PALMER TWP., Pa. – The Palmer Township Planning Commission tabled a preliminary/final land development plan approval involving Easton Area High School redevelopment Tuesday night at the township building.
The plan is for the project’s first phase which involves an athletic complex. This involves the construction of a turf varsity baseball field, turf varsity softball field, grass junior varsity baseball field, tennis courts, a field house and associated infrastructure on the site’s western lot. This first phase is scheduled to start next spring, according to EASD officials.
The proposal calls for two phases for the site development within the existing Easton Area High School campus located near the 25th Street and William Penn Highway intersection. The school has been at this location since the 1960s, which is in the township’s High Density Residential and Government Institutional Overlay district.
The plan has several outstanding issues, according to township staff comments Tuesday night. These issues include additional testing, an outstanding carbon assessment report, and an expected traffic narrative.
EASD officials in attendance expected to continue discussions with Palmer Township officials and plan to return before the planning commission in February.
The second phase of the project involves the new high school’s construction totaling 241,000 square feet, along with parking lots, a band field, bonfire location and public improvements, and the current high school building’s demolition.
Palmer Township is envisioning “major safety improvements along the William Penn Highway corridor,” according to Director of Planning Craig Beavers. To the immediate south of the site, a Chick-fil-A is proposed at the former Rite Aid site. This will likely generate significant pedestrian traffic from students crossing the street.
Proposed site access is via the existing access points on Hartley Avenue, South 25th Street and William Penn Highway. EASD Director of Operations Ken Case said the district is focused on separating bus traffic from parents, students and staff motorists.
Palmer has requested EASD conduct a traffic study and circulation analysis with a particular interest in any potential pedestrian upgrades needed at the William Penn Highway and 25th Street intersection. EASD is also required to include the South 25th Street and Wood Avenue and the Route 22 off-ramp traffic in the report, along with crash analysis.
Alloy 5 Architecture | Easton Area School District
Further discourse on traffic and parking indicates Palmer wants EASD to ensure that existing parallel parking stalls do not interfere with the clear-sight triangle of the new parking lot access drives along the existing interior access way. The municipality also wants the district to run turning templates for fire trucks, school buses, and passenger vehicles throughout the site to verify adequate circulation.
Case said the new high school should be completed by July 2031.
The plan for a mixed-use retail center that spans Palmer Township and Tatamy Borough received preliminary land development approval in Palmer Township.
Chrin mixed-use retail center
Planners granted preliminary land development approval for a mixed-use retail center.
The proposal, offered by the Charles Chrin Real Estate Trust, calls the center split between Palmer Township and Tatamy Borough “Chrin Commerce Center.” On the Palmer side, the plan calls for the two, quick-service restaurants, driveways, and stormwater management facilities. On the Tatamy side, the proposal consists of a 120,000-square-foot warehouse, quick-service restaurant and two retail buildings.
Chrin officials said the warehouse would have a 50-foot height and feature 29 docking spaces.
Bushkill Greenway
Planners received a presentation on a plan for the Bushkill Creek Greenway.
The Greenway consists of a linear corridor of parks and trails, and the plan has goals for this corridor. These goals include flood mitigation, facility updates, implementation of “exemplary accessibility,” enhanced “multi-user recreation experiences, trail system changes, protect habitat and enhance resilience, and communication of local historic and cultural significance.”