Slatington’s new proposed zoning map comes with a couple changes.

Council approved the proposed zoning map and a newly created official map on Monday night. The public has at least 45 days to view the maps at the municipal office. A public hearing for each map will be held this fall, prior to final approval.

Representatives from Environmental Planning and Design in Pittsburgh presented the revisions to the council. They were hired to handle the revisions and development of the maps.

Currently, the borough has six designated areas in zoning. The revision reduces it to five by merging rural residential with suburban residential. The revision also changes an area in the industrial zone with houses to town residential.

Borough manager Dan Stevens said he doesn’t know why houses were ever built in an industrial area, but the change will be beneficial to the people who live there. He explained that if an owner decides to sale the house, then having it in a residential zone will make it easier to sale.

As far as the zones, the two largest parts of the borough are town residential, which is closer to the area designated town center. Suburban residential has less dense housing that is further out from the town center.

The borough also has a commercial zone near the town center and an industrial zone mostly along the Lehigh River.

“Most of this is accommodating what we already have in place,” Stevens said. “This better illustrates what we already have in place.”

Stevens explained that the borough is participating in the Northern Lehigh Multi-municipal Comprehensive Plan with five other municipalities. They include Washington, Lowhill, Lynn, Heidelberg and Weisenberg townships.

“It’s to all of our advantage to have a comprehensive plan,” Stevens said.

There are a variety of things municipalities have to have available to people, such as different types of housing and commercial areas. Joining together with other nearby municipalities means one may already have something on the list, so the others don’t have to provide it.

“We already have high-density housing. We have an airport, We have a water treatment plant,” Stevens said. “We’re taking certain things for them.”

As part of that plan, Lehigh County asked the borough to have the official map created and zoning map reviewed.

Stevens said the county is paying about $80,000 for the zoning, maps, and revisions for the participating municipalities. Slatington’s contribution to the project is about $5,000, he said.

For more information about the maps, contact the borough office at 610-767-2131.