Council approves planning commission recommendation for 799 Smith Lane warehouse clearance

The Borough of Northampton council voted on Sept. 18 to approve the planning commission’s recommendation granting preliminary and final approval for Smith Lane LLC’s proposal to develop 799 Smith Lane; council members clarified the approval was limited to warehouse clearance/authorization.

A motion to approve the planning commission’s recommendation was made and seconded during the meeting; Councilman Glassick asked whether the action was strictly a warehouse clearance or authorization and was told by staff that no additional approvals were included. “This question is just strictly this is for a warehouse clearance or authorization. Correct. Okay. Nothing else?” Glassick asked. Staff answered “Nothing else.”

Council members voted in favor when asked; the chair called for “Aye” and no opposing votes were recorded in the meeting transcript. The motion passed and the planning commission’s recommendation was adopted.

The council did not record a roll-call vote or a member-by-member tally in the meeting record excerpt provided at the meeting. The planning commission had considered Smith Lane LLC on July 9 and Sept. 10 and recommended preliminary and final approval for the development as read into the record. No further details of the approved site plan were presented at the council meeting beyond confirmation that the approval pertained to warehouse clearance/authorization.

Staff and council indicated the approval was limited to the planning commission’s recommendations; any additional changes or other permits, if required, would follow the borough’s normal public-review and permitting procedures.