The NIZ is a special taxing district in Allentown under which a developer may use state and local taxes to subsidize development.
McClure stated the vote was 7-5 over his "strenuous objection." He indicated that several members of the Northampton County contingent of LVPC "do not wish to travel to downtown Allentown for their Comm'n meetings. It's going to be a major inconvenience."
He argued that regional entities should try to be located as near the geographic center of the Lehigh Valley and that the Marcon Blvd location fits that bill.
McClure noted "the new lease will be a triple net lease. This is a [quasi] government. Government should not be paying triple net leases. ... The total cost of the lease will be $120,000 more annually than what they currently pay."
According to the Exec, LVPC could sign a five-year lease extension at Marcon Blvd for $600,000 total.
He reported that LVPC claims it needs $2 million in renovations at Marcon Blvd. "I don't necessarily agree with that number. There may be some renovations that are needed. It could be done over time."
He argued that spending public money just to move to a "cool location" is "the quintessence of bad government."
Northampton County would have to pay 40-50% of this $600,000 "above and beyond what we pay now for no good reason other than to be in a cool location.
McClure said he will propose a reduction in the annual allocation to LVPC.
The relocation is strongly supporty by Lehigh County.
Council member Kevin Lott saisd he sat on LVPC and recalls that "less than 10 year ago, we remodeled that building [the current location]. I don't know how you spend that kind of money remodeling it again."
In response to a question from Council member Lori Vargo Heffner, McClure stated that he's investigating the idea of forming a Northampton County Planning Comm'n.
(I'll have more about NorCo Council on Monday. I was drafted to call Bingo last night. Yes, I'm old)
81 comments:
Oh, he can get over it. It's not like he's being asked to commute to Pittsburgh for meetings. 😆
There is a long tradition of the big boys calling in chips when their new building needs tenants. An agency or two moved to Butz's building after he built it.
What all these agencies have in common is that they're useless, staffed by people who never had a job in the real business sector.
Interesting.
Exec McClure didn’t get what he wanted after study, debate and a vote, then he threatens to reduce funding to the LV Planning Commission. I wonder if he can start his own county planning department with properly trained staff for less than the yearly contribution to the LV planning commission. Doubtful, but anyone can make claims that are untrue and neglect to give you an apples to apples comparison.
Also, I’ve been to the FAA/TSA offices in the same building that the planning commission is currently & no offense to the building owner, but the entire property looks unkept & completely outdated, the parking lot is poorly lit, has pot holes, etc. If a building looks bad visibly then there’s probably bigger problems “under the hood” with electrical, HVAC & plumbing. So, if the planning commission claims the need to spend 2 million to renovate, I would not be at all surprised.
Also, I’m sure locating in the NIZ could benefit a government entity just the same as it could a private business. How far away is the waterfront? A couple miles? How often do commissioners have to travel there? Once a month? If planning commission members can’t drive a few extra miles once a month, maybe they should resign and let someone more committed to the community serve.
Interesting.
Exec McClure didn’t get what he wanted after study, debate and a vote, then he threatens to reduce funding to the LV Planning Commission. I wonder if he can start his own county planning department with properly trained staff for less than the yearly contribution to the LV planning commission. Doubtful, but anyone can make claims that are untrue and neglect to give you an apples to apples comparison.
Also, I’ve been to the FAA/TSA offices in the same building that the planning commission is currently & no offense to the building owner, but the entire property looks unkept & completely outdated, the parking lot is poorly lit, has pot holes, etc. If a building looks bad visibly then there’s probably bigger problems “under the hood” with electrical, HVAC & plumbing. So, if the planning commission claims the need to spend 2 million to renovate, I would not be at all surprised.
Also, I’m sure locating in the NIZ could benefit a government entity just the same as it could a private business. How far away is the waterfront? A couple miles? How often do commissioners have to travel there? Once a month? If planning commission members can’t drive a few extra miles once a month, maybe they should resign and let someone more committed to the community serve.
