Lehigh Valley Planning Comm'n Exec Director Becky Bradley provided Northampton County Council with an annual update at Council's July 3 meeting.
It reviewed nearly 1,000 plans throughout the Lehigh Valley. It also examines grant applications, proposed municipal ordinances and plans, sewage and solid waste plan reviews, stormwater projects, traffic impact statements and permit reviews.
Bradley noted a surge of 3,519 residential units proposed last year, of which 2,323 are apartments. This year, 375 housing units have been proposed through April, of which 97 are apartments and 211 are townhouses.
In 2024, 6 million sq ft of commercial development was proposed in 2024, of which 4.7 million is industrial and 4.1 million is warehouse. Nearly 1 million sq. ft in commercial development has been proposed this year through April, of which nearly 0.5 million is industrial and 317,000 is for warehouses.
Bradely said that the market for industrial development is changing as companies consolidate and the amount of available space declines. She expects this decline to continue, especially as municipalities have adopted more stringent zoning practices.
She also touted three multi-municipal plans - the Northern Lehigh Plan (which includes municipalities in both Lehigh and NorCo); the River Central Plan; and the Slate Belt Plan (to coordinate zoning)
