Land Grab

The sight of yet another barren, tilled plot of land was far from novel to me. This was a view, sure, but I didn’t feel like it was worth the agonizing over. It wasn’t until we boarded the shuttle again though, that I began to grasp the bigger picture. The most important view, I realized, wasn’t what was in front of me, but what was behind, to my left and right: the homeowners of South Whitehall. As the shuttle carefully managed the winding back roads that hugged the fields, I found myself looking more at what was already there, than what was not: a quiet suburban town.

The prospect of major change can elicit the full spectrum of emotions. When it comes to zoning plans and development, the outcomes will surely impact the economy and residents, but to what end and to what effect? One such threat of commercial developmental change comes in the form of Kay builders’ South Whitehall complex, a massive nearly 190 acre project whose proposal hasn’t gone unnoticed by the residents.

At the forefront of the protest against the development is South Whitehall township’s Dave Burke. Burke got involved three years ago when he saw a posting in the news that a developer was going to build a massive development in  Ridge Farms. He went to the township to look at the drawings and became concerned. Along with a close personal friend, they established the Ridge Farms township committee of concerned citizens. Until he retired at Air Products after 39 years, he felt he wasn’t paying enough attention to township affairs. Burke worries about the traffic which is guaranteed to increase due to the development; Cedar Crest Boulevard would need to be renovated to a tune of $12 million to change the roads in order to accommodate excess traffic. His primary concern is centered around citizen’s involvement with policymakers; people care about what’s going on in their backyards, but won’t do anything. “Town meetings should have citizen involvement for them to understand and hear what the township commissioners want to do,” commented Burke. Until changes are proposed or actually come to fruition. He believes it’s best to be proactive and involved before too late in the game.

According to the website for Concerned S.W.H citizens, the proposed plan proposes on approximately 129 acres would include: 69 single dwelling units, 80 age-restricted single dwelling units, 80 two-unit dwelling units, 114 age-restricted two-unit dwelling units, and a clubhouse; 176 apartment units in eleven 16-unit apartment buildings, four five-story mixed-use buildings containing 26,248 square feet of commercial space on the first floor and 174 apartments above, four one-story 5,000 square-foot commercial buildings, a community clubhouse, dog park and a village plaza; stormwater management facilities and approximately 44.09 acres of common open space, of which at least 16.78 acres is useable open space.

According to an article on the  Kay Builders blog the Ridge Farm development, which would also include retail space, would be the company’s largest development to date. Although Kay builders acknowledges that traffic will be a chief concern, they are confident that the required traffic studies and soil testing for stormwater management work are conclusive enough to support the commencement of future construction. Kay Builders insists that one section rezoned for a commercial retail component with pedestrian access is preferred by 46% of Baby Boomers and 56% of Millennials. Rick Koze, president of Kay Builders says the development would ultimately be a very diverse offering and that the company doesn’t want to fight too many uphill battles, and insisted that he would want to hear from the township residents to hear any concerns they had. Kay Builders met with citizens multiple times but arguments boiled down to the fact that more housing is more money and if zoning exists then there is no motivation not to build. “Everything we did is allowed by what your commissioners put in the law, don’t be angry at us,” Burke recalls being told by a Kay Builders lawyer.

Monica Hodges, another concerned citizen, got a postcard in the mail, dictating the proposed construction on the land that she thought would have forever remain farmland. Through a neighborhood networking app, Next Door, she saw other people who were concerned and were questioning how they could stop the development. Mostly concerned about the aesthetic of the farmland being destroyed that drew her to South Whitehall in the first place, Hodges is hopeful about the fight. “People will come out to vote even if they do not come to meetings at South Whitehall for transparency and dependency,” she said. Hodges has already witnessed the construction of The Regency development and how much particle, noise and light pollution as well as structural damage have resulted. She believes that instead of spending an exorbitant amount on the development, funds should go to repurposing deteriorating buildings. “We need to find more emergency vehicles, it might be a burden on schools, and the highs chool is going to have to be expanded. All in all the citizens are going to be paying more for all these additions and taxes,” she said. Hodges is most worried about the infrastructure and how the development would impact houses near the site. In the end, she recognizes that growth is inevitable and necessary, but hopes that the township will be able to head in a direction of moderate growth and preservation. “I’m not saying I’m anti-growth, we have to grow, we have to, but we want to reach a balance between expansion and conservation,” she stated.

In an article by the Morning Call, South Whitehall Township residents voiced their concerns on traffic and road development. Mike Wolk on Valley Forge Drive voiced concern about the safety of residents who would be subjected to increased congestion on an already congested street. Adding further outrage and concern was the proposed grading along the connecting road of Walbert Avenue to Huckleberry Road, which would exceed the permitted slope. This route, a designated snow emergency route and the only proposed non-private road, would pose a severe risk to motor vehicles during the winter season.

Despite Kay Developers’ positive outlook on the development and its benefits, the fight to prevent it from going forward is very much alive. On the Facebook page for concerned citizens of South Whitehall the overwhelming consensus is that the go ahead for the development will mean a burden on the township’s infrastructure, water, sewer, power lines, police and fire departments, schools, and not to mention a nightmare for traffic. Ultimately, they believe that the development will destroy the aesthetic of the area, and inundate the population with noise and light pollution. Posted on the page is a letter written by David Burke to the South Whitehall township board of commissioners, outlining the concerns of the citizens that the developers’ goal of profit maximization will lead to the exploitation of zoning codes. The Facebook page also includes detailed outlines of the zoning plans and how they are intended to be developed.