Papa John's Proposal Approved by Planners

The Hellertown Planning Commission has unanimously approved a proposal for a Papa John's at 1236 Main St. The pizza shop is tentatively expected to open in September.

In spite of the fact that Hellertown is already home to about a half-dozen pizza shops, it's about to become home to one more. On Tuesday, the Hellertown Planning Commission unanimously approved an application by Papa John's franchisee Kevin Godusky to open and operate a pizza shop at 1236 Main St., in a storefront that is currently vacant. The building in which the pizza shop will open is owned by George Howey, who also owns a vacant former movie theater. Leasing agent Robert Thompson of KW Commercial-The James Balliet Commercial Group told the planning commission the Main Street Papa John's in Hellertown will primarily cater to takeout and home delivery customers, although there will be one table with four chairs in front. With a 25-car …

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Planners Oppose Rezoning Land Near Landfill

The 5-1 decision to oppose a request by IESI Bethlehem Landfill to rezone property it owns near its Applebutter Road facility came at a Sept. 27 meeting of the Lower Saucon Township Planning Commission.

Correction: An earlier published version of this article indicated that the planning commission vote to oppose the rezoning of land near IESI Bethlehem Landfill was 5-1 against the rezoning. This article has been updated and corrected to reflect the fact that the vote was actually 6-1.  A decision by the Lower Saucon Township Planning Commission to oppose IESI Bethlehem Landfill's rezoning request for property it owns near its Applebutter Road facility was met Thursday with loud applause from residents who've rallied against any rezoning and the expansion of the landfill it would make possible. The 6-1 vote came after more than an hour of emotional testimony by many residents of Steel City, who have repeatedly told both council and the …

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D.S.

10:34 am on Wednesday, October 3, 2012

I lived in Steel City for 46years, Hunted the mountain for many years,take a walk up on the mountain look at the wash outs or deep ruts and the trees that have been lost the small patches of brush and grasses on the other side of the hill it is sickening just to have lived here all these years we need to think ahead so our kids and grandchildren have a safe place to live in and yes some of us …   more ›

Landfill Opponents Launch Website, Online Petition

Opponents of a proposed expansion by IESI Bethlehem Landfill in Lower Saucon Township have created a website and petition to help rally support and draw attention to their cause.

Local residents who oppose a rezoning request by IESI Bethlehem Landfill have launched a website to help rally support for their opposition. The landfill is petitioning township officials for rezoning of property it has purchased west of the current landfill on Applebutter Road; an action that would help pave the way for the facility's so-called "western expansion." The western expansion, as outlined by landfill officials earlier this year, could extend the lifespan of the landfill--and the income in the form of host fees it generates for Lower Saucon Township--by as much as a decade. At subsequent Lower Saucon Township council and planning commission meetings, however, many residents who live near the landfill have spoken out against an …

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July 26 Township Planning Meeting Canceled

The July 26, 2012 meeting of the Lower Saucon Township Planning Commission has been canceled.

An upcoming meeting at which a rezoning request related to IESI Bethlehem Landfill's controversial proposed "western expansion" was to be further discussed has been canceled. The Thursday, July 26 meeting of the Lower Saucon Township Planning Commission will not be held, according to an updated calendar entry on the township's website. The commission had been expected to consider several proposals for rezoning IESI-owned land near the landfill, which is located on Applebutter Road. The next township planning meeting is now scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 23 at 7pm in Lower Saucon Town Hall.

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Letters to the Editor

Letter: What Will We Do if the Landfill Grows Larger?

Lower Saucon resident Matt McClarin is urging other township residents to oppose the proposed rezoning of land that would open the door to an expansion of IESI Bethlehem Landfill.

Editor's Note: The following letter was read by its author to Lower Saucon Township Council at council's June 20, 2012 meeting. What will we do in 30 years when there is no more of Lower Saucon Townshipʼs space for the landfill to go? What will you think when you drive down Applebutter Road, look to the left and see not a single person working, not a tree, not a house, not a historic building, not a business, not a piece of a community? All you will see is a green wall that can never be developed again. What will we do when all the host agreement money is blown like it has been, and this land can never make money for the township again? What will we do and where is the money going to come from to maintain what we have and what we will …

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Former Township Councilwoman Honored

Lower Saucon Township councilwoman Sandra Yerger--whose term in office ended Dec. 31-- was recognized for eight years of public service at council's Jan. 18 meeting.

