All right, welcome everybody.

We're going to call this meeting of the City of Allen Town Planning Commission to order.

Happy New Year to everybody.

Welcome back.

We're going to start with the approval of the minutes of the December 9th meeting.

Anybody have any comments or corrections about the minutes?

All right.

Hearing none, those will stand approved as written.

Next item up is the election of officers.

Anybody care to entertain some nominations.

If it's legal, I vote to second that.

By that I mean to do it as a slate as opposed to individual offices.

I think it's been done in the past, but I don't see that any solicitor and that means I don't see a solicitor object either.

So I think that's a great motion, and I'm happy to support it.

Okay.

Any further discussion on the motion?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

There we go.

Thank you.

Next item is the annual report for 2025.

So thank you.

The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code requires the planning commission to keep a full record of its activities and issue a written report to the governing body in our case, City Council, by March 1st of the activities occurring for the year prior.

This report is split into two sections: an introduction and the 2025 activity summary.

Introduction explains the purpose of the report, why it is required, highlights some of the many things that this board took part in, such as meetings on Zone Allentown, updating, which updated the new zoning and Saldo, Act 537 Sewage Facilities Act updates and revisions.

This board did to their own bylaws, as well as attendance of commissioners.

Also noting we currently have two vacancies on the board.

The activity summary sections include monthly activities, a list of agenda items and actions taken per month, 52 actions in total for the year.

Residential units, a table of proposed new residential units, which is at 1,338.

Non-residential square footage, a table of proposed new non-residential square footage of 889,536 square feet, and including a new road linear feet of 1,776 linear feet of new road for Riverside Drive.

We also included an extension of time for previously approved projects that we are tracking to make the board aware.

And finally, pending applications, lane development that we will be back for the review at a future meeting.

This concludes my brief report of the annual report.

Thank you, Brian.

And I think it's taken some of the comments that we gave last year and expanded on it.

I really like the detail.

Anyone else?

Great.

If I could just add that uh as we're preparing for this meeting, we pulled the 2024 based on that here.

Annual report to compare some of the numbers.

And I always appreciate the look back period because you don't see the changes or you don't feel the changes on a day-to-day basis.

You're just responding to the applications in front of you.

But when comparing uh development activity between 2024 and 2025, in 2024, there was 40 actions.

This year there was 52.

Significant increase.

Um of those 40 actions in 2024.

Uh 13 of them were major land developments, and this year of the 52, 20 were major land developments.

Um last year the residential unit count was 845.

Um this year so far, and this is measured to the date of the meeting, not through the entire calendar year, because that number will actually be different.

Um, but 1338 units.

So more residential development being proposed in 2025 compared to 2024.

And uh same is true for non-residential, uh, more than double non-residential um development in 2025 compared to 2024.

So significant year of um development activity in almost every measure.

Yeah agreed um since you brought that up I think maybe one thing that could be interesting is if we could carry columns in here you know maybe two two to three years you know as we continue to evolve that would be interesting to see trends if not if no trouble.

Sure we uh put together that information before this meeting um we have a uh informal workshop what we can do is have that available for you in some sort of visual form added to the report and then this will get forwarded then to city council with that information.

Great excellent all right well thanks again that's terrific stuff I don't think we need any action right uh okay all right let's get into uh regular business here we've got item number four is a waiver request for 406 North Fair Street Melissa is going to give us the introduction take it away Melissa this project is a minor subdivision in which applicant requests to subdivide the existing parcel into three parcels one fronting on North 6th Street would contain the existing single family row house and two parcel parcels fronting on North Fair Street a 10 foot wide alley would each contain one half of the existing side by side duplex or twin houses.

This property is within the old Beargrounds Historic District.

The applicant requests a waiver from section 350 26 C4 of the Saldo which requires that all new lots shall have frontage on a public street which connects to other existing public streets.

The public a public street is defined in the saldo as being greater than 24 feet wide applicants stated that the three proposed lots can already contain existing homes and that this is the established layout of the block.

The criteria for granting waivers is found in section 350-8 at the saldo variances require that unique physical conditions of the property exist and are creating an undue hardship the saldo also states that the planning commission may vary these regulations provided that such variation will not have an effect of nullifying the intent and purpose of these regulations.

So North Fair Street is a 10 foot wide public alley and on this block there is one other property fronting on North Fair Street.

Based on historical maps it appears these three dwellings had each been on their own lot.

The 1911 sandboard map shows three separate lot lines for each dwelling the city ballottown block plan shows 403 North 6th Street and 404 North Fair Street being on one lot and 406 North Fair Street being on a separate lot.

This would suggest at some point in time two lot consolidations took place to create the lot that exists today.

There is some inconsistent inconsistency of the lot line shown on the sandbourne map and the block plan staff suggests the commission ensure the proposed lot line between the twin houses is at the party wall on the pending zoning ordinance effective January 1st would not would not allow for the creation of new lane house rope lane row house lots that front on a C street with no other street access or at a corner of a C street with a C street only street is proposed to be designated as a C street.

Since the houses situated on this lot already exist along an alley and the proposed subdivision appears to reinstate the three previously existing lots planning staff is not opposed to the waiver however in order to maintain consistency and effectiveness of the saldo the commission should only grant the waiver if they determine that a hardship exists as required by 358-8 and with the conditions that the property line be through the duplex building at the party wall all city comments are addressed and any required variances are granted by the zoning hearing board thank you.

Thank you Melissa is a representative of this application present okay great good afternoon hi there my name is Jason Bupta with all consulting um and uh we submitted the um plan in front of you um for the Allentown Housing Authority and are requesting this waiver uh to allow the subdivision of the three lots okay um and the purpose of the subdivision is to sell them off or is not that it necessarily matters just kind of curious that's no problem uh actually have uh John Carson here with me I have John Carson over the Laura's group my firm represents the Allentown Housing Authority thanks for taking the time to listen to this uh waiver request today uh the housing authority has had these three three properties on one single parcel they've put this into a uh home ownership program and they're trying to renovate the properties and then ultimately sell them off uh to create home ownership obviously we can't do that if we are on a single parcel great sounds like a good project um I know that there's some comments in the engineering letter or something about the sanitary is there currently a separate and independent building sewer will be provided is there are they currently serviced by individual sanitarians currently I believe they all uh discharge out to uh sixth street uh with one lateral

Obviously, we can't do that if we are on a single parcel.

Great.

Sounds like a good project.

Um I know that there's some comments in the engineering letter or something about the sanitary.

Is there currently a separate and independent building sewer will be provided?

Is there are they currently serviced by individual sanitary lines?

Currently, I believe they all uh discharge out to uh sixth street uh with one lateral for all three units.

Um I can't quite tell if this is a it says lot one and two will need a separate connection to the Gordon Street Sanitary, whether that's a condition.

Are you aware of that condition that was in the yes?

We're aware of that, and we'll we'll be uh addressing that.

Okay, all right.

Um, and then I guess there was written the comment in a staff letter was about the party wall.

Um I actually drove by there today and I noticed that they were removing some siding and stuff off of the building today.

Um but so it it looks as though that these were and according to the maps always constructed as individual homes.

Do you know that there's a party wall down the middle where the property line is?

I believe there is.

Yeah.

Okay.

So we had one of these similar, you know, last actually had a couple of them last um last month that were a little bit more um messy, but this one I think you know is pretty pretty straightforward.

Anyone have any questions for the applicant on this?

No, I I don't.

I think this one's pretty straightforward.

Um, I pretty clear case of the hardship of this being an existing historic structure previously subdivided.

Um I'm in favor of this request.

I think it's pretty straightforward.

I guess my only question is when they're resold, um, they're gonna be sold to Allentown residents, not be these big corporations, which is part of our sort of national conversation right now, I guess.

It's through a HUD program, and there's income requirements that we'll just curious.

Yeah, for that.

Uh I have no objection.

Leslie?

Okay.

Is there anybody else in the audience interested in this application?

All right.

Well, uh, yeah, it's certainly a good cause, good project, and a clear case for a waiver.

So uh entertain a motion, uh, I guess subject to the staff uh reports and comment letters uh to grant the waiver as requested.

And zoning hearing board approval.

Oh, this needs zoning hearing board approval.

Okay.

Uh I'll make the motion to uh grant the waiver continuing upon uh compliance with the see staff view uh comment letters and any additional approvals needed for the project.

I'll second it.

All right, okay, Leslie, thank you.

Any further discussion?

All those in favor say aye.

Any opposed?

All right, eyes have it.

There you go.

Thank you.

Okay.

Uh so I guess we'll take these one at a time.

We got two extension requests coming up.

