By Christina Georgiou
Members of the Easton Planning Commission voted 3-1 to approve changes in the building plan for the city's new city hall and transportation center Wednesday evening, including an increase in the structure's footprint and moving the public plaza area from the south to the north side of the building.
Planning Commissioner Dennis Lieb cast the lone dissenting vote, after raising point-by-point criticisms of the construction of the facility, despite having voted in favor of giving the project approval last year.
In a statement that took nearly 30 minutes to deliver, Lieb contended that the design for the new complex "is deficient" in meeting numerous city zoning codes and also does not fit with the city's comprehensive plan for development.
He also took issue with specific aspects of changes made to the design, such as the public plaza area of the building being moved from the south side of the structure to the north.
"The plaza, as rendered, will be quite inhospitable (on the North Side). It could have gotten sunlight if it was retained on the south side," Lieb said.
Lieb also contended that the building's scale isn't in keeping with the character of the 100 block of South Third Street, and that the large windows will result in them being blocked from the inside.
"The garage itself and the bus station may have been pre-approved, but (these changes) affect the whole design," he said, further adding that he feels the building will have security and logistical issues, and that the plan lacks parking for bicycles.
"I think there's a lot of crucial concerns, and I don't have the time and ability to absorb all this tonight and give my approval," he said.
Lieb added that he has spoken with "numerous" urban planners, as well as other residents, and they agree with him.
"But I'm not going to drop any names because it doesn't make any difference," he said.
He added that the plan for the project changed, adding the move of city hall into the complex "out of the blue."
"We're doing this at a very tenuous time in this country (economically)," Lieb concluded.
City Planning Director Becky Bradley countered his complaints individually, citing each of the zoning and planning ordinances Lieb claims are not being followed and explained how each is being adhered to.
"This is a plan amendment," she said, noting that the ground floor is dedicated to commercial space. "It's important to note the plan was already approved. The primary function of the building is a commercial function."
She said that property lots on South Third Street vary "greatly, from very narrow to very wide."
Bradley added that the windows on the second and third floors won't be blocked and that she doesn't know why Lieb would think this would happen. Additionally, the large windows are in line with green building standards to provide natural light.
The building will be LEED-certified, city officials have previously said.
"The design has stayed roughly the same now for the last year," Bradley said, adding that approximately $40 million has been invested in Easton by private developers in the past four years, indicating that the city's parking needs will be increasing.
"That's a remarkable feat for any city," she said.
"This isn't personal. There are a lot of people out there that can't be here at meetings, and when they come to me and I agree with them, I'll speak for them," Lieb said. "This is going to be the city hall I will look at for the rest of my life, and it's not good enough."
Bradley said the building reflects the quality design and building standards of current times.
"We have an unofficial 'no phony colonial' policy," she said.
Great cities, such as Los Angeles and New York, are admired for their mix of architecture, and that is because they approve the construction of new buildings on the basis of their concept, Bradley said.
"Concrete and the cement industry is iconic in Easton," she said, adding that the design of the new city hall and transportation center was drawn somewhat from looking at other buildings, such as the post office and the Simon Mansion, and that the interpretation of what is appropriate in modern construction is the same set of criteria used for the Sigal Museum and new Lafayette College construction.
"We're not here tonight to discuss what's already been approved by the Historic Distric Commission," Bradley said. "This is the third location in the city for this site, and it's the best location for this site, near the center of the city, on a road corridor, near rail transport (which supports future development).
"We've put a lot of time and effort in this project, and I think we've gotten it right," she concluded.
Only one member of the public, Pastor Susan Ruggles of St. John's Lutheran Church, which lies adjacent to the planned parking deck, attended the meeting.
"We've been watching this carefully, and we're excited," she said.
Ruggles said the church's only worries about the project involve the buses, that one might collide with an adjacent brick wall near the bus entrance to the parking deck, and the exhaust they emit.
"They're going to be sitting there exuding fumes that are coming into my building. They've been parked out there before, and we've gotten sick," she said. "We've got a beautiful brick wall there, and I'm worried it will be hit."
"We've used the largest bus model to project the turning model. Will that mitigate anyone ever hitting the wall? I can't say that," assistant city engineer Dave Horton said.
He added that a new traffic signal pattern could eliminate the problem of buses idling waiting to exit the bus terminal.
LANTA Executive Director Armand Greco said that idling is against state law and that it won't be allowed.
Signs reminding bus drivers of that, along with prohibiting them from lining up to wait to exit the facility might also alleviate the potential issue, Horton said.
"I know it's going to be a problem, and I'm trying to be proactive," Ruggles said.
Planning Commission members Charles Elliott, Ronald Shipman, and Bonnie Winfield voted to approve the changes to the city hall and transportation plan, with Dennis Lieb voting against approval. Other members of the planning commission were not present Wednesday evening.
