East Allen Township considers regional comprehensive plan

East Allen Township may consider joining forces with other municipalities to provide for varied zoning uses and protect themselves from lawsuits.

Participating as part of the proposed River Central Comprehensive Plan along with Catasauqua, North Catasauqua and Hanover Township, Lehigh County, might afford East Allen protections against challenges to its zoning ordinance, Township Manager Brent Green said during the Board of Supervisors meeting Thursday.

The updated plan, to be prepared by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission under the direction of each municipality, would allow for shared uses within an overall plan applying to all four, he said.

“The LVPC would be the lead planner under direction of the board’s representatives,” Green said.

Green said he would seek input and resources from the other three municipalities to present to the board during its workshop meeting in July.

Each municipality faces its own challenges, he said.

Catasauqua, Green pointed out, has a large amount of residential density, while Hanover is mainly industrial with virtually no open space for parks and recreation.

North Catasauqua, he said, is primarily residential with sparse industrial development.

Entering into a shared comprehensive plan, Green continued, would allow for a municipality to point to one of its partners if a developer were to contend that its proposed use isn’t provided for in that township’s zoning ordinance.

Such an arrangement could meet the developer’s need and insulate the township from a potential zoning challenge, he said.

Participation would cost a one-time fee of $19,250 per municipality, with the LVPC kicking in $15,000 toward the overall $92,000 cost.

Supervisor Mark Schwartz said he wasn’t in favor of participating because he doesn’t like the idea of other townships benefiting from East Allen’s zoning.

“I don’t see any mutual benefit we’re going to derive out of it,” he said.

Chairman Roger Unangst said he favored moving forward, mentioning high-density housing as something that could best be provided by a partner in the plan.

“If you can dream it up, we have to have zoning for it,” he said.