[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6286578,"mediaKeyId","2557850-aa4b982ac5b31e5e958c2be9f8667265","parentId",2557850,"title","Zoning board approves 469‑unit conditioned storage redevelopment with limits on outdoor RV/boat parking","audioSeconds",19,"startMs",1053000,"endMs",1072000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2557850-aa4b982ac5b31e5e958c2be9f8667265&start=1053&end=1072","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2557850-aa4b982ac5b31e5e958c2be9f8667265/thumbnail_1053000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6286578/Allentown-City/Lehigh-County/Pennsylvania/Zoning-board-approves-469unit-conditioned-storage-redevelopment-with-limits-on-outdoor-RVboat-parking","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6286578-28f05ffdbcaf1dd358d0c84e7bf265b7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178856&Signature=gMlt0xWM1xvtCflIPBhV909gY5el1EutHsfPKlAEC51dJohOO4GyC2LZ8zSLGf3J6AKMjclFLu9qw~-0gdWNK6nVH-3T9cu03717aVIjalBbIz4~ItTlxik~7YgILaNoJ5YNyEaXhNPAoUROzQ7-gmk0YbFx3ypsm7IItH3pqfUxm4k7DQW3r7BU-JOoG-00SLZclcRLelZmYLX24aBqLYh8KAnu3Uv8D6HDYmESAGoL~15ZvNBbYhxvl1d4brlHj0StBq06RQGfv5WQaAPs97SWYmZ4NlnLHzUAyzw8puZ-9qXJf87kc~BuglCrpfyJsYTOTNKJPJTfO521oyZlhQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Allentown City, PA","date","2025-03-03T00:00:00Z","article","The Allentown Zoning Hearing Board approved an application from Saint Elmo Development LLC to redevelop the former concrete‑batch plant at 301 South Elmo Street into a consolidated, conditioned self‑storage facility totaling up to 469 units, but the board added a set of conditions intended to limit neighborhood impacts.

The applicant, represented by Abraham (Abe) Attia, said the new plan replaces a dated layout of many scattered drive‑up units with three larger, 12,000‑square‑foot interior, climate‑controlled buildings and related parking and site improvements. \"It was a property that got out of control. It was like I personally mismanaged it. I'm being honest with you,\" Attia told the board while acknowledging prior site problems and describing recent cleanup efforts.

Architect Gene Berg and site engineers explained the layout and environmental constraints. Berg said all new buildings will be sited outside the 150‑foot riparian buffer that the applicant’s engineers identified as applicable under state environmental rules. He told the board the proposed plan actually reduces impervious surface slightly: \"There is 3.59 acres of impervious coverage proposed on the new plan. There is 3.63 acres of impervious coverage presently on the site,\" he said, adding that the redevelopment would remove roughly 0.04 acres of paving and create additional green buffers.

The board heard objections from neighbors about years of accumulated debris, idled trucks and safety and traffic concerns near Union Terrace Elementary School and the adjacent park. Bruce Young, a nearby resident, urged security measures and towing signage and supported a no‑overnight rule for parked RVs. Multiple neighbors said past management had allowed the site to become a de facto junkyard and asked for enforceable protections if the redevelopment is approved.

Zoning staff and the applicant discussed whether the proposed outdoor spaces for vehicles constitute “outdoor storage” under the Allentown zoning ordinance (definition 6‑60‑6). The zoning officer’s review letter flagged two potential uses in the proposal — conditioned indoor storage and outdoor storage — and listed site‑plan items (lighting, buffers) that the applicant must resolve through land‑development review. The applicant said those technical items have been submitted to the city for engineering and planning review.

After discussion, the board granted the application subject to a package of conditions recorded in the decision. Highlights of the conditions the board added or confirmed on the record include:

- The project must match the general layout and footprints shown at the hearing: three new enclosed buildings (each about 12,000 sq. ft.) behind the existing concrete‑block building, plus the existing metal building and twin residence; the total number of storage units must not exceed the previously approved cap of 469 units.

- Outdoor vehicle parking related to the storage use is permitted only for registered RVs, registered boats on trailers, and their trailers; no commercial construction trucks or unregistered/inoperable vehicles are allowed in those marked spaces. The board limited that outdoor parking to a maximum of 26 spaces and capped each parked vehicle at 26 feet in length.

- No overnight sleeping is allowed in RVs or on the property; the site’s operation must be oriented to storage, not habitation.

- The site must be secured by an 8‑foot perimeter fence, motorized access gates with tenant access control at both Fairview and Saint Elmo entrances, and a camera security system; signage and towing enforcement measures are to be established to prevent illegal parking and trespass.

- Lighting must be directed so it does not shine onto adjoining properties; landscaping and buffers required by the planning and engineering review must be installed.

- All new buildings must be sited outside the 150‑foot riparian buffer and must comply with front, side and rear yard requirements; the applicant confirmed the buildings are outside the 100‑year floodplain and no floodplain disturbance is proposed.

- The applicant represented it will make \"best efforts\" to secure a professional third‑party operator to manage the facility; the board asked that the applicant provide the zoning office updates on management arrangements and emphasized that the owner remains responsible for site stewardship.

During testimony Berg described unit mixes and capacities: two rectangular buildings (75-by-160 feet) configured with rows of 10‑by‑10 units and a 100‑by‑120‑foot building with a mix of 5‑by‑10 and 10‑by‑10 units; the internal layouts shown at the hearing were described as one feasible example that yields the maximum of 469 units, and the owner may shift internal unit sizes as long as the total unit cap and building footprints remain unchanged.