Same applicant.

Uh first one is 1024 North Brad or North Bradford Street, Flex Warehouse, and Melissa can give us an intro on that one.

This is a request for a time extension of 12 months to December 14, 2026.

By which time the applicant must finalize and record plans and related documents associated with the proposed flexible industrial building, access drives, parking, truck parking, landscaping, and lighting.

Um the project was granted conditional approval on December 14th, 2022.

An extension was granted on December 14, 2024, which expired on December 14, 2025.

This request for extension was submitted on December 3rd, 2025, prior to the expiration date.

The applicant states that although the developer has been actually actively working on the project, there was not enough time for the completion of the land development agreement, posting of security and recording of the plan by December 14, 2025, and that the developer is working with the city to finalize the land development agreement, the stormwater easement agreement, partial release, and termination of easement rights relating to stormwater and BMP agreement.

Uh they have been finalized and are awaiting execution.

So as of December 2025, the project has obtained or completed the following um sewer planning, transportation and pack study, zoning relief, and PDS permit.

Um and then the updated saldo went into effect on January January 1st, 2026, and this extension request would be within the five-year timeline now provided for completion of land development.

In this regard, staff does not object to this to the extension.

All right, thank you, Melissa.

Is there somebody here to represent?

Hi, good afternoon.

I'm uh attorney Carly Seabia.

I'm here on behalf of the Tiger Den Partners Entities.

Thank you for your consideration of our request.

The delay has been the result of various, you know, there have been various reasons, but the current status is we are working, our office specifically is working diligently with the planning office to finalize revisions to the land development agreement.

And then there's also the three agreements that were referenced in the introduction, which have been, my understanding is they've been finalized and they're just waiting execution.

Okay.

Pretty straightforward here, guys.

Real quick, Miss CBA, I don't know if you're if you know, but was there on the first one the Bradford Street?

Was there still some land swap down at the interchange with Bradford and Dolphin that's being worked out?

Was there some I don't know if engineering or planning knows?

Wasn't there some sort of you know, and having to do with the DNL trail and that intersection improvements and stuff down there was kind of a I'm just curious.

Yeah, I don't know the current status of that, but there's the corners of the property, small triangular piece properties that are owned in the name, and so there was some exchange there.

I don't have the current status.

I don't it's not important.

I'm just curious.

Um, to me, I think the you know, I think the the takeaway here is they're diligently making progress, and it's within our our new five-year time frame, so I don't think we need to beat it up much more than that unless you guys have any questions or concerns.

I suspect the same will be for the next one, so we can take them one at a time.

But um anyway.

Is there anyone in the uh audience interested in this extension request?

Okay.

All right, so one year will do it for you and your and your client.

Yes, we don't expect it to take a year, but appreciate just having the extra time if needed.

Right, okay.

All right.

Somebody want to make a motion.

I'll make the motion to uh grant the one-year extension for this project.

All second.

All right.

Motion made and seconded.

Any further discussion?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

All right, I have it.

Uh so you want to run through the next one quickly.

You can CB, you can stay there.

Yep.

Um, so this is uh request for a time extension of 12 months to December 14th, 2026, by which time the applicant must finalize and record plans and related documents associated with proposed self-storage buildings, access drive, parking, landscaping, and lighting.

The project was granted conditional approval on December 14th, 2022, and the extension was granted December 14, 2024, which expired on December 14, 2025.

The extension, the I'm sorry, the this request for extension was submitted on December 3rd, 2025, prior to the expiration date.

The applicant states that although the developer has been actively working on the project, there was not enough time for the completion of the land development agreement, posting of security and recording of the plan by December 14th, 2025, and that the developer is working with this city to finalize the land development agreement, a sanitary sewer easement agreement, BMP agreement, and licensing agreement for stormwater.

They have been finalized and are waiting execution when the land development agreement is finalized.

As of December 2025, the project has obtained or completed sewer planning module, transportation impact study, zoning relief, MPDS permit, and the updated saldo went into effect on January 1st, 2026.

This extension request would be within the five-year timeline now provided for completion of land development.

In that regard, staff does not object to the extension.

Thank you, Melissa.

Imagine there's nothing else to add.

Yes, nothing else to add.

Thank you.

Um anyone in the audience interested in this one.

Didn't think so.

Okay.

Um have anything other than a motion?

I think we can go ahead and uh make a motion to grant a one-year extension.

Second.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

All right, there you have it.

Hey, thank you very much.

Have a good day.

You too.

Thanks.

Okay.

Next item is a reinstatement and extension request for the Popeyes restaurant with drive-through at 701 North 19th Street.

Jennifer is going to give us the intro here, please.

Uh the following application is a reinstatement of the conditional approvals and an extension of its completion timeline.

This project was approved on June 13th or conditionally approved on June 13th, 2023, with a two-year extent excuse me, expiration, which would end on June 30th, 2025, the date of which has passed.

The applicant is now requesting the reinstatement of the expired approval and an extension of the timeline by 12 months.

Nothing in the MPC or the Saldo entitles a reinstatement of an expired development plan or development being good for two or two years.

That being said, the municipal planning code section 508 protects developers from changes in SODOs and in SOLDOS and zoning for up to five years when an application for approval of a plat has been approved without conditions or approved with conditions.

Given those five-year protections within the SALD, excuse me, the within the MPC, in effective January 1st, 2026, the city changed the code in the Saldo to extend all approvals of planning commission approvals for five years.

This was submitted under the old code, but we have set that policy for them with the new code.

If this was denied based on the protections with excuse me, if the reinstatement request was denied based on the protections within the municipal planning code, if the application were rein identically reapplied, it would be reviewed under the pre-2026 saldo, which has already approved the project once.

Since we've moved our uh extension, or excuse me, our um our terms of the approvals to five years consistent with the MPC staff does not oppose the request but defers to the commission on the length of time.

And final decision concludes my comments.

All right.

Thank you, Jennifer.

Someone present for that.

Okay.

Can you please come forward?

All right.

Good afternoon.

My name's Adam Anderson.

I'm with Site Design Concepts.

I'm the civil engineer on the project.

I was here a couple years ago through this uh this application.

So I guess the reason for the lapse.

Um staff didn't what they were supposed to do.

They reached out to legal counsel for the applicant to to make them aware of the uh to notify them of the expiration date.

Legal counsel is no longer uh engaged by the applicant.

So when they reached out to me personally, uh in I think it was either end of October or November, uh, we prepared the application and refiled.

Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the December meeting, which is why we're here in January.

Gotcha.

Okay.

So you're throwing yourself at our mercy.

Yes.

Yep.

Full note.

Okay.

Um I just question, you know, in our report, we have you know an indication that certain items have been obtained or in the process of being obtained.

Um, what don't you have as of today?

Yeah, pend out.

So we so this this site has two pendulot roadways along the edge of it.

Um we have three applications.

We have a driveway permit, which is really it when I look at it shifting the driveway, but there's a no parking ordinance situation that we're working through.

Um there is a sidewalk, a miscellaneous sidewalk permit along Tillman, and then we have a utility uh application.

Um so we've we've acquired the agent authorization from uh the authority, but they need a deposit of a lot of moving parts.

Right.

Okay.

And as you've been working through that pend up process, has anything changed relative to the way in which the plan was conditionally approved in terms of traffic movements?

No, not as far as traffic movements, uh, nothing really substantially, uh, which is actually it's it's frustrating.

I mean, going through seven cycles and nothing substantially changes.

Um but yeah, I guess probably the biggest hurdle was the the no parking.

So the ordinance was adopted, we provide that to PEN DOT.

They are requesting a letter from the city that they agree to enforce it and maintain no parking, which I assume that's what the ordinance would do.

Right.

And I believe there was the pedestrian improvements are still part of the project.

Correct.

Yeah.

Okay.

And um how much time do you think you need to get to the point of yeah?

So with with Pendot and being on cycle seven with this, you know, I would think by June we would have this.

However, uh, you know, if if Planning Commission would be open to it, maybe the end of the year.

Um, hoping that it doesn't get to that point, but I'd rather do that than reapply or come back.

Right.

Okay.

Anyone have any questions for the applicant?

So we're really just we're this was this was 2023.

Yeah, so we're really only in the the first two-year period.

Um, you know, so there has Ms.

Gobez, you know, discussed.

She did look into whether or not this would be subject to the new ordinance, and you know, even though it's quote unquote expired, it is protected for five years, you know, so it's not like anything would change, and it would just be a lot of administrative work.

Um both sides.

So with that um, you know, sort of conclusion.

I don't think there's any reason not to proceed with the extension.

But um, is there anyone in the audience uh in attendance today for this application?

