The future of Hecktown Road Business Park, a 96-acre plan that has been on the table for five-plus years, could be decided Monday night by the Bethlehem Township commissioners.
Fairfield Development Co. will be asking for the plan's approval at a disadvantage -- it lacks a recommendation from the township's Planning Commission.
The commission voted against the plan this week because Fairfield did not get zoning variances required for such a project, said Paul Weiss, chairman of the Planning Commission.
"It is the practice of the Planning Commission not to conditionally approve a project with outstanding zoning issues," Weiss said.
The outstanding issue has to do with a berm. The developers could not install the berm -- as specified in the zoning ordinance -- because of drainage issues. It would require the developer to obtain a variance from the Zoning Hearing Board, said Kevin Snyder, assistant township planner.
The developers, who expected the commission to make a decision that night, were informed about the berm issue the day of the hearing and refused to grant the township an extension. The developer had already granted the township two extensions within the past 11 months, Snyder said.
Don Ayers of Fairfield Development did not return a telephone call.
"It's fair to say that the Planning Commission had no choice but to vote," Weiss said. "You hate to shoot somebody in the foot, but we did what we had to do."
Weiss said there were other outstanding issues, such as an approval for the sewer capacity, but could have been left as a condition for approval, Weiss said. He added he has no problems with the plans for the park.
Fairfield is proposing to build an industrial office park off the Route 33 ramp and straddling the Bethlehem and Lower Nazareth Township borders. It would house three to four business. Developers have said they are considering bringing in warehouse distributors and a car dealership.
In other business Monday, the commission recommended that the commissioners amend the zoning ordinance for light industrial and office/business districts to permit an orthopedic center to operate an overnight rehabilitation service for patients.
The amendment is requested by Ambulatory Surgery Center, which operates on Highland Drive in the Lehigh Valley Industrial Park IV.
The center, owned by Coordinated Health Systems and St. Luke's Hospital and Health Network, was designed and built specifically to provide outpatient surgery and does not accommodate overnight stays now.
The commission also recommended the approval of a preliminary plan to build a day school in Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VI at Emrick Boulevard and Dealtrey Drive.
The Cambridge Country Day School would be one story and encompass 9,280 square feet, according to the plans. Parking plans show spots to accommodate 10 employees and 100 students.
Reporter Nicole Radzievich