Palmer Township Comprehensive Plan Plan

Palmer Township Comprehensive Plan of 2003
The business community and Township officials should periodically study Palmer’s greatest
strengths and most serious constraints in attracting new employers. The goal is to build upon
these strengths and minimize the constraints.
It is essential that attention be paid towards helping existing employers to stay in business in
Palmer and to expand. In this area, regular communication is important between major
employers, Township officials, business lenders and economic development agencies in the area.
At times, an employer may be suffering from problems that could be reduced by local effort. For
example, an employer may be suffering because a rail spur closed down, or because it cannot
find enough employees in a certain skill area, or it is suffering flooding problems. Close
communication with Palmer’s employers will not only help them resolve problems but it will
help them know that their community cares about their concerns. This is a major component of
ensuring a healthy “business climate” in Palmer.
Additional efforts need to be made to market Palmer as a business location. Also, Palmer needs
to increase recognition of its name throughout a wider area. In addition, Palmer should seek
ways of making best use of the area’s technical and educational resources through close
relationships between schools and businesses. This especially refers to Lafayette College, Lehigh
University, Northampton Community College and the Career and Technology Center.
Attention must be paid not only to attracting major employers from outside the area, but also to
helping local entrepreneurs get started. A major factor in this area is helping small business
persons to develop basic business skills to let them make the most of their initiative. This can be
accomplished by sponsoring workshops in areas such as accounting, marketing and crime
prevention.
The goal is not only to create large numbers of jobs, but also to create types of jobs that provide
incomes sufficient to support a family and that provide important benefits. Too many Palmer
residents find that they must commute long distances to find employment that generates
sufficient income and benefits to support a family.
Timing of Development
The timing of development will depend upon many factors, including mortgage interest rates,
migration of persons from New Jersey, employment growth in the region and the availability or
unavailability of competing development sites in neighboring municipalities. Any construction
of a new interchange on Route 33 in the northern part of Palmer is not likely to occur until at
least 2012, if not 2020. This Comprehensive Plan recommends that intensive business
development not be allowed in the northwestern part of the Township if adequate transportation
infrastructure is not in place.
Promoting Use of Public Transit
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s report Community Planning and Transit includes
recommendations to promote use of public transit. Many of these recommendations can also
promote walking as an alternative to short vehicle trips. These recommendations are important to
reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. These recommendations include:
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