ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The proposed retail/residential development of the old Neuweiler Brewery in Allentown meets the standards of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, as long as the history of the Allentown property is part of the next use.
Manhattan Building Co. plans to demolish much of the 3.8-acre site on North Front Street in Allentown to put up a seven-story building with retail space on the first two floors and 306 apartments on the higher levels. Some vestiges of the brewery will be incorporated into the developer’s plans.
“The structures to be demolished hold considerable local cultural and historical value,” according to a review of the plans by Steve Neratko, the LVPC’s chief community and regional planner. Some features should remain to reflect the former use of the site.
The Neuweiler Brewery was completed in 1913 and produced ales, lagers, Bock beer and more until closing in 1968 when national beer makers began to dominate, squeezing out regional and local breweries. That movement toward Bud/Miller/Coors ubiquity then reversed with the advent of craft brewing in the 1980s. By then, many old-time brewers were defunct.
The brewery on the west bank of the Lehigh River was used for various purposes after closing but has been vacant since 1998, according to the LVPC. To its north and west are row homes.
“I’m glad to see the project moving forward,” Commissioner Stephen Melnick said at Thursday’s LVPC virtual meeting, but he criticized one aspect.
“There are no affordable apartments in the mix,” he said. “Affordable” is sometimes defined as units costing no more than 30% of income.
“That is just a little disappointing,” he said.
The commissioners, who are appointed from throughout Lehigh and Northampton counties, voted in favor of Neratko’s review of the proposal. The LVPC is in this case an advisory body. Its comments will be forwarded to the City of Allentown, which will make final land-use decisions.
The LVPC’s professional staff reviews major projects and makes recommendations, and the appointees vote on those comments, not on whether a project should proceed.
Nazareth Area Multi-Municipal Comprehensive Plan
The commission also gave a favorable review to a multi-municipal comprehensive plan for the Nazareth area. That draft, referred to as “NazPlan,” has ambitious goals, including balancing preservation and development, improving air and water quality, making housing more available and reducing the stress from development on roads and bridges, according to a review by Dean Severson, director of regional planning.
LVPC Executive Director Becky Bradley said multi-municipal plans allow towns to coordinate development over a region.
Under Pennsylvania law, “A single municipality must have zoning for every conceivable use,” Bradley told the commissioners. “If you’re in a multi-municipal plan, you can spread all of those conceivable uses across the group of communities.”
That could, for example, direct industrial uses to areas near major roads, while allowing denser housing in town centers. Planning over a region can protect the environment and protect water sources.
At the same time, the towns involved retain their autonomy, Bradley said.
“This is not some kind of Communist plot,” she said. Instead, comprehensive plans can allow for more responsible land use over time.
The towns involved in the potential multi-municipal plan are the boroughs of Bath, Chapman, Nazareth, Stockertown and Tatamy; the townships of Bushkill, Lower Nazareth, Moore, Upper Nazareth and Hanover Township (Northampton County).
The next LVPC meeting will be held virtually at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 28. Details about attending will be available at the commission’s website.
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