The Lehigh Township Zoning Hearing Board convened onApril 14 and granted Walmart approval for three variances so it can develop a new store and gas station on the land at Route 145 and Birch Road. Unfortunately, this project does not adhere to developing the area in a sustainable way.

The project is too "intense" for the area. The scale of this project is quite large and there will be increased impervious surfaces and an overabundance of soil and vegetation degradation. While the majority of the land is currently being farmed, there is a patch of land containing trees and shrubs that serves as a wildlife habitat.The Lehigh Township Zoning Commission granted Walmart a variance from their Steep Slop Protection Standards. This variance is inconsistent with Pennsylvania DCNR's Growing Greener approach and the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission's Guide and Model Regulations for Steep Slopes. The land adjacent to the proposed Walmart may likely become highly susceptible to erosion, land slippage and subsidence. There will be degradation of wildlife habitat and the aesthetic character of visually prominent hillsides will be removed. The area will become a visible eyesore.Most concerning with this project is the impact it will have on Birch Road, which is a very narrow rural road without yellow lines. There are sections where two SUVs would have difficulty passing each other. The road has a steep drop next to the Birch Creek on one side and a steep hill on the other side. GPS systems will bring many Walmart shoppers on this road. There will be a substantial increase in traffic that this road is not designed to handle. This will cause severe environmental impact to the Birch Creek.The Walmart development plan is also incompatible with Lehigh Township's Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Code 147-24 discusses the importance of preserving natural features and aiding in providing adequate open space. This includes preserving the natural terrain of the site and scenic views. Unfortunately, the residents of the Greenock Hills subdivision will lose their scenic views. Walmart's loading docks will be 150-250 feet away from the backyards of many residents. The trucks that deliver goods to Walmart 24 hours a day will create additional air and noise pollution. There will also be light pollution from the store.Is Walmart really needed in this location? The Whitehall Walmart is a 15-minute drive to the south. The Lehighton Walmart is a 20-minute drive to the north. The Kmart in Walnutport is a 3-minute dive. There are also two gas stations a mile up the road. On the other hand, Lehigh Township will get much tax revenueand the area will get a new grocery store.I hope the Lehigh Township Planning Commission will think sustainably as they continue to work with Walmart on this project. There are opportunities to provide green space to the area, plant big trees to provide a buffer so residents of Greenock Hills do not have to view Walmart in their backyards, build a sidewalk on Birch Road to help residents walk safely to Walmart, and consider placing bike lanes on the roads to decrease the safety risks of bikers heading toward the D&L trailhead from the Walmart area.Dr. Alec BodzinProfessor, Lehigh Environmental Initiative, Lehigh University