Allentown Planning Commission Meeting - March 10, 2026: Approvals for Time Extension, School Modular, and Four Riverfront Developments
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Allentown Planning Commission Meeting - March 10, 2026
The Allentown City Planning Commission met on March 10, 2026, from 12:17 PM to 6:08 PM. The meeting covered eight agenda items, including a time extension for a Dunkin' drive-thru, preliminary/final approval for a school modular building, and four major riverfront mixed-use developments. The meeting set a record duration of nearly six hours.
Consent Calendar
- Item #1 – Approval of Minutes (February 10, 2026): Unanimously approved as written.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item #2 – 902 Union Boulevard (Time Extension): No public comment.
- Item #3 – SSDLIA Modular Building (Allentown School District):
- Linda Vega (314 N Front Street) read a letter from Casa Guadalupe strongly supporting the school expansion, citing the need for dual-language education and respecting community concerns.
- Richard Wilburn (1039 N Van Buren Street) opposed the modular addition, arguing it would eliminate the community's concession stand and recreational space, and noted the school district did not consult the community.
- Alice Romberger (1325 N Van Buren Street) expressed concerns about increased traffic, parking, and loss of green space, providing a traffic analysis projecting a 152% increase in congestion.
- Flor Velez (318 N Front Street) read a letter from the Latino Coalition and Puerto Rican Cultural Preservation in support of the school expansion, emphasizing the cultural significance.
- Amy Feidler (1204 Ulster Street) requested a comprehensive traffic study and raised concerns about flooding and quality of life.
- Item #5 – 301 N Front Street (Revision):
- Linda Vega expressed concerns about parking availability for residents and visitors, and urged facade improvements for neighboring homes.
- Robert Morenz (318 Front Street) echoed parking concerns.
- John Mortensen (105 Ridge Avenue) supported redevelopment but worried about overflow parking impacting Bucky Boyle Park and advocated for public art.
- Jennifer Swann (1824 W Congress Street) raised concerns about lack of affordable housing and homelessness.
- Items #6, #7, #8 – Riverfront Projects:
- John Mortensen commented on the need for better connectivity and parking.
- Jessenia Perez (512 N Brick Street) requested widening of Brick Street and noted snow removal and trash issues.
- Additional public comments addressed parking, pedestrian safety, and community benefits.
Discussion Items
- Item #2 – 902 Union Boulevard (Time Extension): Staff recommended a six-month extension to October 12, 2026, for the 2,411 SF Dunkin' drive-thru. The project had received four previous extensions. The Commission approved the extension unanimously 6-0.
- Item #3 – SSDLIA Modular Building (Allentown School District): Staff reported that the revised plan reduced the modular footprint to allow the concession stand to remain. The 9,856 SF modular will accommodate 200 new K-3 students and 8 staff. Waivers were requested for streetscape requirements. The Commission approved all waivers unanimously and granted conditional preliminary/final approval, requiring an analysis of on-street parking, signage, and striping.
- Item #5 – 301 N Front Street (Revision): Staff noted revisions increased units to 360 (71 studios, 186 one-bedroom, 103 two-bedroom, 4 three-bedroom) and reduced retail to 21,550 SF. The Commission approved conditional preliminary/final approval with conditions including identifying visitor parking, improving pedestrian connections, and addressing blank walls.
- Items #6, #7, #8 – Riverfront Projects (51 N Front Street, 115 Riverside Drive, 2 Allen Street): Staff provided an overview of all three projects, which together would add over 1,000 residential units and 57,000 SF of retail. Discussion focused on parking, pedestrian connectivity, design compatibility with the riverfront, and widening of Brick Street.
- Item #6 (51 N Front Street, 210 units) and Item #7 (2 Allen Street, 200 units) were tabled to allow the applicant to address design and streetscape concerns.
- Item #8 (115 Riverside Drive, 242 units) was granted preliminary/final approval with conditions including separation of bike paths, connections to Bucky Boyle Park, and enhanced screening.
Key Outcomes
- Item #2: Approved time extension (6-0).
- Item #3: Approved waivers (6-0) and conditional preliminary/final approval (6-0).
- Item #4: Postponed to May 12, 2026 at applicant's request.
- Item #5: Approved conditional preliminary/final approval (5-0, 1 abstention – Leslie Hartzell recused).
- Item #6 – 51 N Front Street: Tabled (4-0, 1 abstention, 1 absence). Applicant agreed to MPC time extension.
- Item #7 – 2 Allen Street: Tabled (4-0, 1 abstention, 1 absence). Applicant agreed to MPC time extension.
- Item #8 – 115 Riverside Drive: Approved conditional preliminary/final approval (4-0, 1 abstention, 1 absence).
Meeting Transcript
The first item on the agenda is the approval of the minutes of the February 10th meeting. They've been prepared and circulated. Does anybody have any comments, corrections, or additions to the minutes? Okay, hearing none of those will stand approved is written. Go right into our next item number two, which is an extension request for 902 Union Boulevard. Melissa's gonna do our introductions today, so hand it off to Melissa, please. This is a request for a time extension of six months up to October 12th, 2026. By which time the applicant must have recorded the land development plans and related documents associated with the proposed restaurant and drive-thru located at 902 Union Boulevard. The applicant states that this time extension will provide ample time for the city and the applicant to create and sign the necessary land development agreement, furnish process surety in the amount equal to the approved cost estimate, and gather the necessary plan signatures for recreation of all plans and documents. Since the plan was conditionally approved on November 10th, 2020, said plan had has been granted four extensions, the last two of which were for Dunkin Donuts, which assumed ownership and plans for the property in early 2023. The fourth extension will expire on April 12, 2026. The project plans received final conditional approval on the staff comments on February 19th, 2026, and this is an update. The applicants provided the semi-executed land development agreement on March 6th, so this Friday. Staff looked into the former Allentown Saudo and MPC for guidance and extending timelines, and there seems to be no clause in the former Saldo in the MPC that precludes an extension when requested. We do not object to the requested fifth extension but defer to the commission on the approval of such request. All right, thank you for that. Mr. Nyman, how are you doing? Good, how are you? Good. Anything you'd care to add or not too much. Yeah, basically just to reiterate that everything we basically have all the approvals now. It's just basically with the time frame basically ending in the middle of next month. Maybe everything will be recorded, signed and whatnot, but just to add extra time that we're still hopeful the applicant still hopeful that construction could either start like late spring, early summer. So this extension, six months, it won't be the full length of that. That's just kind of just a play it safe for everything, but we're moving forward. Okay. Yeah, I think based on the history and the point of preparation that you're at now. I I certainly have no problem with it. Although I will point out that it does exceed our five year window, and technically, you know, this would trigger the new ordinance if we if we chose to deny the extension, which I don't think um given the circumstances that we're gonna do that. But um, I just wanted to point that out. You know, we've been dealing with a lot of extensions lately. Um, and this is one that actually does sort of stretch that five-year window, but um all right. Does anybody have any other thoughts on the extension? Is anyone in the audience interested in this application? All right. Well, then uh I think we'll entertain a motion if somebody cares to make one for a six-month extension. I'd move to grant that the applicant a six-month extension. Second. All right, Jeff. Greg, thank you for that. Any further discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Any opposed? All right, there you have it. Yep, thank you. Thank you. All right, next item is their first land development. This is the uh modular building uh Allentown School District Edition.
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