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The site of the former Brass Rail restaurant, which closed in June 2022.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Allentown Planning Commission discussed a preliminary/final land development plan for a proposed Wawa convenience store Tuesday afternoon at city hall.
The proposal is offered for 3015 Lehigh St., the site of the former Brass Rail property. The plan involves consolidating two of the three existing lots, demolishing existing features on the consolidated lot and constructing the convenience store.
Should the proposed Wawa come to fruition, it would operate about 100 yards away from a Sheetz convenience store and gas station. Sheetz opened in August 2023 at the southeast corner of Lehigh Street and 29th Street, near Auto Zone. Additional nearby convenience stores and gas stations include a Turkey Hill on the other side of Sheetz and another Wawa about a mile north on Lehigh Street.
The site owner is Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida-based Feber Co.
The site of the former Brass Rail restaurant, which closed in June 2022.
Tuesday afternoon's hearing involved the developer's goal to consolidate two of the three existing lots, along with a lot line change between the consolidated lot and the third lot. The applicant also sought and received two waiver requests.
Attorney Joseph Zator, representing the applicant, noted the Wawa plan was "less intense" than the previously proposed plan with a Royal Farms for the site. The Wawa plan has no truck fueling stations or car wash, along with a half-acre reduction in impervious surface.
Curb returns, sidewalks, right-of-way discussions with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and traffic upgrades were discussed at length during Tuesday afternoon's meeting. Discussions centered also on property ownership required to consolidate the lots.
In other news, planners rejected a six-month extension on submitted plans for the proposed construction of a 33-floor office and residential building at 90 S. Ninth St., known as the Landmark Tower.
The rejection is of an existing proposal which has received five extensions since it was first approved in 2015 when the site was owned by Ascot Circle Realty.
The site is now under new ownership. The applicant, Umran Global Investment, said Tuesday afternoon that the new proposal calls for 30% office, retail and restaurant of the building's space. It also calls for 70% dedicated to residential, with 37 floors as opposed to 33 floors.
The applicant already filed revised plans on the previously submitted plans, but it failed to meet the city's deadline and was not considered during the meeting.
The applicant sought the extension on the previously submitted plans, but planners requested the company provide new plans. Umran stuck to its request for the six-month extension, and failed by a 3-4 vote.
The commission examined an adaptive reuse request to convert an existing four-story building into 40 apartment units at 2236-2280 S. 12th St. The building has been vacant since 2012. The reuse will create more natural light in the building due to the installation of wider windows. The building will have two entrances.
Finally, planners recommended to the zoning hearing board a revised plan to convert a machine shop, storage and warehouse wholesale facility into 31 dwelling units at 1002-1010 Walnut St.
The proposal entails consolidating two of the three existing lots, demoing existing features, and constructing a convenience store with gas station, according to the meeting agenda.
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