SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. – The South Whitehall Township Planning Commission granted approval to the preliminary/final expansion plan of Parkland High School on Thursday night at the township building.
The plan proposes five different building expansions for the high school located at 2700 N. Cedar Crest Blvd. The five projects involve two classroom expansions of 18,773 square feet and 19,782 square feet, a building addition of 572 square feet, a 5,385-square-foot athletic entrance expansion, and a cafeteria expansion of 2,753 square feet on a 112.5-acre tract.
In addition to the building expansions, the project includes a bus loop extension to create 11 additional bus parking spaces. This will eliminate the 63-space parking lot adjacent to the bus loop. A new parking lot will be constructed to the southeast of the existing parking lots near Cedar Crest Boulevard, adding 111 new parking spaces. The changes to the parking area will increase total parking from 1,445 to 1,489.
The applicant made two SALDO waiver requests. One, approved on July 10 by planners, allows grading steeper than 3-to-1, with a maximum of 1.5-to-1. On Thursday night the school district requested the area be increased. The request was approved by the commission.
The second request would allow Parkland to receive the building permit prior to submitting the receipt from the office of the Lehigh County Recorder of Deeds to the Department of Community and Economic Development. The DCED recommended the waiver “be addressed further along in the project approval process during the board of commissioners’ review of the final plan.” Planners supported the recommendation.
Parkland also made several deferral requests involving roadway improvements along Orefield Road, Cedar Crest Boulevard and Ritter Road. The requests involve the categories of cartway widening, sidewalk and curbing, and street trees. Township officials said Thursday night they did not consider them “major.”
A township engineering services project review dated Nov. 5 contained comments on stormwater management expansion and clarification requests, along with traffic comments. The anticipated increase in traffic to and from the school is expected to cause additional delays at the Cedar Crest Boulevard and Huckleberry Road intersection if the proposed improvements associated with the Ridge Farms development are not implemented.
“Therefore, we recommend that the applicant, the township and PennDOT collaborate to identify any required improvements to support the high school expansion in the absence of the proposed Ridge Farms improvements.”
The engineer is also recommending Parkland provide clear sight triangles at the intersections of Cedar Crest Boulevard and Ritter Road, and Orefield Road and Ritter Road. The department recommended project approval Thursday night.
The high school was constructed in 1999. Various additions to recreational facilities and maintenance-related structures have been completed since.
The project is part of Parkland School District’s “Vision 2030” plan, which is designated to “determine a path forward that addresses capacity issues at our secondary schools.”
The plan still must be approved by the township’s board of commissioners.
Transportation Center
In a separate measure involving the Parkland School District, a preliminary/final lot review of a lot consolidation for a transportation center was tabled.
The district is proposing a new 17,600-square-foot maintenance building and improvements which include a fueling area, a bush wash area, 219 parking spaces for car and van parking, 152 parking spaces for buses, along with a pavement expansion and a driveway connection to Orefield Road. An existing garage will remain although an existing pole barn is slated to be demolished.
The plan includes a lot consolidation of four tracts owned and operated by the district at 4362 and 4434 Orefield Rd., 2675 Route 309, and 2619 Stadium Dr.
A Nov. 5 township engineer review indicated that about 2,500 feet of Stadium Road is proposed to be vacated. The township should “determine the acceptability of this proposal.” A public safety commission review also expressed concerns about Stadium Road’s vacation, which would remove it from South Whitehall ownership. This, the commission said, “could lead to potential access problems if the school district decided to make future changes to the road or the land adjacent to the road.” The commission said it would be “difficult to make recommendations until questions regarding easements and street vacation are clarified.”
“It is preferred Stadium Road continue under township ownership,” the public safety commission said.
A South Whitehall planning Nov. 4 review stated “staff does not support the request to vacate a portion of right-of-way along Stadium Drive.” The planning department sought additional information from Parkland School District to ensure clear and adequate perpetual access will be provided to residents along Stadium Drive.
A township zoning officer review dated Oct. 28 also does not support a street recommendation.
St. Joseph the Worker
A third item on the evening’s agenda, a consolidation of lots to install a solar array for St. Joseph the Worker located at 1879 Applewood Drive, was pulled from the evening’s agenda.