My God, no more commissions. We should disband the one we have and call it addition by subtraction. The quality of life in this area has steadily deteriorated while this commission has hosted cocktail parties. The funding metrics show that the more we spend on this commission, the worse things get around here. They are worthless and unworthy of a single penny. Stop the madness.
I honestly don’t know why either county continues to fund this organization. It’s bloated, inefficient, and most of what it does is advisory only.
As to the few important functions they perform, there are other ways to develop the needed transit studies than to continue to run that through the LVPC.
The move to the high priced offices developed by Jaindl also proves to me that they have little regard for the taxpayers who help fund their budget.
The Valley would be better off without them.
I think you need edumacate yourself a little bit.
LM - almost as whiney as tRump
Pretty certain the numbers in the NIZ, not “big boys” calling in favors were the deciding factor. Oh & do you see what business people do when they run government?
So, you’re going to tell the FEDS that you want the transportation planning functions that LVPC performs… good luck with that.
As a matter of cost, I am inclined to agree with McClure on his opposition to the move, especially given what Lott had to say. Is a trip from Easton to downtown Atown inconvenient? I'd say yes on most days. Becky Bradley should hesitate on a move unless there is a consensus. But I'll disagree with a reader's condemnation of LVPC. They do excellent work, and I have serious doubts that we could replicate it on our own.
"If planning commission members can’t drive a few extra miles once a month, maybe they should resign and let someone more committed to the community serve."
McClure stated that it is often difficult to find people willing to serve on authorities and board. But tat does strike me as a bullshit objection. What bothers me is increased cost.
"So, you’re going to tell the FEDS that you want the transportation planning functions that LVPC performs… good luck with that."
McClure acknowledged he's unable to pull out of LVTS.
Northampton County and Lehigh County work together on many joint ventures and most of those come under the auspices of the Lehigh/Northampton Joint Planning Commission. The Lehigh Valley Airport, Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA) Lehigh Valley Transportation Study (planning for all highway, Bridge and Trails Program in both Counties) The Planning Commission itself which reviews Zoning, Building, clear air, water, the environment, etc. and the list goes on and on. Let's not forget the Lehigh Valley Industrial Development Authority. If Northampton County doesn't like what is happening about the relocation, then they should propose an alternate location. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.
If you noticed, all these groups I mentioned are centered in Lehigh County.
Apparently they looked at the cost benefit and narrowed down from 12 possible locations per wfmz story.
I'm not sure how "cool" it would be to work in Allentown with a more time consuming/challenging commute and an extra 1% EIT tacked on. I think LVPCs proposed move to the City is more of a long overdue symbolic gesture. LVPC can not credibly promote sustainability and smart growth while operating out of a suburban office park with their employees commuting by car. If the professional planners for this region all commute by car to a suburban sprawl office park how can LVPC promote alternative transportation and sustainable development to municipal governments and regional residents?
That said, I don't like the optics of them selecting this site and this building as it seems a inappropriately high-end/expensive, its a bit far removed/difficult to access for Northampton County officials and residents and for a public agency to cooperate and support the Jaindl Land Company feels like bad optics in my opinion.
I had always hoped LVPC could find a nice urban office in Bethlehem, the center of the region and provide incentives to its employees to live in Allentown, Bethlehem or Easton and commute to work by transit, walking or bicycle. Why should the region's residents and workforce consider a sustainable lifestyle of buying an urban home and reducing their single occupancy car commuting when the region's professional planners are mostly living in the suburbs and commuting by car to a suburban workplace?
"LVPC can not credibly promote sustainability and smart growth while operating out of a suburban office park with their employees commuting by car. If the professional planners for this region all commute by car to a suburban sprawl office park how can LVPC promote alternative transportation and sustainable development to municipal governments and regional residents?"
Excellent observation. How many LVPC employees commute by bike or bus? A bike commute to Marcon Blvd or Lehigh Waterfront is definitely doable. I would think that a bike commute to Lehigh Waterfront might be preferable bc you can use the D&L for much of the trip, but I can really only commute three or four months a year.
Like you, my main objection is cost. I also think there should be a consensus since NorCo will eventually be shouldered with some of the cost.
Isn't this interesting. Why isn't the agency given free rent as a public service by the owners.
