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| From LVPC webpage |
Northampton County Exec Lamont McClure likes to warn everyone about "warehouse proliferation" eating up our green space while simultaneously increasing truck traffic and adding to our pollution. As bad as that sounds, there's something even worse. It's high cube warehouses, which Council member Ron Heckman refers to as "industrial highrises." Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Exec Director Becky Bradley described the problem last week at County Council's Energy Committee.
High cube warehouses can be differentiated from traditional warehouses because of their height, which have been proposed as high as 180.'
Bradley indicated that last year, she saw three separate proposals - two in Lehigh and two in Northampton - for high cube warehouses. As a result, her office has issued guidance to local municipalities on what they need to request to avoid getting sued into being forced to accept these structures
The first high cube warehouse proposal was in Upper Macungie, where a refrigeration company was granted zoning approval to replace its existing cold-storage facility with a 14-story monstrosity in the middle of a suburban community. A Lehigh County judge sustained the Township's objections.
In Northampton County, Geotis was granted approval for a 40-50' high automated warehouse in Allen Tp. It's in construction, and Bradley indicated she is "very concerned" that current trip studies fail to capture the actual amount of traffic these facilities will generate.
At the northern tip of the county, Upper Mount Bethel supervisors have granted a "sweeping set or regulations" to accommodate 10-story high cube warehouses at an industrial site near Portland. Bradley said that as many as a half dozen of these super warehouses could fit on that tract. "It is a very, very, very concerning situation," she remarked.
It's safe to conclude that Becky is very concerned. She indicated industrial developers who are "in it for the money" will pressure local government to let them have their way.
It's not all bad. According to the LVPC, high cube warehouses could use less land than a regular warehouse and use less energy. But they also employ fewer people, increase freight traffic with associated pollution and road damage and create challenges for first responders in the event of an emergency.
The LVPC's municipal considerations are contained here. The best defense is a multi-municipal comprehensive plan.
38 comments:
"The best defense is a multi-municipal comprehensive plan."
Please explain why that is, Bernie. As you know, a comprehensive plan is advisory only, not statutory. It holds no weight in zoning matters. The LVPC has famously opposed certain projects, and its comments and advice have been totally ignored.
It is debatable whether having a multi-municipal comprehensive plan means that only one municipality within the group need provide for a given use - if that is what you are referring to. One might argue that zoning is the best defense - provide for these in one or more zoning districts so they can't be built elsewhere in the municipality. At 180 feet tall, they are going to be blights on the landscape in most places. And provide very few jobs.
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission sat on its ass while warehouses spread like wildfire and they are now wall to wall. Despite requests I am aware of that they come up with a white paper or guidelines for warehouse development years ago, they did not. Now suddenly they decide to get involved in high cube warehouses. Go figure!
The LVPC has often been behind the curve. I remember them recommending a massive sewer and water project for my township to accommodate high density development, because we were exclusionary. At the same time, they complained about open space and diminishing farmland. We'd already adopted an open space preservation tax and LVPC couldn't figure out if we were bigots or preservationists. The traffic battle is already long lost. I wonder what earthly good LVPC has ever done. Just look around us and bask in their handiwork.
Enough warehouses! We need to do something to protect our land and our communities from this, it is really getting crazy what is happening.
"The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission sat on its ass while warehouses spread like wildfire"
Um, the LVPC only handles the zoning for about two municipalities in the LV. It has no teeth and is unable to stop it without some changes to state law. If those are made, you'll be one of the first to bitch you want local control.
"Please explain why that is, Bernie. As you know, a comprehensive plan is advisory only, not statutory. It holds no weight in zoning matters. The LVPC has famously opposed certain projects, and its comments and advice have been totally ignored."
The LVPC is referring to a multi-municipal comprehensive plan. In that case, undesired uses like a warehouse can be restricted to a zone near a major highway for all the municipalities in question and no one can complain it is exclusionary. Also, an impact fee for the traffic in Hanover can be assessed against a warehouse located up the line. That is why these are very desirable and are the best defense against warehouse proliferation.