Okay.

I believe uh the neighbors were notified for what it's worth.

So anyway, um have any comments?

No, no comments, so I'd be happy to move that um the approval be reinstated and extended to give time to complete the project.

I second that.

As a point of clarification, um, this is a request for an extension for 12 months.

Um, I think we need to specify when we're measuring that 12 months from the original June approval or today's date.

Um you had uh just stated that you thought the approval might take through the end of the year.

I I think by the summer, so of uh like June, I think we will have it.

However, due to all the cycles going through PEN DOT, uh I would feel comfortable pushing it to the end of 2026.

So if we measure it from today, it's 12 months.

Yeah, roughly clarify that it's extensions from today.

Okay, so the new extension then would be January 13th, 2027.

I think that makes sense.

We can't back date or reinstatement.

So uh I think that's a good good call.

Anything else we need to clarify?

Was there any other discussion?

We do have a motion in a second, but was there any other discussion?

Okay, all right.

Hearing none then, uh take a vote.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye, any opposed?

Okay, thank you very much.

Thank you.

Okay.

Now we have first of two land development.

Uh we got senior life at 1415 Lee High Street, and Melissa will give us an intro there.

Okay.

This project is a major land development in which applicant proposes to demo the existing bank building, consolidate lots, and construct a one-story 15,000 100 square foot adult daycare facility.

Canopy and associated parking.

Two of seven existing crossovers are proposed to remain for access to the property, one along Lehigh Street and one along South 12th Street.

The parking area will consist of 46 parking spaces and nine spaces for the facilities, transportation bans, other site improvements such as landscaping, utilities, and stormwater management facilities are proposed.

The facility would be operated by senior life.

The proposed floor plans show multiple day rooms, offices, amenities, such as kitchen for preparation of meals, social services, and medical facilities.

The property is located in the B4 shop shopping center business district.

This property is not within an overlay zone.

The project was submitted prior to the effective date of the current zoning ordinance, therefore the previous zoning ordinance and map apply.

The zoning classification allows for the proposed development of adult of an adult daycare facility.

A variance was granted by the zoning hearing board on November 25th, 2025 for a de minimis steep slope disturbance.

The rendering and elevations show the proposed materials and design of the building, the pitched roof and stone accents are consistent with the houses located across the high street.

The proposed siding, less so.

So staff would suggest at a minimum of the front facade facing Lehigh Street include primary facade materials such as stone, brick, or stucco.

The transparency along this facade is inviting and consistent with nearby properties.

Staff would suggest adding an entrance along Lehigh Street, perhaps moving the proposed entrance to the west of the main entrance to the Lehigh Street facade.

Additionally, the environmental advisory advisory committee suggests bird-friendly class be used for the windows.

This project site is within South Allentown and Allentown Vision 2030 recognizes South Allentown as a quilt of urban neighborhoods separated by industrial, commercial, and ecological corridors.

This is evident in this project with the residential neighborhood across the street and mix of commercial industrial uses existing and proposed within the immediate area.

South Allentown is also an area where residents connect to resources.

The proposed adult daycare facility would help connect residents ages 55 and up to social services, medical facilities, and have a place to socialize.

Facility would also take some caregiving responsibilities from caregivers.

Up to 70 people are proposed to be cared for at this facility by approximately 30 employees.

Additionally, this section of Lehigh Street is well connected to transit amenities and is designated as a high capacity transit corridor.

Staff suggest a bike rack be added to encourage multimodal transportation.

Vision 2030 also envisions a future for the city that is sustainable, vibrant, and resilient.

Some ways this project can help to achieve these goals is by expanding green infrastructure by adding more plantings, including landscape grass, evergreen shrubs and trees, using native species, retaining as many existing mature trees as possible, and removing any excess impervious surface, including excess parking, and by including energy saving strategies within the project, such as utilizing sustainable building materials and taking measures to maximize energy efficiency.

Stab is inclined to support the proposed development.

Staff would request the comments regarding the facade materials, placement of an entrance along Lehigh Street, bird-friendly glass, installation of a bike rack, expanded green infrastructure and energy savings strategies be considered.

In addition, any recommendation of approval would be conditioned on the applicant appropriately addressing comments in the city comment letter and adhering to the zoning hearing board order.

Thank you.

Thank you, Melissa.

Somebody representing the project?

Good afternoon.

I think that was a great introduction to the project.

Took away a lot of my notes there.

So I appreciate you covering that.

I'm here representing the applicant Allentown property associates.

I also have with me representatives from the owner, the applicant, the project architect, as well as the executive director of the senior life facility in Bethlehem.

As mentioned, the project's located at 1415 and 1425 Lehigh Street, access off of both streets.

We are proposing to consolidate both of those lots.

Approximately 1.7 acres between the two lots.

I believe there's four along Lehigh Street today and two or three along South 12th Street.

Our intent is to close the majority of those have one primary access point along Lehigh Street, and then maintaining one along South 12th Street.

Mostly again, impervious services.

This development is actually a net reduction and impervious between the two lots.

Proposals for 15,000 100 square foot building.

It is an adult daycare permitted use, as mentioned.

We were here for in front of zoning for uh disturbances to man-made steep slopes, um, which we did uh obtain that variance.

Um overall, the uh 46 parking spaces, the nine um spaces reserved for transportation bans is primarily due to the fact that the majority of the uh seniors that are using the facility are being transported in.

Um so we don't anticipate uh much traffic impact at all.

Um, and those vans would then remain at the facility.

There is a uh canopy uh overhang area from connecting the building to the ADA parking spaces that would be used for your primary drop-off, provides for uh uh a covered uh access between the ADA parking spaces and the building.

Um we are in receipt of the engineers review letter, um, and as well as the staff letter as far as the engineers letter goes, we'll work directly with with the engineer there to make sure we're taking care of any of the technical comments that are in the letter.

Um otherwise we'll we'll comply with that with that letter, uh make sure everything's taken care of as far as staff, the staff letter goes.

Um, I'm sure there's gonna be some questions architecturally.

I do have the project architect here, so we can um go through that at that time.

Um I wanted to see if the planning commission had any questions on uh the project overall site layout, anything I can answer.

Anyone want to go first?

Go ahead, Lizzie.

Um can you speak a little bit more about like daily operations and how that works?

I think you mentioned 70 um possible people possible people who would be there and 30 employees, is that all at once?

Or uh and then also a little bit more about like operational hours and things like that.

Sure.

I'm gonna have uh Robert so come up, he's executive director for uh Best Line facility that's being utilized today.

So you can go over that.

Good afternoon, Commission.

Thank you for having us.

So I'm the executive director of Senior Lifely High Valley.

Uh we currently have the property over on Highpart Boulevard over in Hanover Township, and this is exactly the services we provide.

These are nationally call PACE programs, programs for all-inclusive care of the elderly.

They're funded by CMS Medicare and by the State uh Department of Health and Human Services.

They are good geared towards elderly low-come seniors that have uh multiple morbidities and uh the need for services.

Our facility would operate Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.

to 4 30 p.m.

During that time, our transportation seeks seniors in the community, transports them to our center to spend the day with us for either activities in our activity day room that you noticed on the plans, or our medical services.

We operate a primary care medical facility for our participants in the facility.

We also have rehabilitation facilities, social services.

Um we do rehabilitation in the facility for our participants and the medical services.

Uh the kitchen prepares a hot cook meal for our participants during lunch, and we also package those meals to go out to them for uh home delivery.

Um we've been widely successful in Bethlehem.

Our census has grown tremendously.

The 70 is you know a starting point for us.

Uh the building does have the capacity to grow more.

Um your questions about timing of such.

Some staff obviously arrive early to prepare for the day, and some remain a little bit later.

But pretty much those are the set hours of the building.

Uh, as also mentioned in the comments, uh, we hope to provide relief to the community in terms of caregivers.

Again, uh, the need for people that are trying to care for elderly in their home, uh, this would give that opportunity.

Um I could answer.

I think that was pretty pretty thorough.

Is this um curious?

Is it a a nonprofit organization or is it a for-profit?

Uh, this is a for-profit um paid for by government dollars for our purposes.

Uh I might also mention this was an attractive site for us, as you mentioned on some of your guidelines.

Uh, residential is an area we like to be.

If any of you know Hanover Township, we're really not drawing the population from Hanover Township to our center.

Um in this community, we really would draw the people from the community.

The the Bethlehem facilities become more of a Northampton-based facility with us drawing down from the uh the banger wing gap area, obviously, the East and New Jersey area, to about roughly just to the the edge of Allentown.

We're really not drawing enough of the Allentown population.