LVPC does Excellent work. Without them, the Lehigh Valley would not recieve the transportation funds recieves. It is 11min from LVIA to America on Wheels. One person's extended carbon footprint will be offset by anothers. My only question are 1) will there be free parking? 2) will they be using plastic straws?
Are you saying the LVPC is useless?
Cost aside (I agree with Lamont), the optics of the LV planning commission moving to a building where the landlord is the largest owner of undeveloped land in the region and the most prolific developer of warehouses and other undesirable sprawl in the past 25 years are hilarious at best and highly disturbing as a potential conflict of interest at worst.
If the last few years have taught us anything, is in person work is not essential to keep the world turning. Why pave more farmland with needless office space. Jaindl should rediscover their roots and farm their farms and not put them on the slow march to development oblivion.
1:44, This project is by Mark Jaindl, who has been more of a banker than land developer. The land developer is Dave.
I can't believe nobody is talking about the most existential threat in all of this. Its climate change/global warming. These people are going to have to drive farther which will cause the world to end in less time than AOC already said. Save the planet from all this driving.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2019/01/22/ocasio-cortez-climate-change-alarm/2642481002/
Suggestions:
1) Let the counties do it jointly (in-house).
2). Outsource the work
3). Pass that function off to another entity.
Point is, get creative and find an alternative. The LVPC is an increasingly costly option that in most cases only adds another level of bureaucracy.
Well said
Really? All I hear are people complaining about is how awful it is to drive Route 22 and how we have too many new warehouses (and the related truck traffic).
I guess that counts as “Excellent work” if you’re grading on the government curve.
To the rest of us living in Realityville (located somewhere on the county line) it seems more like a record of failure.
Bernie @ 2:20 responding to my 1:44, I stand corrected. I forgot about Mark and assumed David. The extra cost of this still bothers me. I've been in 961 Marcon and while it is definitely no modern, trendy palace, is it plenty fine for a quasi-governmental, non-profit agency that doesn't have anyone to impress.
I think we need a modern, more efficient view. I wonder if there's a single function that cannot be performed virtually. I doubt it. The greenest solution is to work virtually. If occasional in-person situations are required, a space may be rented or donated. The cost savings would be stunning. Taking vehicles off our roadways is a big winner. Am I missing something? We can't divorce ourselves completely from bricks and mortar and commuting. But a planning commission, of all entities and whenever possible, should look for and recommend solutions that don't include these wasteful things. I think the world has passed the planning commission by. Or they simply refuse to lead by example. Or Molovinski is correct. Or it's a bit of all these things.
The planning commission under Becky Bradley is out of control. She must think that the two counties supporting her operation are her personal piggy bank. In the past she has had the gall to complain that she and her employees/stooges were exhausted from working too hard reviewing plans. Give me a break. The planning commission is just like the bridge commission, it is a dumping ground for people who cannot make it in the real business world. Like the Bridge Commission they have two working speeds: very slow and stop. And is the planning commission going to give a fair report when a plan is submitted by their new landlord Mr. Jandl ??? The best thing Mcclure can do is slash the NORCO share of funding for the planning commission.
Your last sentence is spot on. Someone needs to remind the LVEDC that the Slate Belt is in the Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley is competing nationally and internationally for real jobs and economic growth, and we are successfully moving past our rust belt history. These specific complaints about this decision make some of these people sound like rust belt country bumpkins.
Bust up the mobopoly Northampton County has on Gaming revenue. What is good for Northampton County is good for Lehigh County.
It’s the same exit off 22 and less than a mile further.
Let’s publish the salaries of everyone working at the planning commission. They are funded by public tax dollars and should be made public.
Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp is in Northampton County.
Marcon Blvd is certainly not walkable, from anywhere, at least not safely. It is marginally bikable at best.
I believe that is the other side of the family that developes the warehouses? They do not talk from what I understand.
Ironically, the distribution of transportation funding in the Lehigh Valley is 50 years behind and still centered around supporting sprawl and land development on the suburban fringes.
