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| John Diacogiannis |
Chairman John Diacogiannis proposed that Hanover Township team up with eight other municipalities in preparing a regional comprehensive plan at a cost of about $12,000. Manager Jay Finnigan advised Supervisors that its current comprehensive plan is 13 years old, and is overdue for an update.
Diacogiannis urged a multi-municipal plan, authorized by state law, as the best way of dealing with the warehouse crisis. But Steve Salvesen was opposed. He kept questioning whether this regional effort would really be a benefit to Hanover Tp. Finnigan replied that under this approach, Hanover Tp would get traffic impact fees from warehouse development "to improve our roads. ... We don't have that ability right now."
The biggest advantage to multi-municipal planning is that it allows for planning all categories of land uses across the participating municipalities. This means there's no need to permit all possible legal uses within one municipality, so long as one municipality accommodates it. Thus, some municipalities could deny warehouses so long as another municipality permits it. One municipality could refuse to permit a gentleman's club so long as another municipality provides for it.
Other advantages to multi-municipal planning is that it provides a framework for enhanced communication, sharing of municipal services and coordination when there are development proposals of regional significance.
The current multi-municipal plan serves the boroughs of Bath, Nazareth, Stockertown, and Tatamy; as well as Bushkill, Lower Nazareth, Moore and Upper Nazareth Townships.
Resident Cecil Blocker said he counted 16 trucks on Crawford Road on his way to the meeting. "This is going to be Trucksville USA soon," he complained. "We're at the end of the colon," replied Steve Salvesen, referring to truck traffic that will be coming through Hanover Township as a result of the FedEx facility.
Voting for the multi-municipal plan were Diacogiannis, Susan Lawless, Esq., and Michael Prendeville Salvesen was the dissenter. Jack Nagle was absent.
Nice speech but they were part of the original crew that made this stuff happen. They and other townships loved it as they got their taxes from them and told residents how lovely their twp. was with no tax increases. This has been the republican township mantra for years. What they need is to persuade their pals in Harrisburg to change the zoning laws. We are overrun. The regional plan still permits warehouses it will just be somewhere else in the county and not there. That is no solution. We are already overrun. There is a plan coming in Upper Nazareth for a million sq. foot warehouse. So let us see how committed to "taking aim" at this horrible situation these local yokels are?
ReplyDeleteI bet the money wins the argument.
I believe you have something in common with warehouse developers - you both look down your noses at township government.
ReplyDeleteThey haven't stopped them yet, what makes you think they will now. It is all about the cash.
ReplyDeleteLet me be a little more clear. It is apparent to me that what really bothers you is the suburbs and more rural areas. They are local yokels, not sophisticated like you. This kind of elitism is precisely why Trump is president. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteWharehouses are jobs. Better than being unemployed. Also demand concurrency from these developers such as road widening and running public utility service along the road right of ways, including gas, electric and water/sewer lines.
ReplyDelete2:24 The nation is full of yokels, and they all vote for Trump. People with simple values who want a job, a place to live, and food for their families. Why he's president and crooked Hillary is not.
ReplyDeleteSo the 50 jobs from a 500,000 sq. ft. warehouse is great? Trucks destroying our bridges and roads and polluting our air. More water runoff and less green space. Yeah that is the ticket. This has nothing to do with where people live you aholes it has everything to do with what is happening. This affects everyone regardless of where you live. MAGA.lol!
ReplyDelete4:50 you'd want them on welfare and food stamps ?
ReplyDelete1.5 million square feet of warehouses built in NC in just the first six months of this year, and no doubt way more than that's been built in recent years, and only now these townships are addressing the issue with thoughts of multimunicipal planning? Wow. Asleep at the wheel much? By the time that plan is developed and implemented, the point will be moot, as every last acre of former farmland will be built out in warehouses. The Lehigh Valley is set to become the biggest inland port city on the east coast. Sad.
