The April 9 meeting of the Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission involved two ongoing projects; the Weiner Farm subdivision and the Greentree Industrial Park.

Another project on the agenda, The Car Wash on Hamilton, was removed from the agenda at the applicant’s request.

Planning Director Sara Pandl explained the township subdivided the 500-year flood plain and the Weiner Farm property would be divided into five easements. Pandl said 130 acres of the property would be preserved under the farmland preservation act.

One of the lots on the property would be cleared for development. Art Swallow, who represented the project, had a few waivers he wanted. The first waiver was to have a separate preliminary and final plan. There were two waivers regarding cartway widths on Brookside and Lower Macungie roads.

There were also waivers regarding sidewalks and curbs and a utility easement. Swallow wanted a deferment when it came to planting street trees every 50 feet since there is no development on several of the lots on the property.

Vice Chairman Maury Robert wanted the sidewalks and curbs to be a deferral rather than a waiver. Chairman Tom Beil suggested curbs and sidewalks remain waivers. A motion to grant the waivers and approve the subdivision plan was approved unanimously.

The other project discussed during the meeting was the Greentree Industrial Park. Bill Pafutz represented the lot consolidation project. The project would include 116 trailer parking spaces. There was a discussion about adding a trailer storage area.

Pafutz showed he had improved both the circulation and the buffer in the plan since his last time at a planning commission meeting. The lot line adjustment and land development plans were both approved unanimously.

The planning commission also talked about a few aspects of the zoning ordinance in the process of being reviewed. At the April 16 workshop meeting the planning commission was expected to review the open space development and design guidelines.

The review of these items would complete the recommended review of the zoning ordinance. It was clarified the design ordinances will be adopted by a resolution, not an ordinance.

Pandl talked about how Lehigh County was looking into adjusting the 100-year flood plain based on the movement of the Little Lehigh and Swabia creeks. Pandl explained how the flood plain regulations in Appendix A are connected to the zoning ordinance, even though it is a separate document.

The planning commission finished the meeting by looking at the adjusted township map. The new map shows the farmland the township has acquired for preservation since the last revision of the map. It also shows Cedarbrook Road and the driveway for the new Air Products facility. The official township map was approved unanimously.

The next Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission meeting will be May 14.

Usually the planning commission meets the second Tuesday of every month and occasionally there is a workshop meeting on the third Tuesday of the month. Meetings take place 7 p.m. in the township municipal building, 3400 Brookside Road.