EASTON, Pa. – The Easton Planning Commission continued a hearing on a preliminary/final development plan on a warehouse application Wednesday night at city hall.
The facility, known as the Easton Commerce Center, would occupy the former 106.2-acre Pfizer Pigments site. The proposal, offered by Easton Wood Ave Propco, calls for a 1 million-square-foot warehouse near the 13th Street and Route 22 intersection at 1525 Wood Ave.
The building would cover about 23 acres near two Route 22 intersections at 13th and 25th streets. Bushkill Creek would flow around a portion of the structure.
Most of the site — 93 percent — rests in the Borough of Wilson, with some land in the City of Easton and a smaller portion in Palmer Township. Warehousing is permitted by-right in Wilson and Easton.
Wednesday night’s hearing was continued from Sept. 3. The applicant’s attorney, Marc Kaplin, said his client was seeking preliminary/final approval and had requested the hearing to dispel what he said was “misinformation and falsehoods” regarding the project.
Kaplin’s second overall witness and first on Wednesday night was Jeffrey Smith, a geologist. Smith testified about how contaminated sites are remediated, and how he composed a remedial investigation, risk assessment and cleanup plan at the site. He explained how his plan eliminated risk associated with contamination.
“Contaminants are essentially not a risk,” with his plan, Smith testified.
The geologist noted they sought to examine a full gamut of potential chemicals during their risk assessment.
“We weren’t skimping on what we were looking for,” he said. “…From an environmental standpoint, it is ready to go forward.”
Smith added the site had an approved cleanup plan and an approved land development plan.
Planners’ questions to Smith focused on airborne contaminants during the actual cleanup and whether those would pose a safety risk to the nearby community.
Under cross-examination by an attorney hired by an objecting party, Smith acknowledged he was not aware of any naturally occurring uranium or asbestiform minerals on the site. Further, he said no sampling had been taken of any site bedrock.
Kaplin’s third witness overall was Benjamin Mueller, a mechanical and acoustical engineer, who testified about the types of sound that would be generated on the proposed site based on his model results. He stated that sound emissions of the site would be in compliance with the Easton noise control ordinance.
Planners asked if the model would present accurate information given that the property’s end user was not yet established. Mueller responded that although there are several warehouse types, in essence, they all function similarly.
The applicant’s first witness was Donald Haas, an engineer and architect associated with the project, who testified he had assisted the applicant with procuring several permits. He testified floodplain encroachments, and the plan overall would improve not worsen the site.
Haas testified the project “wound not have adverse environmental impacts” on the city of Easton.
At its Aug. 6 meeting, the planning commission recommended the zoning hearing board reject a special exception request by the applicant for the relocation of a watercourse in a floodplain. The zoning hearing board is scheduled to hear the request Sept. 18.
On Sept. 9, 2024, Wilson Borough Council granted the project preliminary/final plan approval along with five waivers. They included granting preliminary/final plan approval, a wider entrance area than permitted by code, sidewalks, berms and leaving the widening of Wood and Hackett avenues up to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
The hearing will resume Nov. 5.