A planned development of 36 twin homes called Southside City Lights is getting its energy from the local community. Southside City Lights is being planned near the 1200 block of East Sixth Street.

About 30 people attended a planning meeting for the community on July 31. Gathering at the Southside Lofts on Hayes Street, the group discussed community needs and preferences, which will help in the design and planning phase of the project.

“We’re at a neat stage in this project,” said Anna Smith, director of Community Action Development Corporation of Bethlehem, a subsidiary of Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley. “This is a community-based project. We want your input,” she told the participants, including residents and others interested in living in the planned development. The meeting gave participants a chance to brainstorm on design features for the community, allowing them the opportunity of “creating a space where families feel comfortable,” Smith said. Another meeting is planned for September or October, she said.

Ellen Larmer, Project Lead with Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, said site work is already done, with utilities and street infrastructure in place. “We want to put housing where we already have infrastructure.

“This is wonderful connection to the community,” she said. New developments are rare on the Southside, Larmer said. The planned development has the added bonus of being close to jobs and transportation and will have views overlooking Bethlehem. “It will be close to the action in South Bethlehem,” she said.

The project is funded by grants from the Community Land Trust, as well as from the city of Bethlehem and Northampton County. “It’s a privilege to be reviewed at that level,” Larmer said.

With the funding, the homes will be available at a price range accessible for low wage workers, as well as retirees. “We’re very excited to be able to offer this,” Larmer said. She estimated the sale price for the homes will be between $125,000 and $195,000.

During the planning meeting, participants weighed in on design aspects ranging from number of bathrooms in the homes to parking and traffic concerns, schools, and steep terrain in the area. Larmer said she would bring those concerns to the city for consideration.

Nik Nikolov, architect for the project and associate professor at Lehigh University, told participants “the city has really urged us to plan for children on the street” when designing the new development.

Resident Roger Hudak suggested also involving the Bethlehem Area School Board since the development will bring more students to local schools, and possibly considering moving school boundaries to avoid overcrowding.

Smith thanked the participants for their input and praised their involvement in the community, adding, “I wouldn’t expect less from southsiders.”

City Council member Olga Negron also attended and urged participants to stay involved and attend future meetings involving the project. “It will be good for us as residents, that we the neighbors are there,” she said.