And and so this was really desirable with uh the housing structure in the region and area.

We've looked at some other sites in this part of Allentown, and and this one would do very nice for us.

Um, if I may.

Go ahead, please.

Tell me if I heard you right.

You're starting with 70.

You expect to be about 70 clients, and what's your maximum growth to?

What's the maximum number of folks you can serve?

Probably with the facilities and with the ability, probably 125 to maybe 150, could double over time.

In terms of when you get to your max, um in terms of transporting them there and taking them home.

Is you have the capacity to do that on this site?

Excellent question.

So, as we mentioned, first of all, staff would not grow exponentially, okay?

It wouldn't be, well, wow, if you have 30, you're going to be 60.

As many staff obviously will be underutilized at 70 participants and be more right-sized at a higher level.

As far as the transportation, I thought I heard the mention of was it six to nine buses.

Many of these buses also will be underutilized initially, and then obviously be able to grow in terms of that capacity.

So uh looking at the future, I believe there's more than enough that'll be able to accommodate our transportation uh vehicles as well as staffing.

Again, the participants do not uh you know drive themselves.

Uh you mentioned that you provide lunch.

But I I also thought I heard you indicate that part of these lunches would be available for delivery to folks.

Yes.

Uh what happens with those is uh what we we don't mash prepare the meals uh for those participants that uh maybe home and need extended meals, they go home with them, or our buses also transport the meals to delivery to their home.

So the meals are for folks that are for direct clients of the facility as opposed to uh doing like a meals on week kind of thing.

Yes, thank you for clarifying.

Yes, it is the services are our geared towards participants.

We would not be doing you know, deliveries uh uh otherwise in the community.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Good.

Any other operational questions?

Okay.

Sir, thank you so much.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Um do anybody have any site related stuff?

Um Don Don, I'm really curious uh as to what the what's going on with the right-of-way along the I Street and um what appears to be additional dedication.

So there's no additional dedication there.

We we show that right away.

Uh, old previous mapping has that there as a potential right-away.

We wanted to make sure we were considering that with our layout.

However, the engineer review letter is suggesting that that be removed as there's no uh potential for that to be accepted in the future.

So it's there, setbacks and everything were designed according to it.

However, um, you know, if the engineer and staff want it to be removed, we could show it uh as removed that is as it was just a placeholder for a potential future right away.

Okay.

Um so that makes me curious.

If you you know, it's a it's a fairly you know, generous amount of area that you gave up in your design, um, would that gone, would you know, or if you had not had to wrestle with that to begin with, would you have would you have brought everything a little bit closer to Lee Street?

Would it made it any more comfortable for you uh design-wise?

Uh it doesn't, it doesn't change much.

Uh uh, I think the the green space there between the building and the windows um to Lehigh Street is is is appealing as well as those those rooms uh will be used, you know, their day day rooms there for the the seniors that are there.

So uh having the windows not necessarily right up against the road, but set back, having some green space there is okay.

Yeah, I'm just looking at how you know, sort of pinched and tight that the back corners of the parking are to the property line and you know, and some of the slopes and we're trying to squeeze in street trees and landscaping and just uh curious more than anything, you know, with the flexibility whether you would have done anything differently.

Um the the uh question for zoning, um Mike, I don't know with with the I with with the parking of commercial vehicles, um I assume those would be there overnight and and be there ready to go in the morning and and stuff.

So is there do we have a is there a buffer requirement for the storage of commercial vehicles on a site that would come into play here?

In this case, the review would have been sent out to Keystone Consulting Engineers for this particular project, they carried the heavy lift of the of the zoning review with comment or with comments reviewed by me since this plan did come in during a time of short staffing.

There were no deficiencies that would have been noted with respect to respect to the buffering.

So the termination was that uh the buffer that would have been shown would have been compliant with zoning ordinance requirements.

That said if the commission has reason to believe that there is there's increased separation or there's increased visual buffer needed, it could always it could always move in that direction, zoning just would would be a little bit more hide bound by the language of the ordinance.

Right.

The only reason I ask is because it may not have been evident um that that was I mean I caught it when I looked at it again this morning that those were deeper, more unusual, you know, space parking spaces there.

Um now it makes sense that those would be your 20, 24 per passenger buses, you know, with logos and decals and you know, things that would be there around, you know, um around the clock essentially, you know, when they're not in operation.

So I don't know, I was just curious as to whether that constituted any sort of outdoor storage of vehicles, commercial vehicles or anything of the like.

I think one thing to note there is we have those in the rear of the property, so as you know, across the street from Lee Street residential use is there, creating more green space along the frontage along 12th street, the adjacent properties are you know, they're they're vacant lots there, and there's no residential there, so um keeping those vans along the the back side of the of the property there.

Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, that's a good point.

Um, I'm I'm looking at the uh at the landscape plan and the and the shrubbery that's proposed along the property line, you know, compared to the slope and the you know, the the uphill slope to the vehicles and everything.

That that buffer is really not at the end of the day, not gonna provide a whole lot.

Um so I guess my my thought was maybe that buffer could be traded out perhaps for something a little bit more robust, you know, maybe throw some some larger evergreen trees or something in there instead of just a hedge.

Yeah, I think we could take a look at the the landscaping proposed that's closer to the right-of-way at that point and look to see if we can shift you know some of those uh trees that are already being proposed up towards that parking area.

Yeah, it's just a I mean it it really just a suggestion as a as a potential improvement, not really you know being overly critical, but just uh you know potential improvement there.

Um there are general requirements in the code for for buffering of parking lots, obviously, which will need uh which will need to be followed, but the buffering requirements do become a little bit a little bit more stringent when there are residential uses in the in the vicinity.

So obviously we'll see through the continued resubmittles with a close eye any concerns of uh buffering and glare and such.

These vehicles are the the senior life vehicles are pretty commonplace on the roads around here, and by and large they they seem to be generally well kept.

They present uh they present a professional business appearance.

They're similar, they seem to be just from anecdotal observation, similar in size and scale to to the land van type vehicles that may bring someone to a doctor's appointment.

Right.

So by and large, these aren't the kind of large scale, heavy WB67 behemoths that can that can start causing incompatibilities.

Sure.

I totally agree.

Okay.

Um I think that that was my um and you say you generally you know are comfortable with uh a a will comply response to the staff letters and reports.

Yeah, we're comfortable with that.

We've we've met with with staff and our engineer a few a few times uh on this.

We're you know, we've when working with Lee County authority on water and sewer, we've coordinated with PPL, UGI.

We have an application in with MPDS and have a review already from them.

We're we're comfortable with where we stand with the comments and and we'll we'll work with engineering staff to comply.

Um I see I just want to double check one one last thing.

So I see that in the site plan there was a sign.

Um but I don't see a sign in the renderings, and otherwise I see big signage on the canopy.

Both, or I guess that's gonna be subject to the zoning.

So a separate zoning of there is an intent to have the signage along the canopy as as uh shown there, and then uh a monument sign along the frontage as shown in the on the site plan along with the uh the flagpole.

Um I you know it's it's rare that we get involved at this level in signage, but um is there any indication as to what this is gonna be like a highway type sign, like a really tall um, you know, you're gonna have street trees in here, so a lower sign, a lower monument sign is gonna actually be more effective than if this was some sort of tall sign.

I just want to avoid a it's not a tall billboard sign if that's what you're you're thinking about.

No, it'll it'll fit well with the it's a very it's a typical typical monument sign that's used at at all of the uh facilities and uh very much will fit with the the area and the site.

Okay.

There was a comment about taking that door at the corner of the building and and rotating it to the front.

Was there any internal discussion with your team about that?

