At the July 16 meeting of East Allen Township Zoning Hearing Board, PDW Properties was unsuccessful in its request for the board to consider redeveloping a property PDW owns along Airport Road. The property has a miniature golf course, a snack bar and a driving range as its tenants.

This stretch of Airport Road is booming with commercial development.

A large warehouse under construction by Vertek is at the intersection with Route 329. The warehouse is expected to cause such an influx of traffic that streets are being widened and intersections reworked.

Across the street, Imperial Realty is going to build a large warehouse to match its neighbor.

RCN Corporation has a storage spot with truck access in the area.

A self-storage area rounds out the list of major businesses above Locust Road.

There are proposals for a residential development on Locust Road along with a natural gas line to Keystone Cement Company.

What does all this have in common with a miniature golf course? In a word, nothing. That’s why PDW wants to make the land more bountiful.

In its proposal, PDW wants to complement the area with an office development along Airport Road. The commercial clients of that development would include either a medical office building or office complex. The commercial strip makes up the streetside development.

No one has a problem with this proposal. The Nor-Bath walking and biking trail is wedged in the mix and keeps separation between the large and small commercial applications.

PDW wants to include an apartment complex behind its commercial development. Joint residential/commercial developments are a hot commodity in the real estate market.

The acreage behind the commercial front buildings is currently zoned agricultural, so apartment use is not allowed. PDW asked the zoning hearing board to grant the change. The developer is looking for 53 higher-end apartments with monthly rents in the $1,300 to $1,500 range.

Residents in attendance were concerned about the increase in traffic, particularly emphasizing that trucks and cars would be a confusing mix at the access point to the apartments.

Other residents were satisfied with the existing level of commerce in this business corridor, dubbed Franks Corner. The strip mall along Route 329 is comfortable and will remain as a separate parcel. The consolidated warehouse by Imperial Realty will eliminate sewer line access problems.

Dennis Benner, the attorney representing PDW, explained that access for agricultural purposes is restricted if the property owner goes ahead with the commercial applications streetside. None of the residents seemed concerned with restricted access to the back part of the property.

Sharon Fournier, a Jacksonville Road resident, has concerns that the cube warehouse looming in her backyard is extended by another commercial application with the apartments.

The zoning hearing board ultimately voted against PDW. Benner will get back with his clients for a third try at bringing a profitable application to the table. Until then, the miniature golf course and ice cream window will stay open.