Over the past eight years, Lower Saucon Township councilwoman Sandra Yerger has made an indelible impression on her colleagues and served the community "selflessly," council president Glenn Kern said at a meeting at Town Hall Jan. 18. Yerger was honored at the meeting for her two consecutive terms as a township council member, which ended on Dec. 31, 2011. Dan Paschke, of state Rep. Justin Simmons' (R-131) office, was the first to thank Yerger for her service. Before presenting her with an official proclamation, Paschke wished her "good luck in your future endeavors and everything that you do." Simmons was unable to be at the meeting, he explained, having been detained in the state capital. After the House proclamation was presented to her…

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Patio Furniture Business Proposed in Hellertown

At their Oct. 11 meeting members of the Hellertown Borough Planning Commission are expected to discuss a site plan for a proposed patio furniture business at 720 Main Street.

The Hellertown Borough Planning Commission will meet on Tuesday, Oct. 11, and on the meeting agenda is a discussion about a site plan for a patio furniture business at 720 Main Street. The site plan, which has been submitted by Neighbors home and garden center owner Andrew Panick, will be reviewed by planners at the meeting. Also on the agenda for Oct. 11 are several other items, including: The planning commission will meet at 7pm in council chambers at Hellertown Borough Hall, 685 Main St., Hellertown. On Oct. 19 at 6:30pm, the Hellertown Zoning Hearing Board will meet to discuss a variance for off-street parking pursuant to the site plan submitted by Panick. According to Hellertown Zoning and Codes Enforcement Officer Joe Chernaskey, the…

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Planners Approve Law Office for 148 Main Street

Lawyer David M. Backenstoe told the Hellertown Planning Commission Aug. 9 that he will be relocating his practice there in order to have a "more permanent" location in the borough.

A borough lawyer told the Hellertown Planning Commission Aug. 9 that he plans to move his law practice from one Main Street building to another, in order to have a more permanent location in town. Following the planning commission's unanimous decision to approve the proposed new location of his law office at 148 Main Street, David M. Backenstoe appeared pleased, and said there would be "absolutely no changes" to the recently renovated former home that is just north of Rite Aid. Backenstoe's current office is located at 514 Main Street, but his landlord will require use of the space in the near future, he explained. He decided to keep his practice in Hellertown because he wanted to remain a part of the community, he added. "I've been happy …

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Dunkin' Donuts Gets Planning Commission's OK

The drive-through restaurant is expected to open at 730 Main Street, Hellertown, by late September, according to the borough's zoning officer.

The Hellertown Planning Commission unanimously approved a site plan for a Dunkin' Donuts restaurant at 730 Main Street on Aug. 9, and local residents could be dunking their donuts inside the new business by early fall, zoning and codes enforcement officer Joe Chernaskey said after the meeting. The Dunkin' Donuts, which will be located in the former M&T Bank building across the street from Detwiller Plaza, will be open seven days a week from 5am to 11pm, owner Raj Saraswati told planners. Saraswati is the owner of five other local Dunkin' Donuts franchises, including several in the Bethlehem area, Chernaskey said. Among the other Dunkin' Donuts he owns are stores at 213 W. Fourth St., 1301 Linden St. and 3055 Schoenersville Road, all in …

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Council Opposes Proposed Auto Detailing Business

The detailing business Horst and Horst is seeking to open at 720 Main Street would be located next to an artesian well, councilman Mike McKenna told Hellertown Borough Council June 20.

An auto detailing business proposed by the firm Horst and Horst for a property at 720 Main Street, if approved, would be located next to an artesian well that is an integral part of the municipal water system, borough councilman and Hellertown Borough Authority member Mike McKenna told colleagues at council's June 20 meeting. For that reason, the Hellertown Borough Authority "patently oppose anything in that area, because of our well," McKenna said. A discussion about the proposed business began when the borough's Zoning and Codes Enforcement Officer, Joe Chernaskey, told council members that a plan for the business submitted by Horst and Horst will be before the Hellertown Zoning Hearing Board at their Wednesday, July 20 meeting.  This is…

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