South Whitehall commissioners have approved a project to examine options for enhancements to the public areas and visual character of the township.

Penn Praxis, an extension of the University of Pennsylvania design studio, will use architectural students to conduct an investigation of three sites and offer suggestions for improvements.

South Whitehall Director of Community Development George Kinney, reported at the board’s Feb. 7 meeting.

“It’s typically pretty good stuff that comes out of them,” Kinney said.

He said the first project will involve the Walbert Avenue and Cedar Crest Boulevard gateway, east to the city of Allentown.

Kinney says Penn Praxis will provide architectural renderings, sectional views and plan diagrams of the Walbert Avenue corridor this spring.

The next focus will be the Cedar Crest and Hamilton boulevards intersection at the King George Inn, Dorneyville.

“We want to create a strong street scape with design features in and around the inn,” Kinney said.

Kinney noted the goal is to provide an attractive gateway for motorists coming into the township from the south on Cedar Crest Boulevard while also leading into the Hamilton Boulevard and Route 222 highway enhancement to the west.

The third area of study is the abandoned Kmart along Tilghman Street, across from Josh Early Candies.

“They’ll look at ideas for re-use - maybe carve it up or demolish and start up again,” Kinney said. “Perhaps it can be used as a village campus with a street scape design to create a village feel like a place people grew up in where you could walk to the village store.”

He anticipates reports from the second and third locations should be available in summer.

Commissioners approved $15,000 for the initial Penn Praxis work.

Kinney notes the recommendations will include natural enrichments as well as building reforms.

“They’re huge into sustainability with a heavy ecology emphasis and use of natural features such as green roofs and rain gardens,” Kinney said, adding Penn Praxis has previously done work in the Lehigh Valley looking at industrial sites and abandoned quarries.

The design group will bring its ideas to township staff and commissioners.

“If commissioners have an interest, we’ll take the next step which will be suggested in the study,” Kinney said. “This is on the design end. Then we could segue next year into more of a master plan.”