The June 5 workshop meeting of the Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission focused on the zoning ordinances in East Texas Village District 3.

The main topic of the meeting was developing a parcel of the Weiner tract. A plan was introduced to turn the 16-acre plot at Lower Macungie and Brookside roads into a mixed use housing development.

The development would include a circle of townhouses with some small commercial buildings in middle. Engineer Bud Newtown described the development as village style and explained it would be very walkable.

Commission Chair Maury Robert said the project would require a 35-foot landscape buffer. There was a discussion regarding the building separation. The project sketch plan shows 20-feet of separation and the zoning ordinance asks for 30 feet of separation.

Apartment regulations in the new development were also discussed. The planning commission decided apartments would only be allowed above commercial use spaces. It was explained there would be no more than five dwelling units per area. The applicant used an urban zoning ordinance on the sketch plan, which allowed for six dwelling units per acre.

Newton asked the planning commission to allow restaurants with a drive-thru, arguing that coffee shops and many other service related restaurants require a drive-thru. There was also discussion about allowing banks with a drive-thru.

Commission Secretary Ann Bartholomew questioned whether this ordinance could be used as an example for other tracts. Commissioners also discussed whether the parking in the development should be parallel parking or diagonal parking. Newton argued many of the service oriented businesses in the development would be built around convenience and parallel parking would not work well in the area.

Resident Mike Doubour asked to make sure that if a larger medical building is allowed, it does not become an apartment building. The planning commission also mulled over the question of if the project is in line with the existing development.