The nearly 800,000-square-foot manufacturing complex that Eli Lillly and Co. plans for Upper Macungie Township has reached the desk of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.
On Tuesday, the Comprehensive Planning Committee will discuss a draft letter reviewing the project during its monthly virtual meeting at noon. If the letter to Upper Macungie is approved, it would be taken up by the full LVPC on Thursday evening.
While lauding the project, there were plenty of questions, especially regarding traffic, truck parking and the land’s natural features.
A team of LVPC Chief Community and Regional Planner Jill Seitz, Director of Environmental Planning Susan Myerov and Transportation Planner Evan Gardi went through various parts of the plan for the 150-acre property that is bordered by Interstate 78 and Old Route 22 just west of Fogelsville.
“The project site is in an area that has seen substantial industrial investment and growth over the past 20 years, and major transportation improvements are being coordinated in the vicinity,” they wrote in the draft letter. “The project serves to ‘match development intensity with existing and planned infrastructure capacity.’ ”
Lilly, along with Lehigh Valley business and political leaders, on Jan. 31 announced the $3.5 billion project, the largest business investment in the region’s history and the largest life science investment in state history.
The Lilly plant is being developed on former farmland owned by Jaindl Land Co., but the scope of the project — which will employ 2,000 construction workers and 850 employees when fully complete in 2031 — means “factors may be present and capable of accommodating additional development,” including access to public sewer and water and major highways.
The letter also notes that a major industrial area exists across I-78 and is zoned by the township as a limited light industrial district that allows pharmaceutical production by right.
Traffic was also mentioned, with the LVPC’s traffic impact study data for daily trips not lining up with Lilly’s estimates.
For instance, the LVPC estimated 289 daily truck trips for the facility, while Lilly put it at 90. Overall, the commission’s numbers had more than 240 more vehicle trips on average.
“Until revised transportation impact information is received, the following comments remain: the applicant should address how it was determined that only 90 trucks are anticipated to be generated per day, according to the TIS,” the letter said.
Also noted was that any traffic leaving the plant will use Main Street through Fogelsville to access Route 100 and I-78. The letter said the company should post signs to direct traffic away from sensitive residential areas.
The LVPC also recommended that Lilly add truck spaces as the amount on the plan is “seemingly a deficient amount for the anticipated number of trucks accessing the site.”
The agenda also includes a proposed parking garage at Lehigh Valley International Airport and a slew of ordinances from several municipalities for such things as data centers, solar farms and residential developments.
Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.