Yeah and I can let the project architect speak a little bit more about it but um if you if you want to come up with um that door is an egress store it's not an entrance it's really a uh a secondary egress door there for um any of the seniors that would be in that room at that time right yeah I hi I'm Tony Albrecht I'm the architect for the uh senior life project uh as Don mentioned that is a second means of egress from that day room that is a um that's our kind of uh memory care day room um for those participants that uh require uh higher level of supervision uh so it's a second means of egress and it's situated on that facade so that's closer to um uh transportation um uh opportunities there I imagine if that's your memory unit that's gonna be a secured exit I would imagine right exactly it's on a delayed egress uh magnetic lock right exactly okay um I guess question to staff now that you understand the intent of that door is are we are we are we comfortable sort of waving that suggestion or it's not really an entrance I guess is what it comes down to and nor would that room sounds like would that room be appropriate to have an entrance to it but um just curious yeah I think we would still like to see some type of entrance along the high street um you have anything to add that to that I mean um the entrance onto Lehigh Street just gives the appearance uh more pedestrian um appropriate scale of the building so it is a design suggestion in the future rewrite it is required to have some pedestrian connection to the street it's not required in this instance um clearly the floor plan would require some configuration but it it's um it is recommended right so I I just want to point out that that is the side of our building our our entrance facade is um you know parallel to uh to Lehigh and not facing uh Lehigh so um and as designed right now that facade is is very well balanced uh um we've successfully used this design uh in Altoona and in uh Steelton PA and of course uh at the level the Lehigh Valley facility is larger um but we use the same uh materials uh with uh I just wanted to add to make sure everyone's aware we do have a pedestrian connection from the sidewalk along Lehigh Street and that sidewalk leads right to the main entrance right um and and to know if you look at the rendering the the way the building looks at that corner the way the the door is designed and the way the windows are designed are very very similar um just looking at if you look at the corner to the left you look at the corner to the right flipping a door to that side visually right uh in my opinion I'm not an architect I'm an engineer but in my opinion wouldn't change too much the visual um representation to a pedestrian as to where to go and then in that manner again based on the consideration of the use of that room I think it would be we want everybody to enter that main entrance of the facility.

Yeah yeah I'm kind of I'm I'm kind of torn between I I understand where staff is coming from but I but I do tend to agree with the applicant in this case that um given the configuration um we would have to do a you know almost even draw a little bit more effort into trying to make an uh an entrance feel right I guess um I I think the those projecting gables towards the high street give it that sort of that sort of um feeling like that that that's a a frontage um but I don't I don't know if it's gonna if an actual doorway at this point is gonna make it that much more successful.

Given the use of the facility I think we're talking about aesthetics as opposed to functionability and I'm happy without the door because I think it challenges some of what they need to do within the facility in terms of security um you know I note that while there's residences across the street and all those Cape Cards there.

So it may not be perfect, but I think it meets the needs of um the tenants that are gonna be there.

And I don't think it takes away anything from the any design aspects from from the street.

And I I would agree with Jeff on that one.

Um I I still think the architectural renderings are pretty nice for the design, you know.

My folks would be making sure the the you know customers here are secure, you know, going into the facility.

I don't think you want uh any you know, users to be wandering in and out, you know, if they escape from from an orderly or something.

I think that's the last thing we want, them running under Lehigh Street.

Um so I I do think it's appropriate to kind of just focus on that main exit uh and entrance for that building there.

Yeah, I I agree that the the gable ends do towards towards the front edge of the street to uh achieve that uh that that engagement as versus the door.

I also had a curious question just about your decorative chimneys versus your interior sort of layout.

Is that in in every way decorative or is it functional in any way?

I'm just curious.

Uh it's it's um entirely decorative at this point.

I think maybe early on, um there might have been you know some kind of a gas fireplace or something like that, but then um, and I've been involved in these projects for 15 plus plus years in various capacities, and um, one point there was a mechanical room in there, but it's decorative again to emphasize the residential character, yeah.

It's stone, uh the stone veneer.

I think it's a nice little touch translates nicely, yeah.

Yeah, I'd also just like to say that I do appreciate the efforts that the staff put into the report.

They're kind of evaluating uh the overall um you know look of the building and whatnot.

And we certainly will take uh into consideration uh their comments.

Um can I ask you a quick question on the um the the kitchen service?

Um what kind of vehicle, what you know, what kind of volume kitchen production are you doing, and and what sort of vehicles gonna service the kitchen?

Oh yes, I can definitely uh address that.

So currently for our very large facility, we get one food truck order twice a week, all right.

And it was it's just really the early morning hours.

Uh it's uh not a full-size trailer, about a half-size trailer, and it's really just the raw goods.

We do all the preparation inside the facility.

And then okay, so then a question to Mr.

Peters, how would that truck then service the property?

So our thought on that is uh accessing Lehigh Street.

There's there's plenty of room for a truck to be able to pull over there since this is off hours.

Um there's the sidewalk that leads directly to sidewalk surrounding the entire building that leads directly to any of the entrances.

So from a truck circulation standpoint, we know that we can circulate a truck through this site.

We've taken a look at the largest city of Allentown fire truck and ran it through the site.

Um so we don't feel uh designated loading space is appropriate as it's used during off hours and there's very select limited hours here of for operation that it can pull over, unload and and get out before there's any impact to uh anybody accessing the site.

Okay.

Excuse me, we're not there.

Just comment it the current food truck delivery literally comes to our front door.

We take it in through our front doors because we're done with it before the participants ever arrive.

Okay.

Yeah, up trailer might be 20 feet.

So I would imagine they're pretty maneuverable.

Yeah.

I you know, the the reason I bring it up in the and it's for the planning commission, just because you know, um, out there by the you know, by the city line on Hanover, you know, we approved that you store it or that self-storage project next to a senior community.

And the other morning, early in the hours, you know, there's a full like Cisco food truck backing from Hanover, you know, and had the whole damn thing all tied up.

So I just you know, I look at this and I just want to make sure that we're not, you know.

We're not approving it's something here that's gonna think the facility there is the residential facility.

It is.

Yeah, so the the food service needs would certainly be greater, you know, if these guys are buying bread, bread and bologna.

True, yeah, right.

Okay.

And it's one meal a day versus three, right?

So I good point.

I think the question is apt.

I think the uh the response is relay any any fears that you have.

Good.

Okay.

All right, is there anyone in the audience that has any comments or questions about this project?

Um any other thoughts on the commission?

Um, just a quick one.

Um, are you able to put a bike rack somewhere in the facility for the employees from that's all I have?

So we we did have one waiver request, but you know, respectfully would ask the planning commission to consider the preliminary final conditional approval along with that waiver request.

Yeah, I don't I think that's a given from from our perspective.

The waiver request was for the placement of the street trees along South 12th Street to be pushed behind the right-of-way line due to conflicting underground utilities.

Oh, yeah.

So we're still showing the required there.

We just shifted it outside of the right-of-way onto the property.

You know, the um I don't know if we gave you that comment from the Shade Tree Commission, but um typically that needs to then just be shown on the record plan.

Those trees should show up on the record plan since they're now on private property as fulfilling the requirements of the Shade Tree ordinance and subject to all the you know foregoing rules and regulations.

Um but that's general.

I don't even know if we've entertained that as a waiver in the past, but that's certainly permissible.

Yeah, I thought you were saying a waiver for preliminary final.

I was gonna say we normally do that anyway.

So I didn't give you a chance to finish.

So um vote on the waiver first.

I I don't even know.

I mean, I don't think that I don't even know if that really is a uh a necessary waiver.

I mean the the location is specified in the I think it's specified in the shade tree ordinance.

I don't know if it's specified in Saldo or anywhere else, but is it a waiver we really?

I mean, I'm happy to do it, but I don't know that I don't think the waiver is needed for this.

I don't I don't think so either.

I think I think we're good.

We'll work we'll work with you on that.

Um, but it comes up often, and um the Shadry Commission is just always um, like I said, if they agree with the request or or the logic behind it, which we usually you know do understand, especially when it involves utilities and things, um, then we just want to see the trees on the record plan.

That way, if somebody pulls it down the road, or if there is an issue, you know, um the city can enforce the ordinance on those particular trees.

Understood.

Okay.

All right.

So I guess um motion then needs to be the grant preliminary final approval, and anything about staff comments on this one?

Yeah, I think uh I'll I'll move to make the motion to grant uh preliminary final approval condition on compliance with the staff comments with the uh revision that not including any changes to the facade for for Lehigh Street doorway entrance.

Yeah, I think that's sounds good.

Um, Craig's made the motion.

I'll make the second.

Any further discussion?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye, any opposed.

All right, guys, thank you very much.

Thank you.

All right, moving right along.

Our final item on the agenda is the quarter at 411 West Walnut Street, and Melissa will introduce her final case for the day.

This project is a major land development in which applicant proposes to subdivide the property into two lots and construct a seven-story apartment building with 44 dwelling units and two levels of parking at the corner of walnut and south for streets.

The existing office building is to remain on the second lot.

The property is located in the B-2 Central Business District and TNDO overlay zone.

Please note that this project was submitted prior to the effective date of the current ordinance, therefore the previous zoning ordinance and map apply.

The zoning classification allows a proposed development of an apartment building.

The first two stories of the building are proposed to include a lobby, interior parking garage with 30 spaces, one entrance from South 4th Street, and one from South College Street.

And other um amenities.

The access from South College College Street will cross through the proposed 411 Walnut Street parking lot.

Staff recommends an access ease might be required.

