Pulitzer Winner to Talk Smart Growth in Macungie

Pulitzer Prize Winner Thomas Hylton in coming to the Macungie Institute Nov. 26 to speak about the importance of Smart Growth in development.

Thomas Hylton, who won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing for the Pottstown Mercury, will speak at the Macungie Institute at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 26.  Hylton is coming at the invitation of the Friends for the Protection of Lower Macungie Township, a group that promotes Smart Growth to combat suburban sprawl.  What: Thomas Hylton talking about Smart Growth When: 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 26 Where: The Macungie Institute, 510 East Main Street, Macungie, PA 18062 How much: Free. But there is limited seating so you might want to reserve a seat with the "Friends" or get there early.   Hylton is the author of "Save Our Land, Save Our Towns" which makes the case for comprehensive planning to help preserve the countryside, cities and towns. He won a …

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Scott Bieber

9:21 pm on Monday, November 19, 2012

This will be a chance for people to hear a nationally recognized authority on smart growth explain why and how it can be done to prevent Lower Macungie from being entirely consummed by sprawl.   more ›

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Friends Group is Fiscally Responsible

Friends for the Protection of Lower Macungie Township has every intention of paying its bills.

To the Editor: Friends for Protection of Lower Macungie Township takes our responsibility of handling donations from the community very seriously. To date we've raised more than $20,000, mostly in small donations from more than 50 community members through events and online. This is why we are challenging what we believe to be unnecessary fees billed to the appellants by the township. We will continue our policy of vigorously vetting all bills before authorizing any expenditure of money we collect. We owe this to the members of the community whom trust us to administer the legal fund on behalf of the residents. All contributions collected are used solely to underwrite legal costs of the appellants in appeal procedures. Further, we believe …

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Lower Mac Reorganizes, Appoints ZHB Rep

To the surprise of some, former zoning hearing board member Robert Rust was not re-appointed.

Robert N. Rust III took a fall on Jan. 3. The Allentown attorney, who is co counsel of a legal team who represents three couples and one individual who would be affected by the Jaindl Land Co.'s development of more than 600 acres of farmland and is backed by the Friends for the Protection of Lower Macungie Township, was stopped in a bid to gain re-election to the township’s zoning hearing board. Instead, newcomer Brian Higgins, previously an alternate on the township’s zoning hearing board, gained election by a 4-1 vote from the township’s Board of Commissioners. The appointment runs until Dec. 31, 2014. Rust, who was sitting in the front row of the township meeting room, exited quietly after the vote, saying little. Others, however, did …

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Missy Moyer-Schneck

4:21 pm on Friday, January 6, 2012

Well, I for one am a republican that does NOT vote by party lines, I think before I vote , just wish more people would do the same. Next time I won't be voting for the sweet talking younger gentleman who promised he cares about lower macungie, it's very obvious Ryan Conrad does not!   more ›

Jaindl Wins Battle Before Lower Macungie Zoning Hearing Board

David Jaindl clears another hurdle in his plans to build nearly 700 homes, plus warehouses and a shopping center on more than 600 acres of farmland in Lower Macungie.

David Jaindl is a step closer to developing 600-plus acres of farmland in Lower Macungie after the township’s Zoning Hearing Board decided in his favor Tuesday night.  Still standing in his path is a ruling by Lehigh County Judge Michele A. Varricchio that the revisions to the township zoning ordinance to allow for the development were invalid because residents weren’t given adequate notice about them. Jaindl, owner of Jaindl Land Co., and the township are appealing. The township commissioners made changes to the zoning ordinance to enable Jaindl to build nearly 700 homes, 4 million square feet of warehouses, a 400,000-square-foot shopping center, a convenience store with 16 gas pumps and a restaurant on what is now largely farmland along …

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Lower Mac Commissioners Accept Petition

Could the number of signatures be getting the BOC's attention?

Ron Beitler, spokesperson for the Friends for the Protection of Lower Macungie Township, presented over 500 signatures to the Lower Macungie Board of Commissioners at its Oct. 20 meeting to stop the re-zoning of 600 acres of farmland. They oppose the development of the land owned by David Jaindl, in which he plans to put homes, strip malls and warehouses. They also want the township to invalidate the zoning amendment passed in July 2010 that permits the construction. Of the more than 500 signatures, Beitler said that 417 are residents of Lower Macungie Township, 12 are from Alburtis, 17 are from Macungie and the rest are from other areas. And this is just the “first batch” of signatures collected, Beitler said. The signers from Lower …

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Friends for Protection LMT

9:41 am on Monday, October 24, 2011

When signing the online petition we can only present signatures to the BOC that have a verified name and municipality. If you do not live in the township signatures still count but will be presented as non-residents. Those with no indication of municipality cannot be presented. Please remember to fill out your municipality!   more ›

Lower Mac Commissioners Will Appeal Judge’s Ruling

Supporters of farmland preservation were disappointed with the board's decision.

The Lower Macungie Commissioners voted unanimously Sept. 15 to appeal the decision of Lehigh County Court Judge Michele A. Varricchio that invalidated zoning changes the board made to allow David Jaindl to develop more than 600 acres of prime township farmland. Varricchio ruled Aug. 31 that the township did not provide proper notice to residents about the proposed changes before they were approved in July 2010.  Even though the township made a “good faith effort,” to comply with the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code when the changes were advertised, the notices were misleading to residents, she said. Residents and the Friends for the Protection of Lower Macungie Township did not take well to the decision. “We are disappointed in …

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