Sunshine Act Prompts East Allen to Postpone Big Box Hearing

These people were unable to see or
hear what was happening in the meeting.

Welcome to America's Truck Stop! The Fed Ex ground facility going up right now in Allen Township is expected to be the largest ground facility in the world, according to Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Executive Director Becky Bradley. In addition to the Fed Ex itself, The Morning Call reports that Allen Township is planning for 13 warehouses around the Fed Ex. They will take up as much room as 100 football fields. This demand for big boxes is so strong that it has spilled over into East Allen Township. Last night, East Allen Supervisors were expected to consider a proposal to change the zoning designation of 155.03 acres along the southwest side of Weaversville Road, from Agricultural to Light Industrial. The suits were all there. Lehigh Valley International Airport, which owns the land. The Rockefeller Group, salivating for more big boxes. But the meeting ended abruptly with no decision or testimony because some bottom-feeder pointed out that Supervisors were violating the Sunshine Act.

That troublemaker was me.

I was there once before and had no trouble finding a place to park. But last night was different. There was no room in the parking lot, but I eventually was able to park on the grass at an empty lot next to the fire company. I was far from alone. Many cars were already there.

80 people were inside the meeting room

Walking toward the municipal building, I noticed a state trooper parked there. Maybe someone had tipped him off that I was coming. But he let me go by without tasing me. He must have been lying in wait for Ron Angle, who like me pops up at the strangest places.

The hallway inside the municipal building was packed with about 20 people. They were unable to get inside the meeting room. More importantly, they were unable to hear the meeting in any way. Resident Sonia Shadid told me another 20 people had previously been sent away.

Though there may have been no room to sit, I figured I could stand alongside a wall and decided to go in. But as I walked in, a big and burly firefighter with 24-inch pythons stopped me at the door. He told me no more than 80 people are allowed inside the room, and that I alone probably count as 10 people, so I wasn't getting in. He weakened a little when I told him I am friends with King Allentown, but he insisted on following the law.

So I insisted on following the law, too. The Sunshine Law. Though largely toothless, it does provide that the "right of the public to be present at all meetings of agencies and to witness the deliberation, policy formulation and decisionmaking of agencies is vital to the enhancement and proper functioning of the democratic process." It provides for public participation at meetings, enabling the public to speak on matters before official action is taken. In this case, the public was being deprived of the opportunity to both listen and speak.

From the doorway, I loudly objected. You see, there's a provision in the Sunshine Act that enables any person, even a bottom-feeding blogger, "to raise an objection at any time to a perceived violation of this chapter at any meeting of a board or council."

So I did. I pointed out that the public was being deprived the opportunity to witness government in action and to add their own voice. Shadid told Supervisors that about 15-20 members of the public had actually been turned away.

Solicitor Joe Piperato was receptive to this argument and explained the law to Supervisors. They unanimously voted to postpone its public hearing until they can find a bigger hall.

After it was over, I thanked each Supervisor and Piperato, all of whom were very gracious.

Lehigh Valley truck traffic is expected to double in the next ten years as a result if all these box boxes,and it will be coming down Airport Road. About 100 people were on hand for this meeting, not including the ones sent away. But I saw no one from the daily newspapers.