Members of Lehigh Valley Planning Commission were present at the May 4 Northampton County Council meeting to provide the annual report.

During 2022, LVPC performed more than 1,200 reviews, including stormwater management, subdivisions and traffic impact studies. A total of 566 of those reviews were done for Northampton County.

The board also reviews residential proposals and reviewed more than 6,400 of them in 2022.

Per square foot, nonresidential proposals were largely industrial in Northampton County, with commercial, retail and office proposals significantly smaller.

The planning commission is currently working on a walk audit to increase safety and a climate plan to reduce greenhouse gases.

According to David Jan, LVPC economist and data scientist, the Lehigh Valley is expected to grow by 100,000 people and 74,000 jobs by 2050. That number equals out to about 3,000 people per year.

Northampton County specifically is estimated to increase by 16 percent, or by 50,400 people.

These predictions are made every four years and help municipalities, businesses and schools plan every part of the community.

“That probably seemed like a lot, but in reality, it just scratches the surface of what we were able to accomplish in 2022,” said LVPC Vice Chairman Chris Amato.

In other business, county Executive Lamont McClure announced the federal government is ending the federal public health emergency for COVID-19.

McClure said county employees will no longer have to wear masks or have their temperature taken before entering the building, as of May 12, and new employees are no longer required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, except those at Gracedale.