Emmaus Council OKs 30-day review of rewritten zoning ordinance and SALDO

Emmaus Borough Council on Jan. 20 authorized borough staff and the solicitor to advertise a 30-day review period for a newly rewritten zoning ordinance and the related subdivision and land development ordinance (SALDO), sending the documents to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and other required bodies for comment.

The authorization does not adopt the ordinances; it begins the formal review and public-notice process required under state and local planning codes. Borough Council member Brown moved to authorize the advertisement; Council member Anders seconded the motion, and the council approved it (recorded: 6 ayes; one member absent).

Council members and staff described the zoning rewrite as a comprehensive replacement of the existing rules. The SALDO is about 145 pages and the new zoning ordinance about 201 pages, and council members said the documents were substantially reworked since a 2023 effort. Members noted the revisions had been prepared with input from a task force that included engineers, planning commission members, landlords, former council members, business owners and other residents.

Council members and staff outlined how the review and adoption process will proceed: the borough must provide a 30-day review notice to the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) and other intermunicipal partners, publish updated documents on the borough website, and hold a public hearing that meets the statutory advertising window (no more than 30 days and no fewer than seven days before an adoption vote). The council’s planning commission previously recommended approval (reported as 6–1).

Council discussion touched on a number of substantive policy changes in the draft: a reduced required parking ratio for multi-unit development (from two spaces per unit toward a 1.5 multiplier), revised maximum building heights in several districts (references cited to roughly 55 feet in some urban districts, equivalent to about three to five stories depending on design), clarified sign regulations intended to reduce repeated zoning hearing board appeals, and planning-related provisions on exterior lighting (new development will be required to use downward-facing fixtures; existing uses remain grandfathered). Council members said consultants and the borough engineer rechecked calculations in the draft — including setbacks — after discovering errors in prior contractor work, and that those errors were corrected before proceeding.

Borough Manager Shane Pepe and the borough solicitor outlined notice and procedural requirements and encouraged council members and residents to review the posted drafts. Officials said the borough will update the website with the latest versions and will advertise the public hearing once the statutory windows are met. Council members also indicated they will invite task force participants and technical contributors to participate in the public hearing to explain revisions in plain language.

Next steps: the borough will post the current drafts online, distribute required notices to LVPC and adjoining municipalities and the school district, gather comments during the 30-day review, and schedule a public hearing under the 7-to-30-day rule before any adoption vote.