Additional information and plans are needed that were not included in the initial submission, including floor plans, a lighting plan, analysis of any steep slope disturbance, a bike rack, andor storage, an additional landscaping for a multi-family dwelling.

Staff also inquires if the retaining walls are proposed for the lower level areas.

The project site is within Center Allentown.

Allentown Vision 2030 recognizes that center Allentown as the heart of the city where neighborhoods, entrepreneurs, and small businesses, and the community thrive alongside one another.

A safe and vibrant area to live, close to services with multiple streets that give people mobility choices.

The property is less than a block away from a high capacity transit corridor and close to the city's expanding park trail network along Martin Luther King Junior Drive.

The proximity to public transit and interior parking will help to alleviate any increased on-site parking demand on street, sorry, on street parking demand.

Staff suggests adding a bike rack or bike storage to further encourage multimodal transportation.

Allentown Vision 2030 also envisions the city as that is sustainable, vibrant, and resilient.

Some ways a project can help to achieve these goals include supporting tenants with electric and or plug-in hybrid vehicles by adding electric vehicle charging spaces, by adding native plants to any landscaping to the project, and by including energy savings strategies within the project, such as utilizing sustainable building materials and taking measures to maximize energy efficiency.

The project falls within the TNDO, which provides design guidelines for consideration.

Staff finds that the proposed new construction complies with most of these guidelines and offers uh the following comments.

Um the application proposes the construction of a set seven-story building.

The renderings show a modern building that is similar in appearance to other newly constructed buildings within a few blocks of this location.

Some of the building materials used are similar to that of older neighbor neighboring buildings.

The renderings show a flat roof with a cornice, which is appropriate.

The renderings and elevation elevations do not specify building materials used.

The rendering show show materials such as brick and stucco and what appears to be a stone block or either wood or metal paneling on all sides of the building.

The building materials appear appeared to be appropriate, and staff requests the applicant specify the materials being used.

This area consists of a mix of smaller residential and converted commercial buildings and larger residential and non-residential buildings.

The narrower facade along Walnut Street continues a horizontal orientation typical of the block.

The wider South 4th Street facade includes changes in material and recesses, which helps to break up the massing of the building.

While there are buildings of similar height along Hamilton Street, the typical buildings in the media area along Walnut are two and a half to four stories tall.

The lack of windows on the first floor due to due to the interior parking would not be typical, other than that of nearby parking decks.

Staff recommends the first floor parking garage along South 4th Street be given an appearance of an active use area, including changes such as adding window and facade treatments similar to what is shown on the upper parking level.

Otherwise, the renderings show large windows and are proposed on all sides of the building.

And in addition, the environmental advisory committee recommends the use of bird-friendly glass given the proximity to city parts.

So staff is inclined to support the proposed development.

Staff recommends an easement for access from South College Street, floor plans and lighting plans be submitted, analysis of any steep slope disturbance, and the following bike rack and/or bike storage, additional treatment of the first floor parking garage, native landscaping, electric vehicle charging spaces, energy savings strategies, and bird-friendly glass.

Any recommendations for approval should also be conditioned on the applicant appropriately addressing comments in the city comment letter.

Thank you.

Thanks, Melissa.

Hello.

Hi, I'm Chris Geary with the Solar Architects and Engineers.

And this is Monty Calcy.

He's the developer equitable owner for the new parcel, right?

And then uh it's a good introduction.

I think uh the only I just want to add a couple things.

The uh existing parcel has a uh office building on it, and then we're gonna subdivide it.

I looked at the county GIS today, the assessment.

I guess it was already done, but apparently it wasn't recorded.

Is that right?

Yeah, I think the process wasn't completed by the previous one.

Yeah, so that's why we included a lot line or a subdivision plan in our package.

And then we've got you've already subdivided the parcels.

Yeah, I think the subscription was because it is shooter, but it wasn't the complete process wasn't completed.

Yeah.

At some point, I think it wasn't done at the city level.

I think they've been done, they did partial process, the previous.

I think they've they had an arrangement with another buyer who didn't follow through the entire process.

This is pretty much a county process.

Do you remember?

Do you recall the specifics on this?

Um we're basically cleaning up something that just had a missing piece to it.

And uh so this is somewhat of a formality in terms of subdivision.

I we we went back and researched all of it, and it just seemed like some step wasn't taken.

So this will clean up any remaining items associated with the subdivision.

Okay.

Curious about the about the subdivision.

I'm just curious.

So it will there then is there's two separate owners, and when this is all said and done, the the current the current building is gonna remain on a parcel owned by somebody else separate from this development.

Yes, correct.

All right.

Um and then you know, second comment on the on the subdivision.

Um just for what it's worth it.

The Shadry Commission was not um was not aware or didn't pick up on the fact that this is a subdivision, so that parent parcel needs to be reviewed in addition to the subdivided parcel.

That's that's the policy of the Shadry Commission.

So there may be a couple extra comments relative to the to the parent parcel.

Sure.

Okay.

Okay.

All right, carry on.

Okay.

Uh so the undeveloped parcel would be about eighty, eighty hundred square feet.

Uh the and then the 21,000 plus square feet would remain with the existing office building.

Um as far as utilities, we're gonna be accessing the public water and sewer and and walnut street, and uh I think there's electric on both sides of the building in the corner there, and the parking will be underneath first floor be coming off of South 4th Street, and then uh there'd be another access from the parking lot of the office building.

And Monty is working with the pro property owner to get a easement through there.

I think it's Steph already has an agreement with the seller to have an easement access from their parking.

Uh as well as a temporary construction easement with the parcel to the north, because that you know the building's gone all the way up the property line, so there's gonna be disturbance and impacts to the neighboring parcel.

So that'll have to be remediated, and he has an agreement with them on that one.

Uh the so that's the first two floors that'd be all parking, uh as well as trash bike rack will be in there.

Um other types of common space amenities, and then the next five floors would be all the residential units, the 44 residential units with 30 total parking spaces.

So it meets the city's requirements for uh off-street parking.

Um we did get the steep slope comment.

So we did look at that, and we will need a variance on that.

Now they they appear to me, I'm not a geotech, but only an engineer that they're man-made based on the uh how steep the arm coming up from the parcel to the north.

So we will be going back for and getting that if we and if we can get that as far as the uh you know incorporated with the letters with uh we have no problem complying with most of the comments.

We have to reach out to engineering on some of the we had questions, but other than you know, Monty said none of them that are earth earthworking or anything like that, so we can comply by the by the way, congratulations on your appointment to LBPC.

Uh okay.

Oh, yes.

Oh, I forgot about our rendering too as appropriate by that.

So we did update that as far as some of the comments from staff as far as what needed.

We did add the windows um and I I think there was some confusion with the previous rendering that we submitted.

The it was showing the entrance where the canopy is the entrance, actually is gonna be from the uh right close to the uh the entrance over there for the garage.

There's there'll be a uh access for uh pedestrian to to enter the building from the fourth street.

I think there was a comment also about um having to move the the driveway access further north, but uh we looked at that.

That's kind of the from constructability standpoint, it's gonna be very difficult to move that uh garage entrance.

Um we kind of want to keep it at that location.

Um also from the I think the accessibility standpoint, it's uh because this it's very sloped, so yeah, we go harder with the to get provides that access.

But we could we can discuss that with engineering.

Yeah, I mean I think um I think the nature of the comment was just that a concern for your future tenants, you know.

I mean, I actually don't think it causes us any problems.

It's gonna be more of like you know, the how how are your folks gonna feel about it?

Yeah, signaling is yeah, I can see stacking getting in the way there.

But you know, uh I talked to Jeff, he's the architect and he has it up as far as he thinks he can get it.

So yeah, it kind of looks that way to me as well.

Um how exactly is the D envision the parking?

So you've got you got fewer parking spaces and you have units, right?

So how's the how's the parking gonna be regulated?

And is it I assume it's just for tenants or residents only?

Um how is that gonna be regulated?

We we we have um we're proposing 30 parking spots, and then we're also working with the seller to see if there's an opportunity where we can lease from them uh in after hours when there's no office use, uh, some of the additional parking with them.

Um so there's some parallel in which we're exploring with the neighboring property owners as well.

As well as like unloading loading area for that's great too.

Yeah, yeah, that was one of my other comments that we you often ask these multi-family development projects, you know, where the UPS guys are gonna, you know, are you gonna work with the parking authority to get some restricted uh zone out on the street?

So we are actually working with the the seller to have two spots right before the entrance to on the second level parking to to be dedicated for loading unloading and for that kind of like uh uh you know UBS trucks and FedEx trucks for deliveries, uh and that's most likely is getting finalized as part of the landbowl.

