Although Allentown has received most of the recent attention, the real story is going on in Allen and East Allen Townships. That's where Fed Ex Ground is under construction. At full build out, Lehigh Valley Planning Comm'n Executive Director Becky Bradley predicts it "will be the largest ground facility in the world." It will bring jobs, but it will also include a lot more big box warehouses and logistics facilities that will double truck traffic in the Lehigh Valley over the next few years. They ware being built in Allen and East Allen Townships, near the Fed Ex, with the ultimate goal being same day delivery to customers along the east coast. And while online shopping and big boxes explode, brick and mortar department stores will wither, taking jobs away.In his first State of the County address, NorCo Exec Lamont McClure said he's troubled by the impact of this development. But there's little a county can do. We may have a regional planning commission, but we have no regional planning and zoning laws. Over the years, developers have systematically destroyed much of the rustic charm of the Lehigh Valley. There's no longer much difference between Route 248 and in Northampton County and Route 145 in Lehigh.
A small group of local citizens have banded together. They call themselves CARD (Citizens for Accountability and Responsible Development).
In the meantime, Jaindl and Watson Land Companies which are proposing six warehouses taking up 2.5 million sq ft in Allen Township. Part of the plan requires an easement over Northampton Area School District property for a state road and a water detention basin. But a deed restriction in the school district deed requires that the land be used solely for ""education and related purposes."
CARD filed a RTK request, seeking correspondence between Jaindl and school officials from 2014 to present. It's been flat out denied and for five reasons.
One reason cited, an internal investigation, is bullshit. That would include internal correspondence, not correspondence between Jaindl and the school.
A second reason for denying everything is the fact that some of the correspondence includes real estate appraisals. That information could be redacted.
A third reason is that these are internal predecisional deliberations. Bullshit again. Communications with Jaindl are necessarily external.
A fourth reason to deny everything is attorney-client privilege and work product. This is nonsense. To the extent that there is attorney client privilege, it is waived in communications with a third party.
A fifth and final reason for denying everything is that it might reveal employee identification numbers. This is nonsense because that information can easily be redacted.
Unfortunately, the school district response is dated February 20. This was just sent to me yesterday. Hopefully, CARD has appealed. It is quite clear that the school district has no intention of being accountable.
