At its meeting April 3, Hanover Council heard from Goodman Properties, the developer of Airport Center Mall.

After completing the mall, Goodman acquired vacant land at the corner of Airport Road and American Parkway. For seven years, the group has worked to come up with a development plan for the parcel. As Adam Goodman, partner at the development firm, stated in previous appearances before council, the developer thought the success of Airport Center would transfer down the road to the new property.

The vacant parcel stretches across two jurisdictions, city of Allentown and Hanover Township. Both municipalities prefer commercial development over residential development.

The first proposal was a box store retail center. The developer found no takers. The site was reconfigured as a strip mall anchored with a grocery store. Again, the design failed to attract tenants. The penultimate plan combined the retail component with residential units. According to Goodman, mixed-use facilities that combine retail and residential are trendy.

The problem with the configuration was that all the residential components are in Hanover Township. As explained in a prior meeting, property taxes in Hanover are so low that it is not beneficial for the township to provide additional services needed for a large-scale residential development.

The new plan presented April 3 splits the commercial and residential components across both municipalities. Goodman promised high-end apartments for the location. Goodman is a commercial builder and would team with another vendor for the residential component. According to Councilman Michael Woolley, Allentown also had reservations about the plan when it was presented to its planning commission.

Council is aware of the problems in developing the site but was unimpressed with the plan as presented. The plan presented was a sketch plan or concept plan so no detailed drawings were available. Based on comments from council members, it appears unlikely that the latest plan will receive approval from council.

In administrative action, township Manager Christopher Garges proposed creating two positions, an emergency management coordinator and a part-time receptionist. Both positions were approved by council. Existing emergency management duties are handled by Han-Le-Co Fire Department. The new position allows the coordinator to work for Han-Le-Co and the township.

Council introduced a measure to recalculate the way it determines sewer tapping fees and transferring capacity to other municipalities. The new plan would align with methodology recommended by the state. During this introductory period, the township will accept comments on the proposed change. The main change is that residential developers are not required to pay all tapping fees as upfront costs. Fees are adjusted and paid when units tap into and use the sewer system.

Council passed a measure requiring stricter accounting for costs. The new plan sets procedures for expenses over $1,500 by any entity associated with the township.