I'm curious as to how you know response of the FedEx guys and UPS guys are gonna be to go on all the way back there when they can double park on fourth game.

I I think that's great.

The question is where's the mail room gonna be?

If you're putting the mail room on the first floor, then you're right.

They're just gonna hog that lane.

If the mail room is on really needs to be accessed off of college street.

They're smart enough to figure that out, and that's where they're gonna go.

Yes.

Okay.

So if that's the case, yep.

Yeah, sure.

We we feel that uh the first level community space is more like uh you know fitness area, or maybe some bike cracks and some storage, and it's really the lounge and the mail and mail sorting using the office, it'll probably all be on the second level.

Trash is down there too, right?

Yeah, trash is also on the first floor.

Yeah.

Is there a trash chute to the trash room?

Okay.

And then how's that trash get out of there then?

How's it?

Uh we were proposing actually multiple um, I guess, bins, so we could swap as they get filled, so that the trash hauler can just take the filled one out, and then there's one empty one that can be rolled in.

So it'll pick up on what you said with FedEx, so then the trash guys can end up double parking on fourth street to get the bins.

Yeah.

So some of some of that we we were still working with the architect trying to streamline that part of the process here.

Is it possible to once again you know have trash come in off of college street and collect the trash from the second level?

Um I think we can definitely look at the possibility from the top of my head.

I I haven't um thought about that.

Yeah, that's a question.

There's parking all along South 4th Street now.

Now clearly where the entrance is gonna lose some spaces.

Um you know, sometimes the city is very diligent about double parking, and sometimes not.

Yeah.

I think it would be best to be um in front of the eight ball and plan to not have that aggravation.

Yeah, yeah, I mean, it it it seems to me that uh a loading zone should be on South 4th Street, south of your driveway entrance, which could accommodate the accommodate the trash truck could accommodate um Ubers could accommodate, you know, pick up drop off, what have you?

Um, and it would be probably close to the close enough to the traffic light to where it would really be maybe just one space that's sacrificed or something.

Once you factor in the offsets needed for the driveway entrance to begin with.

I don't know.

Accommodate the accommodate the trash truck could accommodate um Ubers could accommodate you know pick up drop off what have you um and it would be you know probably close to the close enough to the traffic light to where it would really be maybe just one space that's sacrificed or something once you factor in the offsets needed for the driveway entrance to begin with I don't know well the easy part is it's not paid parking so the parking authority you know may feel they have a little bit more latitude okay is there a rendering as to what the second floor looks like from um from the west let me have it on my concern there was elevations I think in our in our packet there was an elevation of the western side but I don't think there was a rendering okay I mean I just yeah that's the only one we brought with us because we updated that pushing as many of these services as possible to that level it's probably a better it's probably better I would certainly like to hear from you know my fellow commissioners on that my only concern with that job is the reliance on the easement and the adjoining property it's one thing for access but you know um that would be uh I I hear yeah and there um I walk by this lot let's say four days a week because I gotta walk my dog yeah she like she likes that you know the grass there and the incline it's um I don't think that the the current um parking lot is uh overly subscribed from what I from what I see on a daily basis that doesn't mean it won't be going forward um uh so I you know I'm I'm not a hundred percent sure yeah I know quite yeah I know the agreement of sales contingent upon him getting the easement so it's going for without it right right and including the loading unloading and access off site uh off our parking that that that existing building is a is a multi-tenant commercial building at this point I've been in it within the last 12 or 24 months and I I see that there's multiple tenants operating whatever businesses or services they might be providing but um fully rented I have no idea um but I I just know that it's sort of chopped up yeah yeah yeah multiple office users mostly yeah and I remember back in the day with family answers occupied I think the first floor and predominantly ran the majority of the building I think at that time um but I think it's since been kind of carved up um okay so I think that's something um that you need to work out in terms of the loading and and confirmation of that but um and as far as the the additional detail to the lower level um you're leaving that open air I I assume because of ventilation and stuff like that but they'll have grid or bar you know some division that resembles window patterns yeah um you know I wanted to mention for what it's worth you know I like the I like the in-ground you know landscaping that you show in the rendering although I didn't see it on the plan but um I think in addition to the street trees you know some sort of planters or or something you know against the building um could be quite nice so you know if that's something I mean I guess you got a little bit of a deeper sidewalk on walnut street so maybe at least there perhaps I don't know if you can do that and the street trees and everything on four street but I think that would be a nice touch and I think the staff did ask for additional landscape plan um so I think I would take that into consideration if you would um is there a is there gonna be a garage door on the yeah there will be storage yeah no an overhead door at the at the driveway entrances what's going to prevent me from going in there and you know oh I'm only gonna be a few minutes I'm gonna park in there to go see my buddy oh so there will be some some kind of like controlled access okay yeah that's good and and you know you picture you picture somebody going in there for the first time and not you know hat not getting access and all now they're backing out into the street and he's in the public garages now so what's another one right I guess yeah oh I forgot my wallet um okay um I don't remember I I see there's a relocated light pole shown on the site plan but I don't remember seeing in the staff reports did we do we have a did we have lighting concerns I think around most of these multifamily

Right, I guess, yeah.

Oh, I forgot my wallet.

Um I don't remember, I I see there's a relocated light pole shown on the site plan, but I don't remember seeing in the staff reports.

Did we do we have a did we have lighting concerns?

I think around most of these multifamily buildings we like to see sort of a heightened level of pedestrian lighting.

Was that I I forget if I saw that or not.

Yes, there was a note requesting a lighting plan for a view.

All right.

So I think you got a great opportunity because of all of the architectural accents and and um and patterns in your building that you could do some lower level sort of pedestrian scale lighting that could maybe accentuate the building vertically as well as cast some functional light on the sidewalk.

But um, I think that's uh an opportunity to really make the project nice.

Um that that 45 degree angle at the corner, I presume is the is that's the site clear site triangle.

And and does that apply here with the whole one-way, you know, central business district.

Member, isn't there certain certain areas where it doesn't apply?

Or in the new code there are some revisions.

There's some very I believe off the top of my head there's some very minor exceptions along portions of Hamilton Street, but this location would be subject to the clear site triangle.

That's by and large why you get these cut corner designs with bellings.

Okay.

I I just wanted to make sure because I knew I knew there was some um there were some areas where it didn't apply, but then I also thought there were certain circumstances with one-way roads and stuff where it maybe didn't always apply as well.

But okay, so it does apply here and it does apply and applicants have successfully prevailed at the zone and hearing board when they have one-way situations showing providing professional engineering testimony and studies, but there's there wouldn't be any kind of easing of the code that the zoning officer would be authorized to provide.

Okay.

So there you have it.

You know, I don't know if you like the 45 or not, but there you go.

Um I you know, I kinda you know, I look at those and I sometimes I so a couple thoughts.

One, you know, you put that under there, you're showing in the rendering, you got some landscaping.

If you don't irrigate it, you know, or put some automatic watering system, it's gonna end up being fake plants or a bunch of river stone or something.

Um so keep that in mind, or make it functional.

Let people actually walk the you know, cut the corner, you know, just have your column out there and maybe make it more pedestrian-oriented.

Um but you also may want to look into this if you're going to the zoning hearing board anyway, maybe you throw it on there and see if you can convince them that you don't need the 45.

Uh I say I do like the 45, especially someone who drives on on walnut every day.

It's nice to have that visual on the fourth street there.

But it's a traffic light, so what are you looking for?

Well, when when we you never know, especially in Kajessa in the morning there.

Okay, okay.

And that's fine.

And and those are you know, those are take it or leave it, you know, comments don't, you know, that's by by no means uh a requirement.

Just uh just thoughts that I see with these 45s though that you know that I do feel like, oh, it's good idea, great in concept, but there's gonna be some commitment to pull that off.

If I can make a comment on the side triangles, um an exception was written in with the new code uh for parcels located in the MXD or the GXD.

Again, this isn't being reviewed under that code.

It's the old code, so that's somewhat irrelevant.

But in the future for the downtown parcels anyway, we might see less of this.

Um we still have provisions within the saldo that also deal with visibility.

Um so we'll just have to see they're measured in different ways.

So we'll see how uh the engineers handle that requirement and if it would require um any modifications to the building, but for the zoning anyway in the downtown areas we'll see less.

Right.

Um a lot of my other questions were answered along the way.

Um couple questions.

You saw 44 units.

What's the breakdown for bedroom studio?

So it's I might have missed it somewhere, but I didn't know.

Yeah, it's it's not yet finalized, but we're we're thinking like um it's gonna be like uh 50-50, mostly uh two-bedroom, one bedroom, and then maybe like 20% off of the studios.

