The town of Bethlehem has ordered an area business to vacate, citing a moving slope on the property that “poses an imminent threat to public safety.”
A portion of the slope at 55 Delaware Ave., site of Jiffy Lube and Hoffman’s Car Wash, is actively moving, the town said in a statement, citing monitoring data and a 23-foot deep crack on the northern end of the property’s parking lot.
The business will remain closed until the property is deemed safe. The site, located near the Normans Kill creek, is one that town and company officials have kept their eyes on for years.
Areas of the slope have been susceptible to slides, including one in 2000, the company said on its website.
“To be clear, the wash tunnel and Jiffy Lube facility are not impacted,” Hoffmans said. “The area of concern is a small section of land furthest from the building, and there has been little to no movement observed over the last two years. Still, we believe this precautionary closure is the responsible step while new engineering evaluations and data are thoroughly reviewed.”
Two gas pipelines are being relocated from the area.
The state Department of Transportation has determined Delaware Avenue is safe for travel.
