and 700 block N. New
Remember that the re-zoning of 11 and 15 W. Garrison is, for now, dead.
But the construction of a probably 5-story, 70-some unit apartment building — rendered above — on the 700 block of N. New St. remains quite a bit alive.
5-story did Gadfly say? At City Council last Tuesday Gadfly #2 Bill Scheier said that he’s seen talk of 12 stories.
Alas and alack!
Councilmen Callahan and Reynolds warned the Garrison residents that they could win the rezoning battle, which they did, and still end up with an offensive or even greater offensive project.
Which they might, Scheirer suggests.
Scheirer counts 7 new large apartment projects on deck: 4th and Vine, Wilbur Mansion, the Armory, Skyline West, Boyd Theater, 548 N. New, and this one on the 700 block of N. New.
And he asks:
“Is there enough demand for seven new apartment projects in the City of Bethlehem?”
A question you’ve seen yours truly Gadfly-double zero raise recently as well.
Especially in the context of the need for affordable housing.
Suppose the demand wasn’t great enough, Scheirer asks, which of the seven projects is expendable? Which is most destructive of the City’s character?
The 700 block of N. New.
And he suggests rezoning that block to CL to eliminate the project because the present CB zoning there that permits a large structure is “like a middle finger sticking up into the residential area.”
Whew!
