The 48-acre property in Bath, Pa. is zoned for commercial use and has been acquired by a warehouse developer that has made a controversial proposal to place two distribution centers on the 27-year-old course. Residents see the development as a threat to their rural lifestyle that will damage property values, and nearby towns have voiced concerns about the added truck traffic that would be generated. The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, which can only make recommendations, called the proposal “the definition of poor development.”
Southmoore Golf Course in Bath, Pa. has been acquired for $2.63 million by a warehouse developer, according to Northampton County (Pa.) property records, WFMZ of Allentown, Pa. reported.
Waters Edge at Wind Gap, a limited liability company that used an address for a residence in Nazareth, Pa., acquired the property through a transaction that was completed on December 28, 2021 according to the county records, WFMZ reported, The Southmoore property was recorded by the county as covering 48 acres, and the previous owner was listed as HILL SMGC, another limited liability company.
The last sale of the property was in 2016 for $933,853, according to the county, WFMZ reported.
As C+RB reported in August 2021 (https://clubandresortbusiness.com/controversial-warehouse-plan-for-southmoore-gc-takes-another-step-forward/) after Waters Edge proposed placing two warehouses on the golf course (the land is zoned for commercial use, which allows warehouses), the plan generated opposition from residents that see the development as a threat to their rural lifestyle that will damage property values, as well as concern from nearby towns about truck traffic, and a review from the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) that said the proposal is “the definition of poor development.”
The objections from the LVPC, which could make recommendations but not block the proposal, focused on the distance to highway interchanges and the potential for increased traffic in Nazareth and Bath from what would be called “The Southmoore Business Center,” WFMZ reported.
In October, the Moore Township Planning Commission said Waters Edge would submit a revised plan that would not be reviewed until 2022, WFMZ reported. The planning commission’s next meeting is scheduled for January 24.
When the Southmoore proposal became public, residents showed opposition by attending township meetings, WFMZ reported. Moore Township later passed an ordinance written by Solicitor David Backenstoe that places limits on warehouses, but it did not apply to the Waters Edge proposal, which was submitted before the ordinance became law.
Revisions to the plan also come under the old ordinance, Backenstoe said in October. If the revision is “substantially different,” he said the township could consider it a new plan, placing it under the revised rules. That could lead to years of litigation if the developer objects, Backenstoe said.
The township must review any plan “in good faith,” Backenstoe said at that time, WFMZ reported, and cannot block a proposal just because people do not like it.
The earlier proposal was for two warehouses on the site of the golf course, one of which would cover 374,750 sq. ft., and the other 140,000 sq. ft., WFMZ reported.
Southmoore GC’s 18-hole, par-71 golf course was designed by James Blaukovitch and opened in 1994.
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.