THEY VOTED NO UNANIMOUSLY!
Full decision below. Summary: The Easton Planning Commission unanimously denied the plan. The decision says Scannell failed to provide enough reliable and complete information to justify approval under Easton’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO). It cites problems with missing approvals, inconsistent acreage and parcel information, illegible or incomplete maps, inadequate transportation and circulation analysis, and insufficient responses to concerns raised by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. It also notes that Scannell was “hostile” towards Easton government and residents and not responsive to requests for additional information or details.
The commission identifies several specific deficiencies:
- Missing approvals and permits: The applicant did not provide required zoning relief related to floodplain work or a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit.
- Traffic impacts: The traffic study relied on a lower-impact warehouse model and did not analyze a sortable fulfillment center, which could generate significantly more truck traffic. The commission also found the study failed to address impacts on Wood Avenue and Hackett Avenue.
- Noise impacts: The noise study did not adequately account for existing neighborhood noise, higher-impact operations, or a likely guardhouse.
- Lack of alternatives: The applicant did not meaningfully evaluate smaller or less intense project alternatives that could reduce environmental, transportation, safety, and community impacts.
- Scale and compatibility: The proposed building, at more than one million square feet, was found out of scale with nearby development and inconsistent with the character of the area.
- Landscaping deficiencies: The plan lacked a proper tree inventory, replacement accounting, and sufficient screening.
- Utility information: The plans did not show proposed utility locations or needs.
- Floor plans and elevations: The applicant did not provide required floor plans despite questions about possible mezzanine development.
The commission says the application is too incomplete and uncertain to approve. Any one of the listed deficiencies could support denial, and together they show Scannell did not meet the requirements for final approval.