Okay.

Is there gonna be roof access at all?

Just out of case.

Yes, it'll be a roof lounge, yes.

Have you explored any sort of green elements incorporating with that?

Yes.

You know, some green infrastructure working up there, sort of thing.

Yeah, we're gonna have to do the preliminary stages of design.

That's that's that's good to hear.

Uh overall architecture, uh architecture, I think it's a great design.

Um scale, rhythm, proportions all working really well there.

Um and your materialities, so it's a great project, I think.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Um you made me think of something, Eric.

Uh the HVAC systems for the individual units will be all on the rooftop or will there'll be through wall units?

I think we're gonna probably go with the individual units.

Uh individual units will have their own uh like a magic back or split systems.

So they'll be integrated in the in the facade, like uh in terms of events or screens or there might be like some grills uh I I don't think the rendering is showing that in detail, but probably the the architectural rendering that the two-dimensional that uh Jeff did probably shows some of that in in the in the elevations?

In the elevations, yeah.

There's sort of they're probably buried in the in the in the brick here.

In the brick, yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

Is uh is is each unit gonna get a uh patio?

Is that the idea or specific units?

Maximize the the balcony access, and that's probably where we'll have most of these uh attract units too.

Okay.

We've done similar projects in Easton where we kind of keep a mechanical room very close to the balcony area so they can also bend right there.

And uh is it your intent that these are gonna be rentals?

Yes, okay.

Not age restricted, no, nothing.

Uh-huh.

Um I'm curious about the in between the buildings of the existing building and what you're proposing.

Um, is there gonna be like a buffer space in between them?

And if so, is it gonna be like there's overflow parking in that office space?

So are people gonna be able to walk in between buildings to get to the front from that way?

Um, or is it gonna abut right up against the current office building?

Just kind of curious about this piece.

Yeah, the way the subdivision was laid out, there's a a five foot offset between our buildings where we're gonna be able to do that.

So is that gonna be building to our line property line?

Okay.

And his building is five foot away from his property line.

So would that be like a grass or like a pedestrian walkway area or just gonna be grass area, I think.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's that's not his property, that's gonna be the neighbors.

Okay, so the buffer will be on the other because his building's gonna take up his whole parcel.

Okay.

Yeah.

Yeah, you're building on the property line.

Yeah, correct.

So the line.

Right.

Okay, yeah.

I mean, I I don't know whose responsibility it is, but I suppose there's gonna be some sort of drainage issues between the the buildings.

Um, albeit maybe minor, but you're certainly gonna want to make sure that it's dealt with appropriately because it's gonna be your building's gonna be the one catching the downhill side of it.

Because there's there is uh a strong uh manhole, and I think there's a some storm pipes running through our property.

Yeah, that we have to relocate that we have to relocate so I I think it all slopes down towards uh walnut street there, so it there's a trench drain in front of the the garage entrance.

Right, it's gonna discharge the water out towards the roadway.

So there any of the comments that you feel strongly that you won't be able to address or no, there's just one stormwater comment.

I would just need one clarification from the engineering department on.

I think they wanted us to analyze and not increase the rate volume, all that stuff, but you know, the the the parcels under that 10,000 square foot exemption.

So we were under impression that we would wouldn't need to, you know, provide those calculations.

Right.

So I just want clarification from the engineering department.

We've reached out this time and heard back in.

Okay.

Um I don't think is there anyone in the audience that left that's here for this?

I can't see.

Um, I don't did is anything that we talked about today reason to to you know, kind of bump the brakes on this or what's the consensus?

I'm not sure.

Uh I I think there was a few minor comments, but nothing that can't be addressed at the staff level.

So I I don't see any reason to you know withhold giving uh approval for this.

Okay.

You guys agree?

Okay.

So the things that were brought up just to make sure we have all of them is uh additional review um for the expanded property area that will take place for the shade trees um associated with the subdivision since it wasn't reviewed as such at the last shade tree commission meeting.

So the things that were brought up, just to make sure we have all of them is uh additional review for the expanded property area that will take place for the shade trees associated with the subdivision since it wasn't reviewed as such at the last shade tree commission meeting um to work with the parking authority to find an appropriate location for a loading area to add plantings or other landscaping to soften the street edge level of the parking garage, um provide floor plans, lighting plans, and uh lower level pedestrian scale lighting is preferred.

Um one additional item I want to bring up is that there's differences on the ground level of the parking in terms of the appearance of the windows from the elevations to the renderings, and so if we could provide um a little bit more clarity as to what that ground level will look like from the street, uh preferably with any um facade improvements that will make it look more like a residential building and less like a parking garage.

Yeah, I think that was a good summary.

Um and do we need to provide more clarification in our motion, or are you just making that as a as a no, just for the record that those are the things that we will be looking for based on this conversation?

Okay, and I think you know, with reference to the parking authority, you know, as as to the extent that that's applicable.

If you find other scenario that is agreeable to the neighbor and that works functionally and dimensionally and everything else, I guess that's fine too.

But I I get the feeling maybe you need both, quite honestly.

One for the trash and one for your you know, your loading and unloading, perhaps.

But um, you're good with all those?

Yeah, okay.

Well, uh I'd I'd make motion to uh grant uh preliminary final approval condition upon uh complying with the city comment letters and the comments we mentioned here today.

All right.

I'll I'll second that.

Okay, motion uh has been made and seconded.

Any further discussion.

Okay, all those in favor say aye.

Aye, any opposed?

There you have it.

All right, all right, good job.

Thank you.

All right, I guess uh maybe just a quick reminder for is it next week?

Next Tuesday or no.

Okay, not showing up on this count.

It's next Tuesday.

Yes, Tuesday, January 20th at 1215.

So it won't be in this room, it'll be up in the fifth floor conference room.

Um so yeah, more of an informal workshop setting.

Um we intend to bring the annual plan with the revisions that were requested today.

We'll bring a progress report on vision 2030.

We'll share um our annual budget, which describes kind of overall some of the projects uh that we will be pursuing in the next year.

Um but if there's anything else you'd like staff to present or any specific discussions you'd like added to the agenda, please um let us know now.

Yeah, um, I guess we could talk about um I know in the past we've talked about alternate members.

Um that's probably something we should talk about.

Um, and that would probably go along with a few amendments to the ordinance that we'd have to recommend for council.

Um so it'd be alternate.

Um I think payment was one of the things brought up in the past.

Um, those couple things would need to be an ordinance change.

Um I I guess we could also have the discussion of the meeting time as well to see if that's something we want to discuss at a workshop.

Good ones.

Yep.

Um, I think members in general, but I don't think you know there's no reason to talk about something we don't have.

Um but it does sound like there there might be some some interest brewing out there.

Um so I'll just say once again that you know, in our respective worlds, if we come across, you know, potential candidates to you know to be recruiters, you know, for our commission.

Um, but we don't want just anybody either.

So um okay.

Anything else for the workshop?

Anything else for the good of the order?

Well, to the end, uh you had mentioned about the the seats that need to be filled right now.

We have um five planning commission and commission members.

The next two meetings will be heavy agendas, so be prepared for that.

I anticipate that um based on the firm submitting the applications at just one member will recuse themselves, hopefully only one.

If there's more than one, please tell me because we'll need to um make arrangements.

But what that means is that all remaining members will need to be present at both of those meetings or until the planning commission seat is filled in order to even have the meeting and uh make any decisions at that meeting.

So uh attendance is is really critical at this stage.

Didn't we pass a rule saying meetings can't be longer than two hours and 22 minutes?

Really?

Uh but I like it.

Maybe I dreamed.

I don't know.

It's a topic for the workshop.

Oh man.

Yeah, we're gonna have some doozies coming up, huh?

Yeah, there's to be a cover license that I have to use.

Yeah, right.

Well, and this is what we sort of expected, you know, the last minute flurry of new apps, you know, that come in before the changing of the ordinance.

You know, in my experience, sometimes developers do it just to preserve their rights and not necessarily with the intent to actually do it, but just to preserve their rights, and then we but we still have to go through the motions, which can be quite time consuming.

Um I am curious, do we get any applications under the new ordinance yet?

Uh yes, yes, we have.

So, yeah, that's part of why it will be a heavy couple of agendas.

We've had all of the people who wanted to come in under the old ordinance, and then we have people that have been waiting to come in.

So we yeah, we do have our first one in.

Excellent.

That's great.

One new era for us.

Sure is all right.

Anything else?

Guys, thank you.

Thanks to the staff.

Good job.

This is much more efficient than I expected.

So that's a good thing.

All right.

Well, I'll motion to adjourn.

Thank you all.