ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Allentown Planning Commission approved a proposed tractor-trailer parking lot Tuesday afternoon at city hall.
The proposal, offered by Exchange 32, LLC and developer Abraham Atiyeh, would utilize the west side of a parcel located at 2268 S. 12th St. for truck and trailer parking and retain the property's east side where a vacant, four-story office building stands. In essence, the project will create 25 parking spaces for truck haulers and trailers.
In addition, the plan calls for the use of the driveway at West Sesqui Street as another access location and construction of new street corner curbing at the corner of South 12th Street and West Sesqui Street with accessible ADA ramp.
In a project review the city's bureau of planning and zoning said the Allentown Vision 2030 report envisioned this area of South Allentown "to retain and enrich its industrial legacy through the purposeful redevelopment of vacant and under-utilized lands. However, the city's comprehensive plan "also recognizes the presence of stable residential neighborhoods in this vicinity juxtaposed with active commercial-industrial uses."
The department added "the site plan seems well considered in terms of screening the parking lot from the street and neighboring properties. Additional interior trees are required to comply with zoning standards for parking lots."
Truck traffic on South 12th Street and ingress and egress to the site is a continued neighborhood concern. Another issue is that although trucking parking is permitted by-right in the zoning district, concerns must be addressed and monitored by the property owner. They include an unlicensed business operation, the improper disposal of trash and debris, and in general poor property maintenance and a disorganized parking operation.
Some planning commission members questioned the maneuvering needed for trailers to get into the parking lot. However, the planning commission was satisfied that most previously raised issues had been addressed by the applicant. Tuesday afternoon's approval contained various conditions.
"I, quite frankly, don't want to see this again," Chairman Christian Brown said of the proposal.
Affordable Housing Project
Planners approved design changes to a proposed affordable housing development at 38-40 S. Eighth St.
The new plan, offered by Walnut Square Apartments, LP, calls for a scaled-down version of a previously approved project for a multi-unit apartment building. The original plan, approved June 13, 2023, was for a four-story building with 52 affordable units. The new version proposes a three-story, 44,332-square-foot building with 38 affordable units. The reduction was necessitated to match the obtained grant funding.
The project includes building demolition of a parish house and removal of existing asphalt paving, clearing and grading. A church building located at 36 S. Eighth St. will not be touched.
There are two entrances proposed with the main lobby entrance on South Eighth Street and a secondary entrance on Walnut Street. Loading and unloading of items will take place on South Eighth Street and there wlll be a common laundry facility on the first floor. The proposal calls also for off-site, leased parking in a garage structure across South Eighth St.
"There's certainly a desire to see this in the city," Christian Brown said. "...I think it is a fine project."
Center Square Redesign
The commission approved improvements offered for the Center Square located at Seventh and Hamilton streets.
The plan, offered by the City of Allentown, calls for the reconfiguration of the Seventh and Hamilton street intersection. As part of the project, land configurations on Seventh Street will be revised between Walnut and Turner streets with the most notable change being a reduction to two lanes and the addition of a bicycle lane between Linden Street and the monument.
A further plan examination reveals that on North Seventh Street at the monument the city is proposing to eliminate the dedicated left turn from North Seventh Street to Hamilton Street and allow this left turn option to branch off the traffic flow of Seventh Street.
On Hamilton Street at the monument the plan calls for the elimination of the south lane, eastbound option from the 700 block of Hamilton past the monument onto the 600 block of Hamilton.
The proposal also offers expanded sidewalks at the Square's northwest and southwest quadrants toward the monument where the traffic lanes were eliminated. A bicycle lane will be dedicated on the east side of Seventh Street between Linden and Walnut streets, and pedestrian safety improvements will be made to complement the traffic changes at the monument. Other project improvements involve landscaping and new street lighting.