ReplyDeletePlanning,planning,planning. Yet,here we are. Any more brilliant planning and the whole area will be Newark. Instead of dedicating more dollars to planning, let's just light our dollar bills on fire. At least they'll provide a few BTUs.
ReplyDelete6:30. You must have been asleep, This area has become like Newark years ago. Look at all the uproar over Biebers not paying its bills and can't shuttle the New Yorkers to work from here and back.
ReplyDelete1) Government creates a problem. Then, declares a crisis.
ReplyDelete2) Government creates solution to the problem. Problem is not addressed.
3) Solution becomes a crisis and new solution is created. First problematic solution remains. Original problem is not addressed. New crisis.
4) Rinse and repeat.
It's like Trump's bailout to solve an agriculture problem he created while attempting to address another problem. It's Rubegoldbergnomics. I'm not an anti-government anarchist. But I'm doubtful our best and brightest can do any better.
Fact is the School districts want the tax revenue, which is substantial, without the warehouses property taxes could be 25% more, I don't see why the warehouse areas could not have their own access to major highways direct from their property.This would keep them off the smaller roads in the area. If some of the impact fees would be spent in installing such access it would free up local roads. I bet the small governments would scream if the impact fees were spent outside their control.
ReplyDeleteBernie Pelosi !
ReplyDeleteRepublican Ron Beitler makes clear, in his discussion of land use at Strong Towns, that a distribution warehouse is among the worst kind of development. He speaks of a 50-acre warehouse on former farmland in Lowr Mac - "the absolute lowest ROI in all measurable forms. When paired with the highest amount of public resources to maintain (police, fire, super-sized infrastructure, etc.) this is the the worse type of land use in terms of community benefit. These structures gobble up open space at alarming clips and generate very little benefit per acre. Unless we figure out a way to assess their impacts, this type of development will cost the township money in the long term."
ReplyDeleteA 50-acre warehouse produces 2.5 jhobs per acre. Nobody wants that, especially school districts.
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2014/8/5/the-taco-johns-of-lower-macungie.html
Cracks me up, all the pot shots and negativity out there. Here are the leaders of probably the most competent, well managed municipality out there making an effort to address its problems, thinking outside the box (regionalism) and the daily nay sayers are out in full force. Any resident in Lehigh Valley should be glad to live in Hanover Township, with solid elected officials and staff and good services at a moderate tax rate.
ReplyDelete6:47PM "Rubegoldbergnomics" That's good.
ReplyDeleteEntertainment is the whole point. And they do it all while providing 31 flavors and 57 varieties as we work our why downstream. I stopped rowing years ago.
Government has fully embraced the whole idea of anarchy to the point where real anarchist look like posers next to a current politician.
anon 10:49, You tell them Finnegan and Johnny DeCon. You guys are the greatest. Nobody does it better. Every time Bernie does an, "I love you guys" piece your thin skin comes through when anyone is critical. Face it, you have been part of the problem since day one. Too bad you weren't thinking outside the box when this all started.
ReplyDeleteCensorship is a disease on the democracy. Fear the Truth?
What is amazing is your ignorance and jealousy. How's everything in BT. Learn how to spell.
DeleteThe warehouses are all they got, they pay large property taxes, but they want more. They all want lots of tax revenue without any costs ,dust, smoke or traffic, incompetent fools.
ReplyDeleteThe Palmerton super fund site is just sitting there barren waiting to be paved over, 2.5 jobs per acre on otherwise useless land would be better than paving a cornfield.
ReplyDeleteAlthough ,something tells me this has little to do with warehouses and sensible land use over a particular region.
Interesting.
ReplyDeleteDemocrats purport to support the working class, but when offered jobs, it's no, no, no.....
ReplyDeleteTypical
The Lehigh Valley that we know and love is dying.
ReplyDeleteMake Farmers Great Again! Like before I was president.
ReplyDeleteIsnt John Dioaciganis Vice Chair of the Lehigh valley Planning Commission?
ReplyDelete