No one with wealth or an education moves anywhere in the county because the region has new suburbs. They move there because they have dynamic cities and connectivity to other dynamic cities with economic opportunity, even if they ultimately end up settling in the suburbs of those cities in time.
Go onto the LVPC website and look at the % of transportation funding being spent in our cities. It’s a very small amount. Is a $30 million interchange on 309 for quicker access to the promenade shops really a strategically wise investment in our region’s infrastructure?
A move to the waterfront is a very, very modest gesture all things considered.
A Committee formed by former Chair and NORCO appointee, started the office search. It was led by the LVPC Officers and 2 LVTS members with a commercial real estate consultant providing professional search services. They vetted 16 sites over several years. Their current location is an Allentown address and the new one is too. Also, it’s across the Tilghman Bridge from another regional agency, the Workforce Board. Ultimately, the LVPC Executive Committee voted 9-5 to locate in the Waterfront. It saves over $1 million over 5 years.
Location is within less than 5 miles of geographic center of the region. Discover Lehigh Valley moved last year from Allentown to Easton and Lehigh County didn’t complain. LVEDC moved further from the center too. Again, Lehigh County didn’t complain. LANTA is almost 6 miles away from Center.
Commission is saving over a million and won’t have sparks coming out of light switches, brown water out of the tap, broken elevators stopping public meetings from happening, ground hogs living in stairwells, or no lighting in the parking lot at night during trainings. The conditions are bad in their current location, no matter how much paint and carpet they did 8 years ago in their office. New location will be accessible by transit, walking and bike and in a poor community. Those are the hard facts, so don’t believe the hype.
What used to be 10 minute drives are now 20 minutes or more. Our countryside has disappeared and is covered with hideous warehouses that are environmental catastrophes, provide relatively few, low paying, low skilled jobs that companies are rapidly replacing with robots. The quality of life in the Lehigh Valley is spinning like a turd at the bottom of a toilet. We've had a 60% increase in truck traffic in 10 years and haven't added a mile of new highway lanes. The airport is booming with freight traffic - to the direct detriment of our quality of life. This commission should be disbanded. But not before it's investigated to see who might be punished for letting the whole place go steadily to shit for 30 years. Becky Bradley may be a lovely person. She would be even better if she stayed miles away from any "planning" committee. Please go far away and work your magic somewhere else. We can't take your good work anymore.
Rail is dead without LVPC. A divided valley cannot compete with bigger Cities at thr national level. We need County Executives that think Regional.
Hey idiot.....Northampton county does not have a monopoly with the gaming revenue. Lehigh County shares in the Casino Revenues. Idiot
some staff take the bus, but, service is really limited in the industrial park, so they have trouble being part of the many night meetings and trainings the Commission does. At least two staff bike regularly too. It’s really dangerous to bike to Marcon and people that don’t have cars need to if the bus isn’t running.
Good people who made a poor choice and have foisted their will on the backs of their partners. Like renting a new apartment without the full consent of their significant other. Work for the people in this region by working together.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
The planning commission under Becky Bradley is out of control. She must think that the two counties supporting her operation are her personal piggy bank. In the past she has had the gall to complain that she and her employees/stooges were exhausted from working too hard reviewing plans. Give me a break."
It does appear that BB thinks she is a monarch. Who challenges her?
You can't help but hate to see a tax-funded project occupied by non-tax generating -- indeed tax consuming -- government agencies...
Any recent figures on the salary component of the annual LVPC budget? Does number of full-time employees merit a large, rented permanent building space or are the two counties paying for a huge conference room that sits empty the majority of days each month?
Anonymous said...
"Really? All I hear are people complaining about is how awful it is to drive Route 22 and how we have too many new warehouses (and the related truck traffic)."
The 18-wheelers taking south Allentown's main arteries cannot navigate the intersections because of their size so they're constantly breaking the curbing and causing traffic standstills.
I wonder how many politicians in Austin, Tampa, and Charlotte complain about an extra 10 minute drive to economic planning meetings to the point they are willing to blow up regional planning to the detriment of the citizens of those areas. Probably none.
