This proposal under review is very concerning to this former Kent County resident. Eighteen years ago I left Chestertown to move to the beautiful Lehigh Valley in Southeastern Pennsylvania. I enjoyed the Valley’s rolling farm fields, historic buildings, sparkling creeks and rivers. I loved driving through the countryside then, but no more.
In the years since, the Valley has been overrun with enormous flat roofed warehouses. In the 1970’s Bethlehem, where we live, was facing economic catastrophe Bethlehem Steel closed its factories leaving thousands unemployed. Through the creativity and dedication of its citizens, the Valley has survived and grown. A few years later, though, when the warehouse developers came calling, the government was easily swayed by the promise of good jobs, a growing tax base that guaranteed increased prosperity and clean energy. Now we can see that none of these promises has really come true.
Instead, highways, the local and connector roads are crawling with trucks; they are now crumbling and dangerous. The jobs don’t provide a living wage and housing becomes unaffordable for these employees. Union protection for those holding “unskilled” jobs is poor. Bad things keep happening. For example, a local newspaper reported recently that an Amazon warehouse saved money on their HVAC systems by leaving out air conditioning. The out-of-state company realized that it was cheaper to negotiate a contract to keep an ambulance on site during the summer. When the overheated workers collapsed, they were simply carted off to the emergency room. Unbelievable.
As is so often the case, development breeds on itself. Even the bad stuff. Now, while new warehouses are going up, newly constructed ones are empty, with enormous signs advertising availability. Warehouses are becoming more and more automated, eliminating those promised good jobs. In the meantime, the Valley is experiencing a shortage of affordable housing. So much for the jobs, the economical development, the support for families. To be fair, something is increasing: pollution from all of those diesel truck, according to a study released last month. Run-off from all of those flat roofs and parking lots is growing too.
So what can Kent County learn from the Lehigh Valley? These facilities have little to offer the local economy or quality of life. In spite of the promises you are hearing, I encourage you to send them down the road and focus on what makes Kent County and its resources thrive. If you decide to accept them, please place strict restrictions on them. Find out what they precisely mean about their L.E.E.D. claims; insist that they power themselves with roof-mounted solar panels; keep the 45 foot height limit.
Marsha Fritz
Bethlehem PA
Mike Waal says
Hi Ms. Fritz,
As a resident of Kent County that was a move-here 30 years ago from PA, the Downington/Exton area, I can appreciate your point of view. The Downington/Exton exchange of the PA Turnpike has truly gone through changes similar to the Lehigh Valley/Bethlehem-Allentown area of PA.
Unfortunately, you have no idea what revenue requirements Kent County is faced with that will directly affect Kent Countians pockets/ pocket books with regards to major increases in our real estate taxes, the main source of revenue for Kent County.
Our real estate tax right now is $1.012 / $100 Assessment. We are faced with a law, a required-by-legislation major revenue undertaking that over the next 10 years will necessitate our real estate taxes to increase to some where between $2.45 / $100 Assessment and $5.00 / $100 Assessment, unless our leadership in Annapolis, MD, our Capital, decides to make a major change to that legislation. And that doesn’t look promising.
We have not had any major economic development here in the decades I have lived her. A Campbell Soup processing plant closed, a major employer recently moved to Delaware, our strip malls/shopping centers have significant store vacancies.
We are looking at a very small economic development project relative to the total area of Kent County, a few acres vs 277 square miles, as a revenue source to help with our ever mounting legislated revenue requirement.
Please know only 5.9% of the land mass of Kent County is zoned Commercial, while 89% of the land mass of Kent County is zoned Agriculture. Our Planning and Zoning rules and regs are our gate guard, and we will certainly not destroy the totality of the agricultural beauty of Kent County.