Bethlehem City Council backed a controversial 9-story development planned for South New Street after hearing from many residents opposed to the project.
Council voted 5-2 to approve a certificate of appropriateness, required in the historic district, for the 88-foot building at 317-322 S. New Street. Councilwoman Grace Crampsie Smith and Dr. Paige Van Wirt did not support the plan.
Tuesday night’s vote wraps up more than six months of debate over restauranteur Rafael Palomino’s and business partner Jeffrey Quinn’s plans for a stretch of South New that includes the shuttered Your Welcome Inn and several storefronts. Initially, the proposed building stood at 13 stories and more than 80 units, but the developer has repeatedly scaled back its plans.
The South Bethlehem Historic Conservation Commission’s first recommended city council reject the 104-foot project, but then council in June sent the proposal back to the historic oversight board after revised plans were submitted to the city. The commission then approved the reduced building height in June.
Ultimately, council on Tuesday backed a certificate of appropriateness for an 88-foot building with 53 two-bedroom units and eight one-bedroom units, six of which will be affordable housing. The eclectic Palomino Food Court will anchor the ground floor, with a range of food including tapas, Mexican, vegan and Italian. Several council members liked that a commercial first-floor tenant is already in place. Across the street, Dennis Benner’s six-story development’s struggled to fill its first floor commercial space at a high-profile intersection.
Palomino’s proposed building incorporates the Italianate Facade of 321-323 S. New St., the only building deemed historic, and adds square footage as it rises back to East Graham Place. The project calls for the demolition of four buildings of varying heights, the tallest four stories, the shortest a single story.
The building’s main entry points will be flanked by candy-striped fabric awnings and a mixture of limestone and synthetic brick veneer comprise the building’s facade, according to documents submitted to the city. Mayor Bob Donchez has supported the project, citing the need for more affordable housing in the city. With the lower building height, the project no longer includes rooftop amenities.
“We believe there is a strong need for market-rate apartment housing for workforce individuals, healthcare providers, young professionals, life science and university communities and graduate students,” Clark+Quinn Development said in a letter submitted to the city after completing a market study of the Lehigh Valley housing area. “We believe our development will encourage other area residents to visit new and existing downtown retail venues, growing the downtown and growing the tax base.”
The project approval comes on the heels of a South Bethlehem Historic Conservation District study that recommends reducing building heights in central business district areas from 150 feet to 90 or 60 feet on certain blocks. A 150-foot building is about 14 stories. The Wilbur Trust building, commonly known as the Flatiron building, stands at about 75-feet tall while the Fred B. Rooney Building is about 175 feet. Residents panned the study at a recent council committee meeting.
Council President Adam Waldron said he is pleased to see the building now under 90-feet and he believes that should be the new high-water mark in the central business district.
Van Wirt urged her colleagues to pause approving buildings in the affected areas, until the city resolves the conflict between its historic preservation regulations and its zoning. Her suggestion did not garner support.
Councilman J. William Reynolds did urge the administration to bring forward its recommended changes stemming from the Southside height’s study.
“I have not gotten one (letter) in support of this,” Van Wirt said. “...This is not the same 10 people (complaining at meetings). This is a broad cross-section of people in Bethlehem, north Bethlehem and predominantly South Bethlehem, who do not want this to go forward. I think it is irresponsible for us not to listen to them.”
Crampsie Smith, a major proponent of affordable housing, feels the city should not be using density bonuses and encouraging large-scale development in a historic area with existing traffic congestion. Both she and Van Wirt worry about how it could hurt the adjacent South Bethlehem Greenway.
“I don’t think six units of affordable housing outweighs the risk of this development,” Crampsie Smith said.
Southside resident Anna Smith said it is exhausting for residents to sit through multiple, three-hour meetings and share their well-researched concerns for their neighborhood and see them repeatedly dismissed.
“I know you’re going to pass this project tonight and I know the impact it will have on our neighborhoods,” Smith said. “I know some folks on the Southside see this as the last straw, the final blind capitulation to a wealthy Connecticut developer that will be cited as precedent for any and every project moving forward. And I know there are folks thinking about how long we’ll be able to stay in our neighborhoods if this is the future.”
The project next must go through the city’s land development process.
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Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com.
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July 07, 2021 at 05:01PM
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Council backs 9-story South Bethlehem building despite residents’ pleas - lehighvalleylive.com
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