Downtown parking in the works for Allentown

Some residents question prudence of deal

BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer

Plans are in the works for a longawaited parking area in Allentown. The town is under contract to purchase a tract of almost 1.5 acres in the downtown business district that runs from Waker Street to Lakeview Drive.

Although at least two business owners came forward with offers to negotiate with the borough about the use of the areas behind their properties for parking, the contract for the property known as Lot 28 is under way, and Mayor Stuart Fierstein is saying it is time to move forward with plans.

“We’re not just going to sit on this,” he said. “There has been too much lost time. Too many businesses have closed down.” However, Fierstein stressed that he and the governing body would be glad to meet with any business owners who are willing to contribute to parking areas in the borough that could augment Lot 28, located behind 3, 5 and 7 South Main St.

“We’re open to reviewing any suggestions that come up,” he said. “We believe this is the best alternative for the community, but will continue to look into all alternatives,” he said.

Fierstein said he has spoken with Pat Swal, owner of Swal Dairy on Main Street, about striking an agreement for the use of some of his property for parking.

Still, Fierstein maintained that the Lot 28 property is the best option for a main lot in town, because it is the only property that connects between Waker Street and Lakeview Drive, allowing for thoroughfare and the ability to be used by emergency vehicles in such situations.

The property is to be purchased from Owen Seeland LLC, owned by Nick DeMauro and his wife, Jennifer, for a total of $100,000—$65,000 for the parcel itself and $35,000 for pedestrian easements that run between the buildings.

“This is the best thing that has happened to the town in years,” DeMauro said. “This is going to help every business owner in town. It’s a great thing for the community.”

At least two residents, however, have questions about the deal. They raised them at the Dec. 15 Borough Council meeting.

Wil Borkowski, a former co-owner of the Lot 28 property, voiced some concerns.

“I think to make a sound decision, everything comes down to dollars and cents,” he said.

Borkowski questioned whether borough officials had put a sufficient amount of planning into the deal to determine whether this was the most cost-effective alternative.

“There has to be some metrics,” he said.

He also said the property is located in an area with possible Department of Environmental Protection restrictions.

“You’re in wetlands over there,” he said, adding that pollution from cars parked in the lot wouldwash into the nearby stream and lake.

Themayor later said borough officials don’t think there will be any issues with wetlands encroachments there.

In 2009 the borough was in negotiations with Borkowski for the land he owned along with three others, and Borkowski was seeking to erect a commercial building on a portion of the property in exchange for the parking lot. The deal never came to fruition.

According to Fierstein, the building would have pushed the would-be municipal property into an area that could be deemed wetlands.

“We do not believe that there’s a wetlands issue on that property,” he said, adding, “It was never an actual wetlands delineation that we were dealing with.”

Resident Madeline Gavin also had concerns. She said that at the last council meeting, Fierstein told her the parking lot purchase wasn’t “a reality,” and then she found out that the town was under contract for the property.

“There seems to be no real plan,” she said. “I firmly believe that there needs to be a lot more input from the public. This is a very big issue. It seems like we do things with a Band-Aid approach.”

Gavin pointed out that the funding for Lot 28 was not included in the 2011 municipal budget, and asked whether the borough had received certification for the funds from its chief financial officer.

Although Fierstein didn’t say how the borough plans to pay for the property, he pointed out at the meeting that it could be purchased through a variety of means, including bonding or grants.

“Any municipal entity would not have appropriated the money in the budget before the transaction occurred,” Fierstein later told the Examiner.

He said that becauseAllentown is a historic borough, issues with deeds and easements can run deep. Until the town can determine that there is a clear deed for the property and the easements involved, funding is almost a moot point, he said.

“If we find that we can clear the hurdles, we’ll look at [funding] options and determine how to do it,” he said.

At the meeting, however, Gavin maintained that she takes issue with what she feels is a lack of transparency from the council. When she and Borkowski asked whether the governing body would address questions posed by them during the public portion of the meeting after they emerged from closed executive session, members of the council said no.

“This is not public participation,” she said. “This is simply dictatorial government.”

According to DeMauro, the deal he is about to close on with the borough is a positive all around.

“I think this is going to give the town a really great opportunity,” he said. “We think the whole community benefit will eventually help our property values.”