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Thursday, July 11, 2013

Will Arts Charter School Get Green Light Today?

Andrew Twiggar and Olga Negron
Last month, Bethlehem's Planning Commission put the brakes on a new Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, to be located at 321 E. Third Street, in the heart of a growing arts and entertainment district. Andrew Twiggar wanted to see a traffic study before approving plans for a three-story school. It made no difference that the school's engineer had already promised to conduct one and implement all recommendations. It mattered not that Traffic Coordinator Tiffany Geklinsky was unconcerned whether that study was done before or after approval. Pleas that this could affect financing for a $27 million project were summarily dismissed.

Today, at 4 PM, the Charter School will be back before Bethlehem's Planning Commission. This is just a few days after Allentown's Planning Commission rubber-stamped Twiggar's own plans for a $250 waterfront development.

They gave their blessing despite some lingering traffic concerns - pretty big ones, it appears.

Twiggar hypocritically thinks traffic studies should apply to everyone else, just not to him and his partners.

Though he has been very generous to Bethlehem, donating the space for a sub police station, he is still a walking conflict of interest. He's a major developer who has every reason to steer development to his waterfront project in Allentown and away from Bethlehem. He himself stated he is looking for tenants.
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12 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 11, 2013 at 5:50 AM

    u r correct plus the fact that olga is only on the board for political reasons also. what a joke and a public travesty this is.

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  2. AnonymousJuly 11, 2013 at 6:39 AM

    In that picture, he's a dead-ringer for General Zod.

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  3. AnonymousJuly 11, 2013 at 6:55 AM

    Ruh Rho!!! developers and people affiliated with developers on a planning board is always bad news.

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  4. AnonymousJuly 11, 2013 at 7:52 AM

    Lets hope that Twiggar has made his political point and satisfied his obligations to the left wing liberals he has to appease to get his deals done in Allentown. Its time to put self interest and politics aside and move forward with quality public education in South Bethlehem. Go LVPA!

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  5. AnonymousJuly 11, 2013 at 7:56 AM

    business as usual in bethlum

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  6. AnonymousJuly 11, 2013 at 8:00 AM

    He is a waking conflict of interest.

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  7. AnonymousJuly 11, 2013 at 2:03 PM

    I don't see this as political, but rather as protecting Twiggar's self interest. Callahan and the administration, and 5 of the council people support this project.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousJuly 11, 2013 at 3:14 PM

    I'd rather a planning commission that asked more of developers than less of them any day of the week.

    Whether it is Lower Macungie with malls or Allentown with well, everything, there is way too much rubber stamping going on.

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  9. Bernie O'HareJuly 11, 2013 at 3:16 PM

    I understand and appreciate that sentiment. But in this case, the Planning Comm'n was asking for nothing that the Charter School had not already agreed to do. They simply halted the process.

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  10. AnonymousJuly 11, 2013 at 11:22 PM

    What was the determination by the commission

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  11. Bernie O'HareJuly 11, 2013 at 11:25 PM

    They approved it. Story at midnight.

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousJuly 12, 2013 at 12:57 AM

    Olga is highly qualified. Over qualified. She wrote the book on this subject.

    ReplyDelete

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