BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Bethlehem City Council on Tuesday approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for Ironside Lofts, a proposed seven-story mixed-use apartment building at 33 W. Walnut St.
Adjacent to a new parking garage on West Walnut Street, the predominantly masonry, brick-veneer structure will include one- and two-bedroom apartments, structured parking and ground-floor retail space fronting Walnut Street. Parking for the building will be provided within the new garage.
Councilmember Justin Amann voted to approve the measure, calling the project “a great example of a public-private relationship.”
“The project looks great and fits downtown. I’m supporting it because I appreciate the way the process has been done,” he said.
Community and Economic Development Director Laura Collins said the amount of dialogue surrounding the project was “abnormal.”
She said finding a trusted and qualified developer, having conversations and being engaged in the community were critical factors in selecting a development group.
“I think we made a really great decision going with this group,” Collins said.
Developer Larken Associates, with designs by Minno & Wasko Architects and Planners, met three times — once in August, December and February — with the Historical Architectural Review Board, Collins said.
The developer also solicited feedback from neighbors, community members and HARB members, Collins said.
The city’s HARB reviews proposed exterior alterations, new construction, demolition and signage within designated historic districts to ensure compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The board is an advisory body that makes recommendations to City Council on Certificates of Appropriateness required for building permits, according to the Bethlehem Historic District Association.
A key issue discussed at HARB meetings was the building’s size.
At the board’s December meeting, the architect was directed to further address massing at the west end of the building. After previously stepping back the seventh floor, the architect further modified the façade to show reduced, stepped-back sixth- and seventh-floor levels as viewed from West Walnut and Main streets.
View looking east from West Walnut Street.
Larken Associates/Minno & Wasko Architects and Planners
Updated renderings show 107 apartment units, a figure that fluctuated between 105 and 108 during the review process. The latest layout includes 56 one-bedroom and 51 two-bedroom units. One-bedroom apartments range from 780 to 900 square feet, while two-bedroom units range from 1,000 to 1,300 square feet. Retail space was reduced by 1,000 square feet to 2,900 square feet.
In a 4-1 vote at its February meeting, HARB granted the certificate with conditions that the color palette and finish materials match those previously reviewed. Retail signage must return to the board for review, and exterior fixtures must be submitted for administrative approval. Vice Chair Diana Hodgson cast the lone dissenting vote.
“It took months and months of meeting with people to make sure it was right and make sure it was accurate and make sure it was what people were looking for…I think you saw that in the ultimate recommendation,” Mayor J. William Reynolds said Tuesday night.
Councilmember Bryan Callahan voted no.
“I don’t think we should be selling historic Bethlehem land,” he said. “It’s nothing to do with the building itself. I just think it’s in the wrong spot.”
Council Solicitor Stephanie Steward said City Council, when reviewing a Certificate of Appropriateness, should not consider matters unrelated to historic preservation and district character.
Rather, council should evaluate the appropriateness of exterior architectural features visible from a public way, including design, arrangement, texture, materials and color, and how they relate to similar features in the district, she said.
Steward said building height and land sales are not within council’s purview when reviewing a certificate.
According to City Councilmember Michael Colon, zoning in the area allows buildings up to 150 feet.
Collins said the building’s average height across the site grade is calculated at 86 feet, though height varies by grade from about 69 to 75 feet in some spots. Reynolds said upper-level setbacks reduce the perceived height.
Despite council approval, several residents spoke in opposition during public comment.
“If this seven-story building is built in this location…it will be the beginning of the end for Bethlehem as it has been known,” resident Mary Jo Makhoul said.
“Make no mistake about it. A seven-story apartment building immediately behind Main Street businesses will irrevocably detract from the Main Street ambiance,” resident Bill Scheirer said. “There’s no way that person would be able to look at Main Street and not also notice a seven-story building hovering over the shops in the middle of the block.”
“It appears the developer dollar is beginning to take rein over the Main Street area,” resident Stephen Antalics said.
Rendering for Ironside Lofts, as viewed south from Guetter Street and West Walnut Street.
Larken Associates/Minno & Wasko Architects and Planners
Resident Artie Curatola urged council to reject the project.
“They can find places to build those large buildings somewhere else, not where historical landmarks are on Main Street…we don’t need this. Not in our city,” Curatola said.
Separate public comment addressed HARB member terms, with residents saying some members are serving beyond their terms. City Solicitor John Spirk Jr. said members hold office until replaced.
Resident Martin Romeril expressed interest in joining the board, citing “once-in-a-generation decisions being made that have and will significantly affect the character and quality of life of the residents of this neighborhood for decades to come.”
Commenters also noted vacancies on the nine-member board, which currently has six members. Council President Rachel Leon said she wants to see the board brought to full capacity.