands at the expense of recreation fees, township officials said. That plan also did not meet with township approval.

Planners gave their approval to the sketch plan presented April 20, which will evenutally face further scrutiny from township zoners, supervisors and eventually require a public hearing and ordinance.

Plans calls for reclassifying Nursery Street, which extends from Route 100 to Church Street from a collector street to a local street. But, planners amended the original request and voted to keep Nursery Street a collector street north of Glenlivet.

Planners gave the nod to Jaindl Land Co.'s request to reclassify Moyer Street from a collector street to  local street.

Upper Macungie Director of Community Development Bruce Wlazelek told Jaindl Land Co. attorney Joseph Zator that time remains for more refinements to the sketch plan before any township ordinance is crafted.

Part of the sketch plan calls for 252 apartment units with recreational facilities. The planned developement is near the parcel of land where a

In other planning board business:

-- Meera Desai, owner of the , presented a sketch plan to the township seeking to raze the existing structure and build a three-story franchise motel utilizing two adjacent land parcels on Memorial Road.

Justin Massey, an engineer for Terraform Engineering of Bethlehem, told planners Desai would require eight separate zoning variances, including one for greater expansion than current Upper Macungie Township zoning laws allow.

Another variance deals with building a motel on one acre of land when current zoning requires five acres.

Desai plans to build a 50-unit motel, which is the minimum unit requirement for a franchise motel. That would require a three-story structure and 53 parking spaces for the 50 units. All access to the site is slated via Ruppsville Road.

Desai said he did not have a franchise agreement currently in place. His next step is to present a land development/site development plan to the township.

-- Planners gave preliminary/final approval to a plan submitted by representatives of Monogram Funeral Home. The proposal includes construction of a two-story, 11,413 square foot building for a funeral home and a one-story reception building of 4,034 square feet on a four-acre tract at Cetronia and Krocks roads.

The site will have 90 parking spaces, which meets current zoning ordinances, but some planning board members expressed concerns about the lack of overflow parking areas.