A Lehigh River Symposium is scheduled for 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Lehigh County Government Center, 17 S. Seventh St., Allentown.

The event is cosponsored by the Whitehall Township Industrial & Commercial Development Authority, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, Lehigh County and Whitehall Township.

The purpose of the symposium is to begin discussions with the stakeholders about development plans and projects involving former industrial sites and underutilized parcels along the Lehigh River and using the waterway as a development tool. The purpose of the plan, through the guidance of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, is to have the communities work cooperatively while development occurs along the river and still maintain the quality of this community asset.

The symposium will provide stakeholders the opportunity to learn what other communities are planning and to discuss how proposed projects may work in collaboration with others to the benefit of the preservation of the river and the economic stability of the neighboring communities.

Representatives from the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, the Army Corps of Engineers, all of the local municipalities along the river, colleges, school districts, conservation groups, developers and economic development groups have been invited. Participants will share an overview of the projects their organizations are involved with that specifically relate to the Lehigh River in the areas of tourism, recreation, education, commercial and industrial development and the environment.

The need for further public and private collaboration in planning and development projects along the Lehigh River was determined during the research and development of a CRIZ application, coauthored by the communities of Whitehall, Catasauqua and Coplay which was submitted to the state.

The CRIZ Committee includes representatives from each municipality, the legislative representatives for the area, the Whitehall-Coplay School District, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, Lehigh County, the Whitehall Township Industrial & Commercial Development Authority and community members. Their goal has been to create a development plan to improve the economic strength of these suburban communities.

For further information, contact Howard Lieberman at 484-661-7794 or howard@bcfsol.com.