Neighbors object to senior facility
Opponents of proposal for Hillview Road cite traffic, safety hazards
Several Lower Macungie Township residents voiced objections Thursday to developer Abe Atiyeh’s plan to build a senior care facility on Hillview Road, citing fears of increased traffic on the narrow road, safety hazards and stormwater woes.
Neighbors raised their concerns during an hourlong township conditional use hearing — held remotely — for the Macungie Manor project. The project has been proposed by Atiyeh’s company, Pennsylvania Venture Capital, which owns four other senior care facilities under the name “Manors of the Valley.”
The hearing was continued until 6 p.m. March 18, when the township expects the developer and the objectors to finish making their arguments.
The original plan for the continuing care community had the 15-acre campus at 900 S. Hillview Road straddling
Lower Macungie and South Whitehall Township. However, two weeks ago, South Whitehall commissioners voted 4-1 to reject Atiyeh’s request to rezone the 4 acres on their side to allow for a single-story memory care facility.
The part of the plan slated for Lower Macungie would include two three-story buildings with 84 units in each. It would offer independent living and personal care facilities, which is permitted as a conditional use of the tract under township zoning. The project would include walking trails and open space.
Resident Joanne Markowicz said she is worried about traffic and safety on Hillview Road, as well as water runoff.
“I just don’t see how this land can support this size of a development,” Markowicz said. “The quality of living within this neighborhood is going to be affected very negatively.”
Blake C. Marles, Atiyeh’s attorney, asked Markowicz if she or other residents asked the township for speed limit restrictions or traffic calming measures on the road. Markowicz said she didn’t recall making such a request.
“I believe most of the traffic issues are the road is not wide enough,” she said. “Has anyone said ‘Hey, take my property and widen the road?’ I don’t think so.”
At the request of the Lower Macungie commissioners, Atiyeh had commissioned a traffic study that found problems with speeders on Hillview Road and estimated Macungie Manor would add traffic to the surrounding roads of 784 trips to and from the senior care campus. The study did not anticipate that the additional traffic would have significant impact on congestion at intersections.
Resident Michael Calogero said Atiyeh’s Parkland Manor in South Whitehall Township is located off Route 309 in a commercial area, as opposed to the proposed site for Macungie Manor, which is bordered by homes.
“There is going to be an impact on the quality of life with the additional 800 cars per day,” Calogero said.
Resident Susan Highet also cited the potential impact on quality of life in objecting to the development, saying the construction of Macungie Manor would generate noise and the additional traffic would increase pollution.
Bill Erdman, an engineer working with Atiyeh, said the developer would be obligated to build and pay for sidewalks at the front of the property on Hillview Road.
Highet said Hillview already has lots of traffic for a narrow road, which means residents have a difficult time walking on it.
In response to residents who raised stormwater concerns, Marles said the development would be obliged to meet all state and township requirements on stormwater management. “None of the stormwater from the property will be directed to anyone else’s property,” Marles said.
Resident Glenn Kratzer echoed others’ objections, saying: “Macungie Manor in its current format is neither complimentary nor compatible with the families that would be its neighbors.”