Why it matters: The board’s decision preserves the site’s self‑storage use but imposes new operational constraints after neighbors recounted multi‑year problems with debris, idled trailers and safety concerns. The conditions aim to balance a long‑standing zoning approval for storage with stronger site controls and engineering review to protect adjacent residences, a school and park.

What’s next: The applicant must complete formal land‑development plan review with the city’s planning and engineering departments, which will review stormwater, sight‑distance at the driveway, lighting, landscaping and final construction documents. The board specifically flagged driveway sight‑distance and alignment as items for the engineering review to address before permits are issued.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Zoning Hearing Board on 2025-03-03","oneSentenceSummary","The Allentown Zoning Hearing Board approved Saint Elmo Development LLC’s plan to redevelop the former concrete‑batch property at 301 South Elmo Street into a consolidated, conditioned 469‑unit self‑storage campus, but the board attached conditions limiting outdoor vehicle parking, requiring security measures and directing engineering review of sight‑lines and buffers.","taxTitle","Allentown City, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania","taxId",12607,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6286583,"Zoning board grants Dual Temp relief to alter man‑made steep slopes for warehouse expansion",868,160000,1028000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2557850-aa4b982ac5b31e5e958c2be9f8667265&start=160&end=1028","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2557850-aa4b982ac5b31e5e958c2be9f8667265/thumbnail_160000.jpg","/articles/6286583/Allentown-City/Lehigh-County/Pennsylvania/Zoning-board-grants-Dual-Temp-relief-to-alter-manmade-steep-slopes-for-warehouse-expansion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6286583-f3f12e56159d796feb904d42b32ab6f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178856&Signature=MBfo5xi4AK~RfHOvTo1jUv8ktLfgFoIJERJ2kCiiinAFEmVLbhM4eAzHr0Xbci6Jf5dcMxbP0Ihmzb-1teT6XLCVKQxC1QV8~6s5nvR14PA5B2YbJWDJj2LZxMeovP~oSkht~tqU79xpEbaP3NNWRxt40gX4Antg7Xag6v9TuYOewXNkK7ggcgdTFmmmMAGNyoCuHSiIDzeAiDJFxZCAbt7NGhi~vt~bzql4D8MGyN5WZVTxu~BLWIQ8Jyj-~y8sz3cG~vIM~H2I5nBf0vVHIVNjxpg8aeBBoGHxG94i2LOda3uTBimPOsn7JZXA59lERdVAxmyPNJ24OuQR9I3XeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Allentown Zoning Hearing Board on the record approved a variance that will let Dual Temp alter previously created steep slopes at its South Twelfth Street property so it can build a larger, taller warehouse, upgrade offices and add parking and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The relief was requested because earlier development and site work created slopes that the city’s zoning ordinance now classifies as “steep,” the company said. \"We want to build a taller warehouse, and a larger warehouse, so we can on‑premises warehouse more. ... We are in need of parking and ... looking to the future for EV charging stations,\" David, the CEO of Dual Temp, told the board during testimony.

Civil engineer Kevin Markel of Barry Isaac and Associates told the board the slopes on the site are the product of successive past improvements — including work associated with an earlier Sun Oil use — rather than naturally occurring landforms. He said the site drops roughly 37 feet from south to north and that the applicant had tried multiple configurations to limit grading and disturbance. \"The slopes have been created over time by many improvements prior to my involvement,\" Markel said, and he testified the application seeks “relief for up to 38% disturbance” of slopes between 25% and 35% and “up to 20% disturbance” of slopes 35% and greater.

Markel told the board the plan confines new disturbance to areas that were previously developed and that the proposed grading and layout minimize impacts. He said he saw no engineering reason the work would harm neighboring properties.

Board discussion framed the request as a narrow, use‑specific variance tied to the property’s history. \"It's a defect in our ordinance ... that as long as the applicant can show ... the slopes were indeed created by previous earthmoving disturbance we have granted the relief,\" a board member identified during discussion as Scott said.

The board moved to approve the application as presented and recorded an affirmative vote. The applicant also confirmed that outstanding land‑development details — parking and building height — have been submitted to city staff for separate review.

The approval allows the applicant to alter the previously created steep slopes to construct the taller, consolidated warehouse and related improvements. The board recorded the motion and the vote on the record; the transcript shows board members voiced support and the chair called for the affirmative voice vote.

The applicant and the engineer said land development approvals and technical permits will follow; those submittals will show final grading, stormwater, lighting and landscaping plans that the planning and engineering departments must approve.

Why it matters: The variance lets an existing industrial user consolidate off‑site storage and construct a higher, more compact building footprint — a change the company says will reduce vehicle trips across the valley and enable EV charging for a 91‑vehicle fleet. Neighbors and city review phases still retain oversight through the planning‑commission and building‑permit processes.

What’s next: The applicant must complete land‑development plan review and obtain any building and utility permits before construction begins. The board explicitly limited its action to the zoning relief requested; implementation details will be handled through the city's regular permitting and engineering review.

","The Allentown Zoning Hearing Board approved a variance allowing Dual Temp to disturb previously created steep slopes at its South Twelfth Street site so the company can build a taller, consolidated warehouse, upgrade offices and add parking and EV charging infrastructure, the company and its engineer told the board.","actionData","errors"]

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Zoning board approves 469‑unit conditioned storage redevelopment with limits on outdoor RV/boat parking

Zoning board grants Dual Temp relief to alter man‑made steep slopes for warehouse expansion