{"id":4316,"date":"2025-10-16T16:39:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T16:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/4316\/"},"modified":"2025-10-16T16:39:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T16:39:15","slug":"amid-development-bethlehem-homeowners-stand-guard-over-beloved-shade-trees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/4316\/","title":{"rendered":"Amid development, Bethlehem homeowners stand guard over beloved shade trees"},"content":{"rendered":"

UPDATE: Bethlehem zoners ‘heard the voices of the people,’ deny townhouse developer’s appeal<\/a><\/p>\n

BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 Living under a shade tree was the main draw for Daiyana Rodriguez when she bought her home on Rauch Street in West Bethlehem.<\/p>\n

The 85-year-old landmark linden tree is often visited by bees and woodpeckers. Standing guard at least a couple of stories taller than Rodriguez\u2019s 130-year-old twin home close by, it helps keep the temperature more comfortable for her both inside and outside during heat waves.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a three-story house, and this is the only thing allowing me to use my attic,\u201d Rodriguez, a Spanish teacher at Liberty High School, told LehighValleyNews.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

About a half-mile west, on Eighth Avenue, a willow tree towers in the backdrop of weeping blue atlas, rose bush, banana and cactus plants. It\u2019s about twice the height of the linden on Rauch Street.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a three-story house, and this is the only thing allowing me to use my attic.”<\/p>\n

Bethlehem homeowner Diayana Rodriguez, pointing to the 85-year-old landmark linden tree in her yard<\/p>\n

Phillipsburg High School literature teacher Nicole Boncik and her husband tend to \u201cWill.O\u201d on the edge of their property.<\/p>\n

With its 24-foot circumference, visiting guests for the tree include squirrels, skunks, cardinals and even a falcon. A groundhog has set up shop under the shed nearby, Boncik said.<\/p>\n

For the two trees, expansive root networks may put them at risk as the neighborhood expands around them.<\/p>\n

As for the two local educators, they await what\u2019s next as developers plan to put up townhomes on adjacent lots.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re preparing for what they say could be the worst-case scenario: losing their beloved trees and an established quality of life in the neighborhood in the process.<\/p>\n

What’s proposed<\/p>\n

At 312 Hanover St., Developer Ishtiaq Ali Saaem, of Hanover Rauch LLC, has plans to build a 2 1\/2-story “townhouse style” structure with three dwelling units, each with three bedrooms and two garage parking spaces.<\/p>\n

Four more parking spots would be available on site between the proposed building and an existing two-family residential building, according to recent plans<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, the Bethlehem Zoning Hearing Board is scheduled to announce its ruling regarding Saaem\u2019s bid to challenge the city zoning officer\u2019s ruling that he has inadequate lot size for the proposed project next door to Rodriguez.<\/p>\n

About a half-mile away at 241 Eighth Ave., next door to Boncik, property owner Martin Zawarski and his plan for six apartments and 12 parking spots, as proposed, needs variances for lot width and buffer yard. It\u2019s on the zoning board agenda for Wednesday, Oct. 22.<\/p>\n

The project will include demolishing the single-family detached dwelling on site to construct a three-story structure with six apartments and 11 off-street spots.<\/p>\n

Boncik, calling some parts of development \u201ca citywide problem, an environmental issue that could happen to anybody,\u201d said her online and hard-copy petitions<\/a> opposing the development have garnered close to 1,500 signatures \u2014 a great majority of those being Bethlehem residents.<\/p>\n

Attorneys for the applicants James Preston and Victor Scomillio have not responded to requests for comment.<\/p>\n

\"Hanover<\/p>\n

Will Oliver<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

LehighValleyNews.com<\/p>\n

A linden tree stands along Rauch Street in West Bethlehem. The property next door is set for six new apartments.<\/p>\n

Community health at stake<\/p>\n

Rodriguez and Boncik said honoring and preserving the trees keeps the city true to its Climate Action Plan and Tree City USA designation, while also soaking up stormwater and keeping neighborhood air clean.<\/p>\n

The trees are among the state\u2019s grandest recognized by the Champion Tree Program through the Pennsylvania Forestry Association.<\/p>\n

Rodriguez, who lives with severe asthma \u2014 a chronic, long-term condition characterized by trouble breathing, chest pain and mucus build-up \u2014 said the linden tree is a \u201clifeline\u201d for her and her husband who lives with an immune system disorder.<\/p>\n

An annual ranking from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America shows the greater Lehigh Valley among the top areas nationwide living with the condition.<\/p>\n