This is a major local issue, not vaccines or masks. On the county level, McClure has been attempting to purchase as much green space as he can. Multi-municipal comprehensive plans are, however, the best defense. There is also a movement afoot to give LVPLC some teeth to stop this nonsense. I need a bit more detail but will be posting about it.
The LVPC is made up of private parties who shape zoning and regulation for their own profit. It is an advisory group to local communities. They purchase farm land and then have it rezoned industrial and make millions just by the rezoning.
8:00, your comment is completely false. The LVPC members are made up almost completely of local elected officials. There are a few private sector members like Greg Zebrowski, who is adamantly opposed to warehouse proliferation.
The staff of LVPC consists of dedicated planners who do an excellent job of picking up on trends here in the LV.
You need to educate yourself instead of posting this kind of misinformation.
This is so important! Please keep writing about the loss of open space.
Can that warehouse company guarantee no flooding will occur from this project?
Sadly, the warehouse situation in the Lehigh Valley is out of control. Currently truck traffic has changed everyday life, the roads are falling apart and inexperienced truck drivers on the highways are creating unsafe conditions. These warehouses are one generation wonders that local governments love because they boost tax revenues and increase job numbers. What will the area look like in 40 years, or even 20 years?
Does the blame for warehouse proliferation fall on those who created the original zoning ordinances in the townships in the 1960s and 1970s and didn't see this coming? Since my understanding is the reason why you can't change the zoning to something more restrictive/less intensive to eliminate warehouses is the property owner will just sue the township for devaluation of the property. It seems like just about every township has these warehouses somewhere within their boundaries now, so I don't understand how the "exclusionary" argument from the property owner flies anymore. I left PA and live in a different state now, where the municipalities have done a great job of keeping warehouses strictly limited to lands immediately bordering limited-access highways. We have almost no regulation over zoning/land use at the state level, unlike PA with the MPC.
A few thoughts.
Our overall land use policies are ineffective, but align with our deep rooted belief in property rights.
Of course the developers are doing it for the money.
9:19 - Open space is open for use by the public. These warehouse developments are built/proposed on privately owned property. If a warehouse is built on Jacobsburg, that would be a loss of "open space"
People need to change their focus from directing it at LVPC to LVEDC. LVEDC is a private organization made up of money grubbing people who do things for their own benefit. Heck as an example Don C took a Board of Directors role with a company that he had just given millions of free local money too. And Don pocketed $20,000 to $50,000 for his no show BOD position. And don't just look at it from the example look at who contributes Money to the organization and how the launder the money between political organizations, politicians, public give always, private developers, and those that make money off of it.
Do a deep dive into the niz and see who got pockets lined for assisting in creating it and now managing it. look at the layers of companies that lead back to other and who makes the money off of it. Reilly, Cunningham, Brown, Pawloski, Ionelli, Mueller, Young, Muller, Armstong, Zanelli, Boscolla, Mackenzie, Mcneil and so many more are in the middle of the cash exchanges. They fight in public to bilk us for our money and vote, then in private they take trips together to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Europe, etc. All of them and so many more need to be 100% financially audited and should be held accountable for their graft and thievery.
@0800 you should direct your comment to LVEDC. The LVEDC is made up of private parties who shape zoning and regulation for their own profit. It is an advisory group to local communities. They purchase farm land and then have it rezoned industrial and make millions just by the rezoning.
A few answers.
Our overall land use policies are ineffective precisely bc there is a lack of multi-municipal comprehensive planning.
Zoning ideally should protect the public from greedy developers who make claims of property rights so they can get what they want. Property rights must always be countered against the public good. That is the whole point of zoning and planning.
Open space can be any property acquired by the public for preservation. It could be a farm. It could be environmentally sensitive land. It could and should be lands that are threatened with development, including numerous greenfields. If a warehouse is built on a cornfield, that is a loss of open space.
