Hellertown Borough Council approved preliminary plans for a Sheetz convenience store and gas station at the intersection of Main Street and Kichline Avenue, where a used car dealership is currently located, however some members expressed unease about the decision.
The borough planning commission first approved the proposal in the spring.
A proposal to build a Sheetz gas station and convenience store at Kichline Avenue and Main Street in Hellertown was approved by borough council 6-1 Monday. The location is currently occupied by Star Pre-owned, a used car and truck lot.
An initial motion to approve the project failed at Monday night’s meeting, but after a deeper discussion involving council and solicitor Michael Corriere, a roll call vote was held and the plans passed 6-1.
The lone opposing vote was cast by councilwoman Terri Fadem.
“I could speak for myself, and I don’t see how this benefits the community or the residents of Hellertown,” Fadem said. “I’ve heard a lot of outcry against this project, that’s what I’m hearing. I haven’t heard about any of the benefits.”
The land on which the Sheetz is to be built is zoned Highway Commercial, which allows for convenience stores and other uses that aren’t allowed in other parts of the borough. The HC zoning district extends north from Kichline Avenue and west from Main Street to the borough’s borders with the city of Bethlehem.
“Anyone on council can make a motion to deny (the proposal), but you have to listen to (solicitor) Mike (Corriere), and it will go to litigation, and there will be costs associated with defending that litigation, and we will lose,” said council president Tom Rieger before the roll-call vote.
Councilwoman Liz Thompson, who reluctantly voted in favor of approving the plans, said it felt like council’s hands were tied.
“While I feel that our residents are not pleased with this, I feel that our residents would be less pleased with costly litigation with the same result, which we would then have to talk about cost increase because we don’t have (funding for) litigation in our budget for 2024,” she said. “As much as it pains me, I vote ‘yes’ for the legal reasons our solicitor described.”
Corriere said he hadn’t heard any acceptable rationale for legally denying the proposed Sheetz.
“It’s private property, and if it’s a permitted use, they have a right to put it in as long as they meet the conditions for the SALDO (Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance)…by law, we would be required to approve the plan,” he said. “It all comes down to the conditions and can the applicant meet that.”
Rieger explained to a concerned citizen that zoning law within the municipal planning code requires every use to be defined for each piece of property located within the borough of Hellertown.
“At the end of the day, they own or are going to own that property, and they are entitled by right and by relief to do what they please on that property,” Rieger said. “It’s a two-edged sword.”
Adjacent business owners, including dermatologist Dr. Pamela Meyer–whose practice is located on Kichline Avenue–shared concerns about the possibility of road shutdowns, which they said would be problematic if it was going to be similar to a Rt. 412 construction by PennDOT that took place in 2016.
“I cannot live through, business-wise, and survive another shutdown (on Kichline),” Meyer said. “I lost numerous patients and a lot of business.”
Borough engineer Bryan Smith, of Barry Isett and Associates, said the scale of this project is considerably smaller than that of the Rt. 412/I-78 improvements that were previously done. He added that there will be a pre-construction meeting at some point, and said he will specify that a “continued amount of access” be provided along Kichline Avenue throughout the duration of the project.
“Also, just to keep note, this is being done through an HOP (highway occupancy permit),” Smith added. “(The Rt.) 412 project was a PennDOT funded and managed project. This is actually being done through the developer, so there will be an expedition of improvements versus what was done at the (Rt.) 412 project.”
Sheetz recently opened a store in Bethlehem, a couple miles north of where its Hellertown store is planned. It has also proposed construction of a gas station on Rt. 378 in Lower Saucon Township.
Other business
In other business at Monday’s meeting, council provided an update on the borough’s search for a new police chief. Rieger said there are more than 20 applicants for the position.
“The thought would be the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association (PCPA) are going to whittle it down from 22 to a number, then council is going to whittle it down to the top two or three candidates, and then have that public interview process where it’s almost a roundtable (discussion),” he said. “That’s how the city of Allentown and Bethlehem have done it in the past. You get down to your top candidates, then you have that open conversation, open dialogue with the community and prospective incoming chief. That’s how I envision it.”
Rieger said the hypothetical final public interviews would likely take place during a special meeting, when council doesn’t have a full agenda.
The department’s current officer in charge, Det. Mike Dattilio, said he would like to reinstate former community policing programs such as Block Watch, Coffee with a Cop and Bike with a Cop.
“Earlier in my career, I did run the Block Watch program for a period of time,” he said. “It’s a very good program that bridges the gap between the police department and opens up the dialogue where we go over figures, crime trends and how to protect yourself against criminal activity.”
Mayor David Heintzelman added that morale is up among members of the borough’s police department, which has been in the spotlight due to the arrest of its former chief on theft charges.
“It seems that there is a lot more harmony going on. I got to sit in on a performance review of a police officer, and I was really pleased with not only Mike’s demeanor, but the police officer that wrote down some of their weaknesses and what they’re going to do better to strive for the best for our community,” the mayor said. “Moving forward, I thought that was a great step. In another month, we’ll have all of (the reviews completed).”
Rieger noted that recently there has been some “mischief” around town resulting in damage to public property. He urged community members to take a “see something, say something” approach.
“We do need the community’s help,” he said. “We need parents to control their children and be responsible for their actions.”
“We do have cameras at Dimmick Park,” Rieger added. “We do have cameras in all of our parks. You will be caught, and (if) you are damaging public property…you will be held accountable.”
A special highlight of Monday’s meeting was recognition of resident and long-time Saucon Valley High School wrestling scorekeeper Cathy Leibensperger, who was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame last month. In honor of her 44 years as scorekeeper, Heintzelman symbolically declared the day “Cathy Leibensperger Day.”
“Honestly, it’s an honor that I thought I would never get,” Leibensperger said. “I look at the other inductees, and I see people that have traveled the world, coached champions… I’m just a little scorekeeper from a little high school in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, so it’s quite an honor.”
