Upper Saucon votes down warehouse project after pressure from residents

Residents opposed to a controversial plan to bring three truck terminals to Upper Saucon Township can breathe a sigh of relief — at least for the time being.

In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the township Board of Supervisors voted to reject a curative amendment from Kay Lehigh LLC that would have changed zoning code to allow the Lehigh Valley developer to construct a warehouse and trucking facility on a 120-acre tract on the eastern side of Route 309, south of Center Valley Parkway.

The three-building terminal would have brought around 800 trucks to the area per day, a proposal that never sat well with residents already living with the reality of increased traffic in the township.

Local zoning requires that warehouses or truck terminals provide a 500-foot buffer zone between industrial activity and residential housing. Jim Preston, attorney for Kay Lehigh, said the provision was “exclusionary and unduly restrictive” and sought to have that statute removed.

At its October meeting, the board heard arguments from Preston and Bucks County attorney Robert Gundlach — who was hired by the township to defend the ordinance — as well as comments from the public. Project engineer Jason Englehart, testifying on behalf of Kay Lehigh, argued that the site plan included a 500-foot exclusion area, though township planners have stated that several nearby residential properties were closer than that threshold.

The board wasted little time Tuesday in voting down the developer’s amendment, a decision that was met with applause from audience members at Southern Lehigh Middle School.

Supervisor Stephen Wagner said he and board members “followed the law” and listened to the testimony of expert witnesses before reaching a unified conclusion.

“The citizens are extremely concerned about the amount of traffic,” Wagner added. “That’s the No. 1 thing I always hear about in this area, especially right in the center of the township.”

Despite the outcome, board Chairman Dennis Benner said it’s highly likely that Kay Lehigh or another developer will come forward with a proposal for the site soon.

“I think this property is going to be developed one way or another,” Benner said. “It’s likely there will be commercial or industrial development of some sort. Don’t think that the property is going to be a cornfield forever.”

Township solicitor Thomas Dinkelacker said he expects Kay Lehigh to appeal the board’s decision.