Virtual Offices suggestion:
Just think if this agency worked virtual and met every 3 mos at a professional rental office site (now everywhere in the valley) for an upfront and personal meeting. Wouldn't they look futuristic.
"At least two staff bike regularly too. It’s really dangerous to bike to Marcon and people that don’t have cars need to if the bus isn’t running."
Outstanding points. If only there was a way to meet virtually instead of traveling to a building. Probably not. So let's unnecessarily spend millions for a cool place that's triple the cost. That's some kick-ass "planning!" Give yourselves a raise and move immediately to "summer hours."
LVPC is loaded with overpaid bureacrats rubber stamping city projects. They are a useless cog that only slows down projects.
McClure is correct!!
So is the Slate Belt
We make family trips to Eston but some of Northampton comments have me thinking it is too much trouble. Maybe Musikfest isn't worth the parking headache.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Let’s publish the salaries of everyone working at the planning commission. They are funded by public tax dollars and should be made public.
March 17, 2023 at 9:56 PM
Good Suggestion.
I disagree with the decision to move bc of the cost involved, but also disagree with any attempt to disband LVPC. It is an excellent resource on area trends and is heavily involved in all aspects of planning. It is toothless bc local municipalities have the final say in all but about three municipalities, but it is a gold mine of information.
As far as salaries go, those may be obtained via RTK. I have not looked at them in some time, and maybe it's something I should do. I doubt they are excessive or McClure would be noting it publicly. He is pretty tight with a buck, as many county employees can attest.
I would oppose any attempt to disband this regional effort at planning. There should be more regional planning, not less. In fact, the inability to have regional planning with teeth is why there are so many warehouses. It's why we have developments on Jaindy Blvd with no sidewalks for pedestrians, forcing them to use the street. It's why our farmland continues to be gobbled up.
Does LC get more transportation money than NC? Yes, it is a bigger county, has more roads and should get more $. Some of the objections to LVTS are pure parochialism. I do not go along with the rich guys who think that everything must flow thru Allentown, but we need to realize that what is good for A'town is also good for Bangor and what is goo for Nazareth is also good for Allentown.
I agree that the true cost of moving and signing a triple net lease is not an ideal situation. Costs never, ever, go down so if you are going to pay for real estate taxes, maintenance, utilities, etc you might as well own the property. The current proposal provided by Mr. Jaindl doesn't take into account that public money is being used to effectively subsidize his project. Also the argument that the new site is ony 5 minutes further away than the current site is disengenious. Have you ever traveled Route 22 and Airport Road during the day? The only time its not jammed is if you have a meeting at midnight.
According to the LVPC the sqaure miles of Lehigh County is 345 square miles and Northampton County is 377 square miles.
I think its laughable that this waterfront projects gets so much public funding (NIZ, state grant for new access Road etc..) o generate economic development and has been touted as "high end" office space and yet the owner needs to bring in county government offices as his tenant? Either this project is a pathetic clunker that can't attract business offices or the LVPC is living way beyond their means and should look for more appropriate office space for county government.
I’m not a big fan of McClure but he’s right about this. This is nothing more than a taxpayer funded boondoggle. Stand your ground Lamont.
But certainly not evenly.
Not sure what the point of the original post about gambling revenue was, but I think it’s important to present the full context.
For whatever it’s worth, I also believe that the revenue sharing agreement for gambling was agreed to PRIOR to the casino site being named, with specific percentages set for the “winning” and “losing” counties and municipalities.
Anon 1200, thats why every transportation meeting should be held at locations requiring Route 22 pass through.
Publishing the salaries Bernie is a great idea. Likely they are like all other government positions with salaries much higher than local private businesses & benefits like vacation, holidays & health care co-pays greatly outpacing the local market.
Good project for someone to expose this boondoggle organization. If they are so worthwhile, on has to ask how we got out of control on warehouse development?
I say pay everyone poorly and expect good results … race to the bottom is what that is.
Since the current Northampton county executive took office, Northampton contributes less to the LVPC than Lehigh and wants equal service, better yet, now wants to contribute even less and still get more.
