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Cedar Crest College rezoning request cleared for council public hearing; college plans technology center
Summary
Cedar Crest College asked the city to rezone a nearby house to institutional use for a new center for leadership and technology; staff reported no reservation and the committee voted to forward the request to the full City Council with a public hearing set for Aug. 6.
A zoning panel voted to send a rezoning request from Cedar Crest College to the full City Council with a public hearing scheduled for Aug. 6 at 6:15 p.m.
The college seeks to rezone a property on College Drive (identified in the presentation by parcel designations) from low-density residential to institutional/governmental use so the building can be used for the Harmon Center for Leadership and Technology. Chris McLean, attorney with Fitzpatrick Lentz and Bubba, and Cedar Crest representatives described the center as a program supported by a bequest that will expand academic offerings in computer science, cybersecurity, data science and applied artificial intelligence.
"The plan for the center is also for us to be able to provide workforce development support in needed areas of technology for the city of Allentown," President Kendra Mead said, explaining the center’s academic and workforce aims.
Cedar Crest said the building is 3,090 square feet on a 16,585-square-foot lot and that the college intends to keep the exterior residential in character while refitting the interior for offices, small conference space and a basement lab or computer area. The college told the panel it had notified neighbors, hosted an open house and did not encounter opposition.
Panel and staff questions focused on parking and hours. Elizabeth Wilson, the college CFO, and Mead said the campus has marked residential and commuter parking and campus police patrol parking areas; the college said it will enforce existing campus parking rules and add a walking path from campus to the building to keep students off the roadway. Classes would generally run 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, with weekend use described as "very unlikely."
A committee member moved to forward the rezoning request favorably to the full City Council and to schedule a public hearing; another member seconded and the motion passed by voice vote.
The public hearing at the full council will provide neighbors and other residents an opportunity to comment before the council makes a final decision on the rezoning request.
