Municipal zoning sounds dull but can have a big impact on a town’s future. It will be the first item of business for the White Township planning board in 2020, where residents have spent the last year questioning a massive warehouse proposal.
The board has set a special meeting for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the White Township Elementary School. After reorganizing, planners are set to vote on an amendment to the local master plan, which sets the guidelines for development within the township.
Debated since the fall, the amendment could potentially block plans by Jaindl Land Co. for up to 6 million square feet of warehouse space on 585 acres along the Delaware River. (Company president David Jaindl in December said he is willing to scale back the warehouse project to a maximum of 3 million square feet of development.)
The amendment is set to be adopted, rejected or revised by the planning board at its Wednesday meeting, according to an announcement on the township website. If approved, the matter then goes to the township committee, which gets the final say before any changes are adopted.
Altering the zoning could lead to a legal battle, however. When the amendment was discussed in September, Jaindl attorney Anthony Sposaro claimed the process was “fatally defective” and told planners there would be “one giant mess on your hands” if they go through with it.
A separate hearing on Jaindl’s proposal itself is scheduled to continue Jan. 14.
Steve Novak may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
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