A Planned Development District proposal called Delmar Pointe has changed its plans to build a number of condominiums along Delaware Avenue just past the Bethlehem High School.
Developers told the planning board they still intend to build condos more, in fact but they have altered the project’s layout and eliminated three of the four proposed single-family homes.
Joe Bianchine of ABD Engineers updated the board on Tuesday, July 21, and said the `current economic climate` had changed motivated some of the changes, as did the town’s suggestions at previous meetings in 2008.
`There will be a density of about 4.3 units per acre,` Bianchine said. `The buildings will be two stories and contain units between 1,400 and 1,600 square feet.`
Micheal Morelli, the town’s director of economic development and planning, said the site contains 23.5 acres of land and is located about one-quarter of a mile west of the high school on Delaware Avenue.
The property contains several steep ravines and federally protected wetlands.
The applicant has changed the original plans of building 56 condos on 13.7 acres of land with four single-family homes on an additional 10 acres of land, to having 66 condos on 20.5 acres of land and only one single family home on a three-acre plot.
`It’s a better plan,` Morelli said before handing a memo to the planning board that said Delmar Pointe Condominium’s new layout and proposal was `an improvement.`
Bianchine said the applicant is proposing to use a stone facade and composite siding on the buildings, and although the development will cater to seniors and `empty nesters,` there would be no age restrictions on living there.
He said the project would be good for Bethlehem’s tax base.
`Usually there’s not a lot of children involved in a condominium project,` Bianchine said. `It will be a positive impact in terms of taxes.`
Planning board member Christine Motta said she liked the plan to build a CDTA bus turnout on the site, referring to the plans and comments of Bianchine that the transportation authority had been contacted about the plan.
Morelli said he thought it was unlikely that bus service would actually come into the project because there wouldn’t be enough demand, adding that he didn’t think a bus currently comes down that far on Delaware Avenue.
He did say the bus turn around could be converted into a school bus pickup if any children were to move in, but agreed with Bianchine’s assessment that not many children are expected with such a project.
`We actually didn’t have a single child in the school district come from Walden Fields,` he said, referring to another condominium project in town.
The property is currently zoned Residential A and will have access to public water and sewer, according to planning records.
Planning Board Chairman George Leveille agreed the news plans were an improvement.
`You’re headed in the right direction,` he said, to which Bianchine responded, `Good, that’s what we wanted to hear.`
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