“But how long are we going to be able to stay here if you keep destroying like every tiny little greenery, every tiny tree? When does high density become dangerous density?\u201d<\/p>\n

Bethlehem homeowner Daiyana Rodriguez<\/p>\n

AAFA also recognizes September as the annual \u201cAsthma Peak,\u201d a time of year marked by ragweed pollen season and broad changes in weather.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe live in high-density places because we enjoy living in proximity to neighbors. We like that,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cBut how long are we going to be able to stay here if you keep destroying like every tiny little greenery, every tiny tree?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen does high density become dangerous density?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Hanover<\/p>\n

Courtesy <\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

Daiyana Rodriguez<\/p>\n

A linden tree towers over its lot at Hanover and Rauch streets in Bethlehem.<\/p>\n

Rodriguez said her students are already looking ahead and asking questions, too, as future taxpayers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re already thinking of environmental issues, they are thinking of the future,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd really we’re suffering with that now, but they are the ones who are going to live with this because they are the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Nicole<\/p>\n

Will Oliver<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

LehighValleyNews.com<\/p>\n

Nicole Boncik stands on her back porch at Eighth Avenue. Six apartments are planned to go up next door.<\/p>\n

‘We loved what we saw’<\/p>\n

Boncik and her husband live next to a single-family ranch home that\u2019s planned for demolition.<\/p>\n

She said Spring Street nearby to the south is called that for a reason; she and many of her neighbors have added sinkhole insurance due to underground springs nearby.<\/p>\n

If \u201cWill.O\u201d had to come down, the land wouldn\u2019t be able to handle the flooding from storms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe decks, literally on the third and second floor, would be overhanging our house. And the retaining wall that he wants to put there \u2014 we would walk out of our finished basement into the wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bethlehem homeowner Nicole Boncik<\/p>\n

\u201cWe loved what we saw\u201d in buying their home on Eighth Avenue more than 17 years ago, Boncik said.<\/p>\n

But the cherished views once had of the Bethlehem Star on South Mountain?<\/p>\n

\u201cThe decks, literally on the third and second floor, would be overhanging our house,\u201d Boncik said, chuckling.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the retaining wall that he wants to put there \u2014 we would walk out of our finished basement into the wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both sites are lacking for emergency vehicle access, specifically Rauch and Carter streets, the homeowners said.<\/p>\n

\"Nicole<\/p>\n

Will Oliver<\/p>\n

\/<\/p>\n

LehighValleyNews.com<\/p>\n

Nicole Boncik (left) and Daiyana Rodriguez (right) stand under “Will.O” — a massive willow tree near Carter Street in Bethlehem.<\/p>\n

‘A citywide problem’<\/p>\n

Looking west from her porch at Rauch Street, Rodriguez has a view of South Mountain, SteelStacks and Central Moravian Church.<\/p>\n

In her immediate foreground: 70 luxury apartments at The Armory along Prospect Avenue.<\/p>\n

She said she used to be able to more clearly see the hustle-bustle of Main Street and fireworks on the Fourth of July.<\/p>\n

The Armory\u2019s website shows a 783-square-foot, one-bed, one-bath unit for $1,764 per month.<\/p>\n

Twenty more apartments are located to her immediate north.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not going to solve a housing problem by creating other housing and health issues. If you put in jeopardy the old homes that already exist, you are making that problem worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bethlehem homeowner Daiyana Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Data shows cost-burdened Lehigh Valley households, where more than 30% of income pays for living expenses, total 192,000 \u2014 with about 60% of renters and more than 20% of homeowners as part of that demographic.<\/p>\n

The Lehigh Valley is about 9,000 housing units short, with the gap growing about 1,300 annually.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not going to solve a housing problem by creating other housing and health issues,\u201d Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you put in jeopardy the old homes that already exist, you are making that problem worse.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"UPDATE: Bethlehem zoners ‘heard the voices of the people,’ deny townhouse developer’s appeal BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 Living under…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4317,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[3923,3924,153,155,154,3927,3925,3926,3928,3929,3930,3931],"class_list":["post-4316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-241-eighth-avenue","tag-312-hanover-street","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news","tag-bethlehem-will-o-tree","tag-bethlehem-willow-tree","tag-bethlehem-zoning-hearing-board","tag-david-zawarski","tag-diayana-rodriguez","tag-eighth-avenue","tag-nicole-boncik"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4316"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4316\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}