ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The long-running process to overhaul Allentown’s zoning code will take center stage again this week.
The planning commission’s Tuesday meeting is set to finish with an opportunity for residents to weigh in on ZONE Allentown, a comprehensive update to the city’s zoning code and regulations for subdivision and land-development projects.
That meeting starts at 12:15 p.m. in Allentown City Hall.
The new zoning ordinance is meant “to clearly convey the city’s expectations for new development and redevelopment activities going forward."
ZONE Allentown website
A 50-page presentation offers an overview of the zoning overhaul proposal and its timeline for approval.
Officials in April 2024 unveiled the first draft of the proposed rewrite to streamline approval processes, spur development in some locations and update design standards for new projects.
Better alignment, clearer standards
The new ordinance is meant “to clearly convey the city’s expectations for new development and redevelopment activities going forward,” according to an explanation on the site.
The update will “better align the city’s current development-related ordinances” with Allentown’s Vision 2030 Comprehensive Plan and “provide a more modern regulatory framework for the future,” Planning Director Jennifer Gomez has said.
The “most intense” developments still would be centered around downtown Allentown, but mixed-use buildings would be permitted through commercial zoning districts in the city under the new regulations.
The rewrite also is expected to include special zoning provisions along Allentown’s major corridors.
It aims to boost the supply and affordability of housing and make the city more walkable while respecting its character.
But new regulations would apply only to new construction and projects with significant changes.
Officials launched the zoning-overhaul project in 2021.
The proposal has been in its third phase — public review — for more than a year. Officials initially hoped to adopt the new zoning ordinance and map by fall 2024.