At its May 9 meeting, Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners held a public hearing - the first of two - on a proposed ordinance change.

The proposed amendment deals with adaptive reuse for affordable housing as a permitted use in all residential areas: R-1, R-2, R-3, R-3A, R-4, R-5, R-5A and R-6 zoning districts.

A second hearing will be held, and a vote will be taken June 13.

If the vote is approved, zoning rules would change to allow affordable housing apartments at a long-idled plant in Fullerton - called The Lofts.

Attorney John A. VanLuvanee, Doylestown, counsel for two Quarry Street properties that are near the vacant industrial property, posed a series of questions and statements regarding the proposed zoning changes.

VanLuvanee represents Quarry Street Whitehall Development LP, a residence at 212 Quarry St., the property bought for $95,000 in 2013 by developer Abe Atiyeh. The second property is a house at 855 Third St., owned by Third Street LP.

The commissioners made no statements nor asked any questions of VanLuvanee at the hearing.

Attorney Charles Fonzone, township solicitor, replied that VanLuvanee will receive a written reply to his inquiries.

Residents whose homes are near the Quarry Street location in question showed up at a previous meeting with concerns about parking should the apartment project be completed.

In other business, commissioners approved an intergovernment agreement between Whitehall Township and North Whitehall Township to pave and construct approximately 2.3 miles of Ironton Rail Trail.