Executive Lamont McClure informed Northampton County Council last night that by one vote, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) has voted to execute a lease for its "very cool" new location at the Allentown Waterfront. All members of Northampton County'sdelegation voted No, while all members of Lehigh County's delegation voted Yes.
McClure suggested that LVPC should at least try to negotiate its way out of a triple net lease, but he was rebuffed.
13 comments:
This is a pretty big deal...if Northampton County pulls out the LVPC over this deal, it could end a unique nearly 60 year cooperative arrangement between the counties. I'm very surprised that the LVPC Director/LVPC Board would take this risky step. It wouldn't shock me if the eventual result is separate and individual county planning commissions in Allentown (swanky/"cool" Jaindl offices) and Easton (some way more appropriate county office space in or around the county government center/courthouse). Should be very interesting to see how Northampton County reacts to this.
Yes, I'm surprised they didn't back off on this lease once it was clear that the feelings were so strong about it. There are tons of quality office spaces available in Bethlehem and right outside of Bethlehem, which is centrally located. Bethlehem is in both counties.
However, it would be complicated to split up LVPC. Among other reasons, the federal transportation planning is required to be done regionally.
Anonymous 11:55: Great point, I always thought a location in the Lehigh County portion of Bethlehem represented the best possible compromise. Plus such a location would allow the LVPC to increasingly provide incentives for walking, riding bicycles or using LANTA as part of their commuting as new employees are hired. To me, this is an important issue, as professional planners need to be the ones setting this example of living, and working sustainably in urban areas.
Bethlehem really isn’t the population center of the region. Allentown has over 125k people and there are another 100k+ between S. Whitehall and the Macungies to the west.
Could not agree more with 12:20, who notes the beauty of the compromise location of west Bethlehem (where I happen to live). The bigger picture to me is why our two counties could not be consolidated. Picking a name that references neither county (I suggest Lenape) might be the easiest part of the equation. The two counties together have a population of 687,508 as of 2020. Allegheny County (containing Pittsburgh) was just over 1.2 million. Philadelphia city and county have a few hundred thousand more at 1.6 million. There’s strength in unity.
This kind of also goes back to the struggles facing the users of the Hellertown Area Library who are residents of Lower Saucon. Both Hellertown borough and Lower Saucon are in Northampton County, with Upper Saucon etc. In Lehigh County. The overhead expended for the Hellertown and Upper Saucon systems, their different library districts (county-driven), etc…could be reduced to multiple county branches with all back-office work in the cloud, with savings put back toward public service and additional resources for the community.
Will I see a single county, a single library system, planning commission, court system, etc., in my lifetime? Doubtful. Would consolidation give us more strength and political clout statewide? Well, Archibald Johnston thought so in the 1910s and we have a unified Bethlehem because of his work.
So that’s 225k. both counties combined have almost 700k and where it’s at now is smack in the middle.
Most people are turned off by McClure's pugnacious Trumpian style of governance. As long as he wants his own Planning Commission, maybe he can have his own county named after him. He gives new meaning to mean bully.
John , that is an excellent suggestion!
10:55 AM is McClure anonymously posting again, gaslighting as typical. He lost a vote 9-5 so he stamps his feet, whines and cries. His insinuations are ridiculous a Special Committee of the Board worked for two years with a professional real estate consultant, who also found Discover Lehigh Valley a new office in Easton and LVEDC a new office in Bethlehem. Lehigh County didn’t whine or threaten an entire agency over it. Lehigh County also did not threaten their Board or Executive Director. McClure is a bully.
I agree with John. It is time to combine the two counties into one powerful county that is relevant at a national level as we compete economically with not just other regions in our state or even country, but also at a freaking international level. But the point remains - that fictional county must be headquartered in Allentown, which is larger than Easton and Bethlehem combined. Heck, the city of Easton is not even as populous as Lower Macungie or Whitehall townships in Lehigh County, and soon Upper Macungie will leapfrog Easton as well. To look for a "geographic" middle for LVPC or this fictional combined county is weak foolish thinking from 100 years ago. You go to where the population and economic/political power reside - and that is Lehigh County.
Unfortunately, that area of Bethlehem is consistently ignored by both the County and the City.
No thanks, I don’t want to be one county. I am very happy with how things are and bigger definitely doesn’t mean better in this instance.
Agree with the one county merger with huge cost cutting opportunities for taxpayers. Without county consolidation, I endorse Northampton County pulling out of the LVPC as that organization is bloated. If there is some mandated regional decision issues then they get together over that one issue.
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