Maxatawny Warehouses at Hottenstein Road

04/04/2026

APRIL 4, 2026 : Avoid 78 near the New Smithville exit. A plane landed in the Eastbound lanes just past the New Smithville interchange. Onlookers in the Westbound lanes have slowed traffic in that direction as well. Almost can't blame them though. How often do you get to see a plane in the lanes of a major highway? Hope everyone's okay!

03/04/2026

TONIGHT, March 4, 2026: Data Centers and how to protect your community.

ON ZOOM! Data centers: nobody wants them, but we can’t ban them in PA, so what are we to do? Your local government has the power! Join us to learn how to get strong, protective local laws on the books…

01/29/2026

TONIGHT, Jan. 29, 2026
222 Capital Partners (Duke Plan) Conditional Use Hearing 6:30 Questions to Traffic Expert

01/16/2026

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Several bills in Harrisburg would shift decisions from our local communities to politicians or bureaucrats in Harrisburg.

**𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘦: 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘺 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘴. 𝑆𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘵**

Examples:

• HB 2045 (Sponsored by former rep now County Exec Josh Seigel) & HB 1459 (Sponsored by former rep now County Exec Josh Seigel). Would limit local control by requiring municipalities to allow multi-family housing types regardless of local planning.

• HB 502 and related energy siting proposals. Would allow large energy facilities to bypass local zoning and be approved at the state level. (Co sponsored by local rep. Mike Schlossberg)

• SB 991 & SB 939 (Co sponsored by Senator Pennycuick who represents areas just south of us). Would create expedited state permitting pathways for high-impact DATA CENTERS and related infrastructure impacting local control and review.

Supporters argue these bills address affordability, housing, energy and economic needs. Critics are concerned that state preemption equals loss of local control leading to infrastructure strain, environmental impacts, traffic, higher taxes, costs and long-term liabilities.

These decisions impact traffic, schools, utilities, farmland, and quality of life. Regardless of where you stand, these proposals deserve close scrutiny.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲. 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗢𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. 𝗢𝗿 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗹𝘆, 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁!

The following State Elected officials represent the East Penn School District area:
Senator Jarrett Coleman
PA State Rep. Gary Day
Senator Nick Miller
PA State Rep. Milou Mackenzie

Others referenced outside of East Penn but local to the greater Lehigh Valley or nearby.
Senator Tracy Pennycuick
Rep. Mike Schlossberg

Upper Macungie Residents for Smart Growth
South Whitehall Concerned Citizens: Ridge Farms, Growth and Preservation

01/13/2026

Motion was made by developer’s attorney to postpone.

01/13/2026

Wednesday’s 23 Max LLC (Hilltop Rd) Conditional Use Hearing POSTPONED until Feb, 12th.

12/11/2025

222 Capital Partners Conditional Use Hearing TONIGHT 12/11/25 @ 6:30 (Old Duke Plan). Traffic Expert for Developer Expected.

11/16/2025

Thank you Friends for the Protection of Lower Macungie! You are spearheading the protection of our communities!

Data Centers have been on our radar for a while now. Familiarize yourself with them as they sound good on the surface but research shows something different. Just like mega warehouses, they can't be placed just anywhere. Be aware of the pros and cons.

𝗨𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀... 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗘 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗶𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆.

From a recent column by the Executive Director of Lehigh Valley Planning Commission came this nugget: "𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 2.6 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘨𝘢 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘈𝘪𝘳 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘜𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘦 𝘛𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱."

Unfortunately, Upper Macungie doesn’t publish a public list of active plans like Lower Macungie does, so we can’t confirm more details of the application yet.

What we do know is that the township has been preparing. The draft ordinance is posted here 👇

https://www.uppermac.org/home/showpublisheddocument/4559/638965732354430000

Have not reviewed in great detail yet. But some quick highlights from a skim:

• Adds definition for “NEW DATA CENTER”. Covers buildings used for computing or telecommunications to process or "store digital information". It explicitly includes crypto mining, blockchain and server farms.

• Adds “NEW DATA CENTER EQUIPMENT” Utilities. Cooling towers, pump stations and redundant power located on the same property.

• The very good news is Data Centers would not allowed "by right anywhere" They would only be permitted as conditional uses. That's huge. It gives Supervisors more tools to consider resident concerns.

A question is why the use is included in two zones, GI = General Industrial District, RT = Rural Technology District. State law only requires one, so this goes beyond the minimum required. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝘀𝗸. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝘄𝗼?

• Proposed amendment requires strong setbacks, berms, a three-phase sound study, and environmental reviews. The berms are something we really pushed for as a standard practice during the warehouse boom.

𝗔𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱. 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄... 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀

11/12/2025

Conditional Use Hearing - 23 Max LLC (Hilltop Warehouse)
Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025
6:30 @ Township Building

11/03/2025

04/29/2025

The Lehigh Valley and Berks County both get failing grades for air quality. 69 News Reporter Grace Griffaton has the details.