Jaindl-Watson Land Company came before the Allen Township Board of Supervisors Feb. 27 to discuss details on its warehouse proposal. They ran into a buzz saw from the hundred or so interested parties that are opposed to more warehouses in the area.

Solicitor B. Lincoln Treadwell explained the process.

Before the public comment part of the meeting, Treadwell explained to the audience that the land is zoned for this use.

Resident Keith Hanlon contended there were no effective benefits to Allen Township with the Jaindl-Watson plan. He claimed the road leading to the warehouses was in a residential zone and would require the parcels involved to be rezoned.

Treadwell disagreed, saying, “There is no zoning on a road.”

The access road is on property owned by the Northampton Area School District. According to Treadwell, the zoning conforms to the township’s comprehensive plan. The revised plan was released in 2017. Some in the audience accused supervisors of adjusting the plan to permit warehouse development. Chairman Larry Oberly rejected that argument.

“We started the updates in 2015 because the township was growing rapidly,” he said.

The previous 1999 comprehensive plan had no commercial projects north of Route 329.

Jaindl came to the board for three minor plan adjustments. The first request, presented by Bruce Anderson of Pidcock, Jaindl’s project engineer, was to move the waterline from the shoulder of the proposed roadway to 11 feet into the roadway. Supervisors voted on this before and agreed to keep the waterline in the shoulder ostensibly for maintenance.

Township Engineer Robert Cox contended the location made no difference.

“Bethlehem Water is responsible for repairs and would need to repair the road surface,” he said.

On the re-vote, the measure was approved.

Oberly changed his vote after meeting with Bethlehem and getting briefed on the logic behind moving the line away from stormwater systems that are in the shoulder. Cox commented that the lines would probably last 50 years before they needed attention. Technological advances in the materials used for waterlines allow for a longer life- span.

Anderson’s two other requests were submitted earlier in the day and were not voted on because the supervisors did not have time to review the proposals.

Jaindl’s existing plan requires enhancements at Mud Lane. He asked the board to defer the improvements to see if they were needed. The funds available for Mud Lane could be used on another project of the board’s choosing.

In the second proposal, Jaindl’s attorney, Erich Schock, contended that Jaindl was willing to pay the township a recreational fee in lieu of setting aside recreational land. Jaindl reduced his original proposal by 100,000 square feet to improve building placement and reduce truck traffic.

Dissatisfied parties then got their turn at the podium.

Resident Marcy Vogel explained her concern with truck traffic on Weaversville Road. Signs are posted restricting tractor-trailers on Weaversville Road, but the restriction is ignored, she said.

Resident Lorie Sugra brought pictures of the traffic on Route 329. To highlight the traffic-jam claims, an accident at Route 329 and Savage Road that happened 5:30 p.m. had traffic tied up until the start of the 7 p.m. meeting.

Improvements are coming to Route 329 on the stretch around Howertown and Savage roads. Road improvements address a complaint that roadways in the township are not conducive to truck traffic.