Expansion plans by Ciocca Subaru moved a step closer to reality Tuesday night, when the Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission recommended final approval of a lot consolidation and subdivision plan submitted by Eastern Industries.
Eastern Industries proposes consolidating and selling the car dealership 9.8 acres of property that is just east of Schantz Road, between Route 222 and Hamilton Boulevard.
The Subaru dealership, which is east of that property located at 4611 Hamilton Blvd., plans to expand onto it.
No construction is proposed under the subdivision plan that was recommended for approval by township commissioners.
Dealership officials will have to go before the township with a land development plan.
Paul Frank, manager of business development and special projects at Ciocca Subaru, told planners: “Our intention is to move forward as quickly as possible.
“We have preliminary plans for the expansion of the building, but we’ve gotten nowhere at all with the site development. We’re waiting on final approvals here to make that happen.
“It’s our intent to move forward with this as quickly as possible. We’re prepared to settle on the property and buy it and we’ll start right away with the engineering work for the land development.”
Eastern Industries will continue operating on more than 35 acres just north of Route 222, where it has a hot mix asphalt processing plant as well as storage and sales of building materials.
But Mark Bradbury, the engineer representing Eastern Industries, told the planning commission the company also has an agreement with someone interested in purchasing that 35.5 acres.
Bradbury said the property south of Route 222 will be sold first.
Frank said the dealership is not interested in buying the Eastern Industries property north of Route 222.
The nearly 10-acre property it wants to buy currently consists of three lots that will be consolidated. Two of them, each just over an acre in size, are along Hamilton Boulevard between the Dunkin Donuts and PPL Gold Credit Union.
Sycamore tree doomed
Sara Pandl, the township’s planning director, argued for preservation of a “heritage” sycamore tree growing near Hamilton Boulevard on Eastern Industries’ property.
She expressed hope that whoever buys and develops that property will protect the “very large and historical” tree.
She called it one of the largest sycamores along Hamilton Boulevard and a remnant of trees planted there by the late Gen. Harry C. Trexler, the early 20th-century Allentown businessman, visionary and philanthropist.
But Bradbury said that tree is about 105 feet off Hamilton Boulevard and probably was planted by Eastern Industries, not by Trexler or his estate.
He also said the tree is within a Sunoco pipeline right-of-way and its base is only six feet away from an actual underground gas pipe.
“When this goes to land development, that tree will be immediately removed by order of Sunoco because it’s in the right-of-way over the pipeline,” predicted the engineer.
“I’m very surprised it has not been removed already. The roots have probably grown down and around that high-pressure gas pipeline.”
Bradbury said any land development plan will have to be submitted to the pipeline company for review, which will spur removal of the tree. He said Sunoco could take down the tree at any time without notifying anyone.
Pandl guessed the tree is 75-100 years old, but Bradbury said it probably was planted in the 1950s. “It’s a sad situation,” said the engineer. “It’s a tall, beautiful tree. It;s a shame but I know it’s not going to stay.”
Bike path along Schantz Road?
The township wants a sidewalk installed along Hamilton Boulevard on the 9.8-acre Eastern Industries property and a possibly a macadam bicycle path along Schantz Road.
Bradbury said putting a bike path along Schantz Road would involve overcoming some major obstacles, including a tight spot going under the Route 222 bridge and “a very large box culvert that would need special stream crossing permits.”
The Eastern Industries’ engineer also said that bike path would end abruptly, where a bank at the north end of Eastern Industries’ property comes down to the edge of Schantz Road.
He said that issue “absolutely” would be addressed when the property south of Route 222 is developed.
Planning commission member George Doughty suggested a bike path would not have to be installed along the Schantz Road right-of-way, but could cross a future development at another location.
Doughty insisted Schantz Road still needs a bike path along that road.
More parking at Mack plant
In other business Tuesday night, the planning commission tabled a proposal to expand parking at Mack Trucks’ Macungie plant, which is between Alburtis Road, Route 100 and Gehman Road in the township.
Mack proposes expanding the visitors lot along Alburtis Road on the north side of the plant from 70 to 120 spaces.
On the south side of the plant, the company proposes expanding employee parking from 848 to 916 spaces.
Mack is not adding more employees, but wants the 68 additional spaces close to the plant “for better use, better access, better location,” said David Morgan of SSM Group Engineering and Environmental Services.
The visitors lot would be expanded by 50 spaces, said Morgan, “because it gets pretty full during the day; there’s definitely a need for additional visitors' parking out front.”
He said lights are not needed in that front lot because it’s only used during the day.
Planning commission chairman Irvin Keister suggested Mack should discourage tractor-trailers from parking along Gehman Road while waiting to get into the plant.
He suggested Mack look at providing more space within its 146.5-acre site to eliminate that problem.
Vice chairman Maury Robert suggested Mack provide a parking area for those tractor-trailers that now wait on Gehman Road to make deliveries in the plant.
Robert said township regulations require new warehouses to provide such areas on their properties. He acknowledged the Mack plant does not fall under those requirements.
“We can certainly take a look at it and see what can be done,” said R. Thomas Gombos, facilities manager at Mack.
Pandl advised the Mack representatives that major development is planned across Gehman Road from their plant — including a Weis market with a cafe, a Weis gas station, two restaurants along Route 100 and 204 apartments behind the Allen Organ building.
She recommended Mack offer “some kind of pedestrian connectivity” across Gehman so its employees easily can go to the grocery store and restaurants.
Planning commission member Ann Bartholomew recommended the area where pedestrians would cross Gehman should be well lit so it safely can be used by Mack workers on night shifts.
Robert said some Mack workers already are interested in renting units in the proposed apartment complex, so they can walk to work.
He noted Lower Macungie officials are trying to create a more walkable community.
Robert said a macadam bike path eventually will run along Route 100 from Gehman Road to the Macungie borough line and suggested it would be beneficial if Mack extends it across its property along Route 100.
In response to a question from Doughty about possible future expansion of the plant, Gombos said Mack is looking at possibly expanding because truck production is up, adding: “They’re working on those plans now. As we get more details on that, we’ll definitely be coming to you.”
But he told planners he’s not aware of any plans by Mack that will require more land.
Because production has gone up, Gombos said truck-building components are being stored in off-site warehouses rather than all being delivered directly to the plant.
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