Center of Everything: Greater Hazleton residents, elected officials have different views about development

Mar. 8—Anne Marie Shelby is not a fan of industrial projects that are proposed within a stone's throw of her Wood Drive home in Hazle Twp.

Shelby said she and about 100 residents from her neighborhood just north of Beaver Brook already have a difficult time pulling onto a bustling Route 309.

Her community, at times, deals with odors from some of the factories that operate in Humboldt Industrial Park, she said.

Shelby wonders whether living conditions will deteriorate if a new wave of developers follow through with plans for building a business park and three massive warehousing projects less than a mile from her home.

BlueCup Ventures wants to build four warehouses south of Shelby's neighborhood. Within a few-minute drive north, Blue Creek investments has plans for a warehouse, Mericle Commercial Real Estate wants to build a 1,100 acre business park and Hazleton Creek Commerce Center is eyeing a massive industrial center.

"The fact of the matter is we're a small town," Shelby said. "When the mines were put in, we had little villages. It was a different lifestyle. This is a whole different ballgame."

A change in scenery

In Hazleton's nearby Birch Knoll neighborhood, Chris Cannon is bracing for a new neighbor — a 1.45-million-square-foot warehouse that Blue Creek Investments wants to build on land that abuts his property.

About 95 wooded acres have been cleared for that project.

"The concerns that I had when we (first) heard about the project are still pretty much the same," Cannon said. "I don't want to speculate on what's going to happen but my concerns are noise issues."

The warehouse would be built just a few hundred yards from his mother's bedroom, leaving Cannon hopeful the firm will honor Hazleton's noise ordinance and regulations for loading and unloading trucks.

Development has also changed the habits of some wildlife that used to frequent a wooded area behind his home.

He sees fewer deer since the land was cleared and wild turkey that used to visit the property are gone, he said.

Some trees that Blue Creek planted in 2019 for a noise barrier have died, he said.

"When my mom and dad purchased this property back in 2005, they were just thrilled with it," Cannon said. "You're in town but you're not in town. Just the quietness ... they enjoyed seeing wildlife coming out of the woods. I think we've seen some of that has diminished."

Representatives for Blue Creek have repeatedly said they want to work with the community. In 2019, the firm offered to help residents who live near its property line remove encroaching sheds, fences, jungle gyms and other personal items.

"Call it good neighbor or whatever," company attorney Conrad Falvello said at the time. "There certainly can be civil or criminal action taken for trespassing. That's not our approach here."

A project manager has also worked with Cannon to ensure that landscaping crews operated within the time frame allowed by ordinance.

Seeing an upside

Hazle Twp. Supervisors Chairman Jim Montone said that while he understands noise, traffic and other quality-of-life concerns, he believes developers are generally working in the best interest of the community.

The projects won't go online all at once, as Mericle's business park is about a decade away from completion, he said.

An industrial complex that Hazleton Creek Commerce Center is proposing in parts of Hazleton and Hazle Twp. could be at least three years from completion, he estimates.

"Every one of these developers wants to be community friendly," Montone said. "They totally understand how people feel about change, about warehouses and about how people in some of these small villages feel close."

Montone said industrial parks and related development keep tax rates low for residents.

"Our budget is $5 million to $6 million," he said. "From the residents, we're collecting maybe $800,000. The rest comes from industry."

Those conditions create a climate that encourages development, he said.

"IRIS USA has been under construction for three years," Montone said about the plastic storage products, pet products and ready-to-assemble furniture manufacturer in Humboldt Industrial Park. "They started production a few months ago and already are looking at putting on a big addition. What does that tell you?"

Projects such as the bottled beverage manufacturing facility that Warrior Trail/Niagara wants to build in Humboldt Industrial Park Northwest will be a boon to local municipal authorities, he contends.

As part of its proposed business park, the Mericle firm will convey some 43 acres to the township on which the township will build a park.

"We're actually looking at putting in another Community Park West as we call it," Montone said. "That will basically help the residents. But, that's down the road."

Hazleton Creek Commerce officials, meanwhile, have offered to pay for a plaque in honor of the late Robert Ward, who served as West Hazleton's fire chief, Montone said.

The Mericle firm has also offered to make its construction equipment available to the township, if needed, he said.

Some of the larger development projects that are planned locally should get the attention of Luzerne County officials, who Montone believes have generally ignored communities in the southern half of the county.

"In 10 years, when things start taking shape, people are going to start paying attention to lower Luzerne County," he said.

Montone believes the projects will come to fruition.

"The one in the city (and township) with five warehouses, I don't think they would do that without doing a survey to see if the area can handle it or not. It's too big of an investment just to be shooting from the hip."

As Hazleton's mayor, Jeff Cusat said the city will receive revenue from new jobs and later from property taxes after tax breaks that the city, Hazleton Area School District and Luzerne County granted over 10 years to Hazleton Creek Commerce Center Holdings and Blue Creek expire.

"EIT (earned income tax) will be an immediate benefit and long-term will be property tax," he said. "Once they build, they will be there for a long, long time."

Property values should increase as the projects progress, he said.

In both scenarios, governing entities will collect taxes that they currently receive for the land; tax relief applies to improvements.

Both of the larger projects proposed for the city will likely require traffic improvements, with Cusat saying his biggest concern is southbound traffic on Route 309.

Parking and code enforcement have historically presented challenges for the city, with Cusat saying he plans to soon discuss an on-street parking initiative with city council. The city has also taken steps to get ahead of parking issues, as the zoning board has been requiring people to have off-street parking available for projects that convert single properties into more than one living unit.

"If these jobs are created and there are more conversions taking place, the on-street parking becomes a problem," he said. "Parking will be a huge issue. That's why I pushed (for reserving spaces). That's something I'm looking to bring up again."

Other concerns

If projects come to fruition, Shelby envisions the area becoming congested, similar to Route 22 in the Macungie area.

She questions why local governing agencies are willing to grant tax breaks for big business when residents are expected to pay for schools and infrastructure.

She wonders how the projects will impact schools already dealing with overcrowded classrooms, emergency services and whether an abundance of new warehousing jobs will discourage students from going to college.

Although the projects haven't progressed to the point where tenants and pay have been discussed, Shelby contends that shifts and hourly rates for warehouse jobs generally aren't family friendly.

"Does that bring family values to the area?" she said.

Cannon, meanwhile, wonders where the work force will come from and whether those workers would settle in Greater Hazleton.

"It's easy for me to get all twisted up," he said. "My mom has lived in this city all her life. She paid her taxes and the whole works, but what has become of her right to have a peaceful, quiet place to enjoy? What rights do the folks who have lived here all their lives and paid their taxes have? It's like, 'Thanks, but we got bigger and better things to do.'"

Jeff Randolph, a managing partner with BlueCup Ventures, said his company wants to work with the community and is considering having its water line extended to serve residents in Beaver Brook.

"It's change," he said when asked about resident concerns. "The tax revenue is huge, jobs are big (and) there will be more demand for housing."

Contact the writer: sgalski@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3586