Vertek Construction Management came before East Allen Township Board of Supervisors Oct. 12 for a conditional use hearing on a slice of commercial land at the corner of Route 329 and Airport Road, north of the Nor-Bath nature trail. Ronald Check was the lead spokesman addressing the board. Check is a local resident and has decades of experience building warehouse space. He emphasized both qualifications during his presentation.

For East Allen, this was the first conditional use hearing under modifications to its zoning ordinance. Prior to the latest zoning change, certain zoning districts allowed warehouse space unconditionally. The new ordinance allows new warehouses as a conditional use. During the proposals to change the ordinance, the township cited instances where trucks are backed onto local roads waiting to load or unload.

A conditional use hearing is not an approval of the project, but rather gives the developer a list of criteria that must be met in an ensuing land development plan.

Check, in his presentation, contended he met the criteria to have on-site holding areas for trucks waiting for dock space.

“We designed an access road that allows trucks to access docks. There is 12 feet on either side of the roadway for vehicles to park waiting for dock space,” he said.

Supervisor Mark Schwartz was looking for something more akin to an open parking space. He cited the space at a ShopRite Supermarket warehouse in Fogelsville. The facility was built by Vertek.

Check indicated the two spaces, Fogelsville and East Allen, are different in the space available and purpose.

“What we are proposing here (East Allen) is a one-side warehouse. This would not be a cross loading site, which increases the amount of traffic. Our tenants would be light assembly or design companies,” he said.

The 450,000-square-foot warehouse would be managed by Kiel Group. There is a prior working relationship between the two companies. The building is planned to be 30-plus feet in height with 40 dock spaces. Check estimated traffic at the site to be 31 trucks and 300-plus vehicles. Traffic is based on projections from existing warehouse locations. Check admitted the traffic numbers could change based on the tenants.

To further complicate matters, the intersection of Route 329 and Airport Road is under review by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and there is a letter of intent to provide funding for improvements by a local developer. Check asked that the funds promised be combined with this proposal to improve traffic patterns at the intersection.

Township Engineer James Milot pointed out Vertek did not submit a complete traffic study.

“We can only contend that the intent is to meet all the requirements of the ordinance,” he said.

Schwartz was more adamant, indicating he could not make an informed decision without an approved traffic study.

Chairman Roger Unangst asked if Vertek would consider keeping the hearing open until a traffic study could be completed. Check opted to have the board make a decision based on the information presented.

Local residents crowded the meeting room and voiced their opposition to the proposal.

Sharon Fournier was the first to voice her opposition.

“I don’t want to see warehousing. I’m concerned about the added traffic,” she said.

Fournier lives on Jacksonville Road and experiences problems getting access to her private driveway now.

“And you’re going to add 300 cars and more trucks?” she added.

Concern was voiced over light and noise pollution, although these items are addressed in the ordinance.

The proposed site abuts the Nor-Bath Trail. The trail crosses Jacksonville Road and Airport Road as it winds from Bath to Northampton. The crossing at the trail is marked by traffic signs, but cars have the right of way. Several residents expressed concerns it is difficult for people using the trail to cross at the intersections.

Brenda and Gary Gum also were vocal about their objections.

“This is about traffic and more traffic. There is too much traffic now. We don’t need to add more,” she said.

The board was expected to render its decision three to four days after the meeting.