These huge cube/square shaped buildings with not many windows are so nice to look at. Especially with almost all of them having very nice 'FOR LEASE' signs in front of them. Just wait, pretty soon they will have warehouses that float! (Dutch Springs)
Of course not. Nobody and no company on Earth can guarantee that.
I understand the Lehigh Valley is currently the 2nd largest inland port region and distribution warehouse center in the Nation. I believe the largest one is in California. Also heard we're quickly moving to that Number One spot.
You're definition of open space is flawed. If a warehouse is built at Jacobsburg, that's a loss of a state park. One kind of open space. If I sell my family farm or my private hunting club to warehouse developers, that's a loss of agricultural open space and forested open space. Open space is not defined my private vs. public land ownership. There's even tax abatement programs for private property owners to keep their lands in open, green space.
Bingo
Warehouses should have been planned to have direst access to major limited access highways, keep these trucks off the local roads.
back to the 900' buildings, they have them along the road going down 81 or 83 towards York and they are HORRIBLE tall unsightly and they are coming to the Lehigh Valley guarantee it
Our land use woes go back to the beginning. Has to do with the mentality of the immigrants who hacked out homesteads from the wilderness and the immense expanse of this country.
Zoning out greedy developers is pie in the sky. How would we define greedy developer? or greedy variance? where would we set the trigger? Zoning is and always will be a sticky wicket. It's a one size fits all approach until it isn't. Then that gets back to what is greedy? Unfortunately, it's a much more philosophical debate than you imply.
Same on the open space issue or definition. All I can say is, don't take a stroll in your neighbors farm fields and claim right by open space, it's not. Plus, it is a pretty shitty way to introduce yourself to the neighbors.
Until we can figure out how to remove personal interest from our elected officials, we will have these issues forever.
Fyi...lynch at muhlenberg hospital protesting vaccines today
Why can't the industrial parks already in place and half empty be the place for this. What can the general public do to stop this?
I find it galling that LVPC is giving their opinion on something in Northampton County when the LVPC is actually an agent for Lehigh County. When their "LV transportation study" doles out the money most of it goes to Lehigh County. Northampton County funds half of the LVPC budget and I cannot understand why McClure doesnt pull Northampton County out of the LVPC and put up a fight more more of the pie. If the LVPC closed I am sure the planners could get a job in Lehigh County government as wash room attendants.
#NoLivesMatter
@12:59 Further to your point several years ago the Lehigh valley was the third fastest growing logistics area in World.
https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/lehigh-valley-how-to-become-logistics-hub-4-steps/510153/
How to become the next big logistics hub!
Cunningham supports the logistics industry in the Lehigh valley regardless of how he squirms today.
In a message sent Friday to Lehigh Valley legislators, LVEDC President and CEO Don Cunningham wrote the tax threatens the area's transportation and warehousing sector, which now employs 29,000 people in Lehigh and Northampton counties. The sector was responsible for $1.9 billion of the Lehigh Valley's economic output last year, a 9.5 percent jump from 2015.
"This tax … could have an extremely negative effect on the fastest-growing sector of the Lehigh Valley economy," Cunningham wrote. "We urge legislators in the Lehigh Valley delegation to strongly oppose a tax on warehouse services."
He is proud of it!
Get this right from the LVED website.
https://lehighvalley.org/lehigh-valley-market-ranks-second-globally-industrial-growth/
“Living here in the Lehigh Valley, it’s easy to forget that this region is one of the fastest growing industrial markets in the country,” said Don Cunningham, President and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC). “It’s growing faster than the inland empires in Texas and California, and is the most desirable market in the Northeast.”
But Lynch got vaccinated and hides it from everyone.
12:46 AM
Multi-municipal comprehensive are NOT advisory under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. In fact, the MPC states, "Municipal zoning, subdivision and land development regulations and capital improvement programs shall generally implement the municipal and multimunicipal comprehensive plan or, where none exists, the municipal statement of community development objectives." Therefore, in partnership with zoning, comprehensive plans and multi-municipal comprehensive plans and subdivision and land development ordinances act a 'three-legged stool' of land development governance. The comprehensive plan is the first step in the process of zoning as the (comprehensive plan) contains the general land use plan which details of the zoning are then written, followed by the process and procedures for subdivision and land development.