"Good project for someone to expose this boondoggle organization. If they are so worthwhile, on has to ask how we got out of control on warehouse development"
So you want to blame the LVPC for "out of control warehouse development"? Sounds like you're an advocate for regional land use controls as opposed to the individual local municipalities in Lehigh and Northampton Counties each having their own individual land use ordinances and local government approvals? That's interesting. So instead of Bethlehem Township, Allentown, South Whitehall Township, Slatington etc. having local control over land use, you would hand if all over to the LVPC so the region would have one Zoning Ordinance and one set of subdivision and land development regulations? Guess what? Under that scenario, LVPC could have been "in-control" of warehouse development, directing them to very specific areas within the region where they belong, and this region would have had its fair share of warehouses 15-20 years ago and denied many of the new ones while staving off legal challenges.
Not saying they are responsible for warehouse overbuilding but simply saying they add no value to the region. Overpaid bureaucrats.
Blanket statement with no basis or substance. Do you understand that county planning has statutory requirements? “No value” is a point of view without substance or understanding or just an angry individual looking to shoot it down and see what it was later. At the very least not a perspective that can be reasoned with.
“May be lovely person”, but go far away?
Sounds very hateful to me — maybe that attitude is the actual problem —just a little or likely a lot of self-evaluation is in order, if good outcomes are desired.
Work together for the common good.
Lehigh County’s population is significantly more and Allentown is by far the largest municipality.
They should have sent out an RFP for office space and reviewed competive offers from landlords, including their existing one.
The LVPC has historically been in Hanover Township, first at the airport, to avoid the appearance of picking one city over the others. I'm sure a Bethelem or Easton property owner would too relish an office tenant on a long term lease.
If they want to move, fine, but they owe taxpayers a sensible, transparent process to get there.
As you know Bernie, some people don’t subscribe to the rising tide lifts all boats philosophy. They want what they want, because they want it. They believe what’s good for their neighbor is bad for them regardless PERIOD and will burn everything down if others don’t agree even when presented with the facts.
RaiseRiversideDrive.com a Jaindl project operated and funded with the help of the LVPC, its on the website as LVPC is the host and curator of the website. They got 20 million for the Jaindls now they are going to sign a 30 year lease to fund the Jaindl operations for "redevelopment"
Quid Pro Quo? or just Jaindls getting richer off tax dollars and local governmental employees?
That grant benefits the City of Allentown, Whitehall & the D&L trail. Mark Jaindl donated land for trail & road not on their property. So the communities could secure the grant. Also, a 10 year lease, not a 30 year. Commission has been at current location for 30 years. Facts matter.
Realtyville … I think not. Traffic congestion in the Lehigh Valley is minimal compared to other regions. Most I’ve ever been delayed is 15 minutes crossing the entire valley. Have you ever driven the Schuylkill Expressway? Or the D.C. beltway? The Schuylkill is two lanes in many places as well and has double the traffic volume per day. Put on your big boy pants or cough up the couple billion dollars it’ll take to engineer, acquire properties by eminent domain and widen 22.
There is a ton of vacant office space very close to the City of Bethlehem on bus routes, and a fair amount in Center City Bethlehem. I'm surprised LVPC didn't choose a location there, as a more central location.
I hope Mark Jaindl has a large tenant from New Jersey lined up for his new building on the Allentown Riverfront. There are very few local tenants who are in a position to move, and large companies are cutting back on their office space. It is surprising anyone would build a new 7 story office building in this market. It looks like his new building is 95% vacant. Once the current office leases expire, many companies that own large non-medical office buildings are going to be in serious financial trouble.
The Allentown waterfront pretty much is the population center of the Lehigh Valley. It’s pretty darn close the the geographic center as well. The region extends for west beyond Allentown.
Read the WFMZ app story. Gret job and you are nonbiased, just factual reporting.
Yes, I read the WFMZ story and it is a great job and appears to be unbiased, at least to the extent any of us can be unbiased.
My report is an accurate reflection of what McClure said. If you believe I failed to report what he said accurately let me know where and I will correct it. If you believeMcClure was inaccurate, that's another issue.
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