Multi-municipal comprehensive plans allow groups of communities to plan together and determine where all land uses are best suited. If a community is not in multi-municipal comprehensive the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code requires the local government to accomodate all uses even if they do not make sense and in the most extreme sense could even threaten the public health, safety and general welfare.
12:49 AM
The LVPC did NOT "sit on their asses" while warehouses are being proposed. In fact, the LVPC has and continues to do a variety of things from hold all community General Assemblies, public training sessions on freight management, organize communities in multi-muncipal comprehensive planning efforts, directly advise local governments --- based on their individual community form --- to craft freight management provisions into their codes, hold public working groups through Workshop FreightLV, develop congestion management and transportation safety plans, and the federally-designated Lehigh Valley Transportation Study, continues to invest millions of dollars to improve the transportation system where possible. Have you attended an LVPC meeting in the last six years? If you do you will hear about the many actions they are supporting that backs local governments to manage industrial growth. Also, did you read the high cube and automated warehouse guidance? That's not a white paper on an emerging issue? Seriously, your comment is completely inaccurate and it's just plain mean given the fact that they generally are the ONLY agency addressing the freight issues, informing the public generally being champions for balance across the region. If you want to make a difference maybe you should attend the LVPC and LVTS meetings and trainings. In fact, they had a training at noon today on municipal and county planning law as it relates to development.
"I find it galling that LVPC is giving their opinion on something in Northampton County when the LVPC is actually an agent for Lehigh County. When their "LV transportation study" doles out the money most of it goes to Lehigh County."
This is also untrue. While LC receives a larger share, it has a bigger population and more roads. I do not subscribe to the notion that NC is the red-headed stepchild of LVPC or LVTS. I would like to see more $ poured into NC projects but believe this bi-county agency is fundamentally fair and it's ridiculous to demand a 50/50 split.
Right on, Bernie. True that.
I remember lots of support from local boards when Chrin offered to build the interchange on 33 into Tatamy so he could then get tax breaks on the 5000 jobs he was going to bring in with his commercial park that was NOT going to be warehouses. HAH AHA how'd that turn out? Local officials were deliberately looking the other way if they believed that one.
1:07 - not so fast. According to the EPA definition of Open Space, "Open space is any open piece of land that is undeveloped (has no buildings or other built structures) and is accessible to the public."
I'm sure you can find another definition but what is the point? Warehouses will continue to be built as long as there are consumers. We vote for these things whenever we click "buy it now" on Amazon. Life's just not that simple.
Do not like warehouses or trucks? Stop buying stuff
The red headed step child comment is racist towards NC and myself, as it infers that NC and me are of a lower form?
Republican redd
Here is an important meeting pertaining to this topic for those that are intersted more then just whining about it.
The Metropolitan Area Planning (MAP) Forum's Multi-State Freight Working Group is hosting an event on Industrial Real Estate Trends and Considerations on September 14 at 10 a.m. The event is open to the public.
This meeting will be available as a webinar: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/179378989
Please join from your computer, tablet or smartphone. You can also dial in using your phone: United States: +1 (408) 650-3123 Access Code: 179-378-989
Industrial Real Estate Trends and Conditions (10:15 am – 11:15 am
• Overview – Brian Banaszynski, Regional Partner – Northeast, Transwestern Development Company – Logistics Group
• Traffic Generation for Different Types of Industrial Development – Dan Disario, Principal, Langan Engineering and Environmental Services
• Q&A and Discussion – Anne Strauss-Wieder, NJTPA
Planning Tools (11:15 am – 11:55 am)
• Hi Cube and Automated Warehouse Guidance – Becky Bradley, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
• Philly Freight Finder – Mike Ruane, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commissions
• NJTPA’s Freight Activity Locator and Goods Movement Strategies for Communities Webtools – Gabrielle Fausel and Anne Strauss-Wieder, NJTPA
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