| What is the Geographic Area of EARN (The EARN Frontier)? Earn may operate and recruit membership in the geographic territory comprising the 14th and 15th Wards of Allentown. THE EARN FRONTIER --- WE ARE EAST OF Lehigh River...The Public Voice For The 14th & 15th Wards The EARN Frontier boasts a number of community and block groups. Most of the organizations fall into four categories: neighborhood associations, homeowners associations, block clubs, and service organizations. Many areas of this community have organized under the Community Watch program. These groups are usually organized at the block level, but occasionally a number of block groups will join together to be part of an area-wide community watch neighborhood. These organizations are a great tool for getting to know your neighbors and the area in which you live. |
| East Allentown- Rittersville Neighborhood Association, Inc. P.O Box 1136 Allentown, PA 18105 Contact: Dennis L. Pearson Telephone --- 610-434-1229 E-Mall --- dpearson@enter.net EARN OFFICERS Dennis L. Pearson - President - (610) 4341229 David Schell -Vice President- (610) 435-1586 Robert L. Jacoby Sr. - Treasurer - (610) 435-3417 Secretary --- Open BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jim Bartley (Project Haas) (610)439-4870 Betty Haas - ( Project Haas) (610) 435-9283 Robert Litts - (Charlotte's Neighborhood) (610) 437-2962 Hilda Sawka (Charlotte's Neighborhood) (610) 437-4233 Lois Morrell (Charlotte's Neighborhood) (610-434-090) Robert L. Smith Jr. ( Charlotte's Neighborhood) (610-776-0264) The membership of this neighborhood is open to any individual resident, property owner, business person,professional, industrialist, or representative of a non-profit agency or organization located in the neighborhood boundaries. No denial of membership shall be due to race, religion, creed, sex, color, physical handicap, or national origin... |
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EARN FRONTIER
EAST ALLENTOWN - RITTERSVILLE
Neighborhood Association, Inc.
P.O Box 1136, Allentown, PA 18105
Neighborhood Association, Inc.
P.O Box 1136, Allentown, PA 18105
December 28, 2010
Simply put, a neighborhood organization is any group that is: · Bringing people together, · Defined by a geographic boundary, and · Concerned about issues that affect the neighborhood/area. |
| Neighborhood associations draw people closer to their city government and closer still to their fellow neighbors. Neighborhood participation gives residents a stronger, united voice neighborhood projects . Neighborhood associations are inclusive, reflecting the diversity, which enriches a community. Members include families, singles, retired people, youths, business owners, faith-based organizations, schools, homeowners, and renters. |
| Often, neighborhood organizations commissions on a variety of topics, including: · Land Use (zone changes, variances, subdivisions, zoning ordinances · Street development, traffic control and patterns · Park, open spaces · Recreational services · Library programs · Budget allocations · Social services · Crime prevention · Capital improvements Neighborhood associations make it possible for local residents to have a greater influence over issues, programs and projects that affect their neighborhoods. They offer a local forum for citizen deliberation of key issues at the local level and provide a recognized vehicle for communicating citizen views’ to City Hall |
| Don't Let Them Lurk in the Shadows Neighborhood Watch, Block Watch, Town Watch, Crime Watch, Community Child watch -- whatever the name, it's one of the most effective and least costly ways to prevent crime and reduce fear. Neighborhood Watch fights the isolation that crime both creates and feeds upon. It forges bonds among area residents, helps reduce burglaries and robberies, and improves relations between police and the communities they serve. |
| Officer McGruff says take the bark out of crime |
| Established in 1976, EARN has seen a recent drop-off in membership and wants your input and ideas. If you live, operate a business, or simply have a vested interest in Allentown’s East Side, please come! Give us your name and phone number or E-Mail address so that you can: Know what is happening in your neighborhood and be a part of the flow of information – have your voice heard. Have a direct communication link with local government officials and other influential groups. Help to preserve and improve East Allentown. Plan social activities for your neighborhood. Let’s get together, share our ideas, thoughts, and feelings and work cooperatively to make Allentown’s east side a better place to live. All neighborhood residents and guests are welcome... This is your neighborhood... Help it be a strong on...Get Involved... Be part of the adventure... Be a Frontiersman for the neighborhood. Have any questions? Contact Dennis L. Pearson, President at 610-434-1229 E-Mail Address --- dpearson@enter.net or Robert L. Jacoby Sr at (610) 435-3417 |
| THE EARN FRONTIER --- WE ARE EAST OF Lehigh River...The Public Voice For The 14th & 15th Wards |
| Allentown State Hospital Update The Allentown State Hospital opened nearly a century ago on Oct. 3, 1912, on 200 acres of woodlands along the Lehigh River. The hospital, then known as the Allentown Homeopathic Hospital for the Insane, initially admitted patients from Norristown and Danville state hospitals, which were overcrowded. It was the first homeopathic institution of its kind in Pennsylvania, according to the state Department of Public Welfare. Under the homeopathic approach, diluted doses of substances are used to provoke healing responses in the body. The patient population peaked at 2,107 in 1954. But in October 2009, the 97-year-old hospital had just 170 patients served by 379 employees. Today the trend nationwide reflects a shift toward treating mental iIlness at smaller facilities, which advocates say is less costly and more effective. Acting Public Welfare Secretary Harriet Dichter earlier this year announced plans to close the hospital by the end of the year. And by12/15/2010 the population of residents at the Hospital had been reduced to Zero with 129 employees left as of 12/17/2010. As promised the Hospital has been closed with 43 employees committed to stay behindIt is obvious that the City of Allentown in its new proposed zoning code has made zoning changes in the Institution-Government District that reflect State Law even before the official Allentown State Hospital December 31, 2010 closing . The fact is the closing and future development of state hospital land will have a major impact on the East Side of Allentown ... We ask all involved to do what is right .... If decision-makers only have their eyes open for the Cash Cow then what they bring would only produce wrong... We ask of the City, do not bring upon the East Side things that can destroy us only to save the city's financial situation for a short time. As it has occurred already, 29 Acres of Allentown State Hospital Land has been transferred to the Allentown Commercial and Industrial Development Authority according to Lehigh County records as of September 29, 2009 as authorized by PA Public Law 74-2007 ...Public Law 74 - 2007 stipulated that the use of these 29 acre must be either commercial or senior residential housing or a mixture of both ... Of interest, with the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem having been granted a license for Gambling within the time period of the enabling law for the transfer of of Allentown State Hospital land, licensed Gambling Establishments are forbidden on those 29 plus acres. The Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem grand opening was June 9, 2009 Of course, all this behind the scene activity had already occurred before the January 28, 2010 public announcement by the PA Department of Welfare that the hospital would be closed. It being somewhat noteworthy that the public was not told about this already achieved behind the scene activity. Consequently when the City of Allentown sought public input in regard to a new Zoning Code in June of 2010 the public was still not aware of what state activity had occurred in cooperation with Municipal authorities but not necessarily in cooperation with the public .... It is important to note too that already the wishes of the State legislature has been incorporated in the new zoning code . However, you can hardly tell it the way the new zoning ordinance was reported in the Morning Call when it achieved passage by the Allentown City Council |
| NEXT EARN MEETING: MONDAY, January 17, 2011 7:00; St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church 1933 Hanover Avenue, Allentown, PA |
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| East Allentown - Rittersville Neighborhood Association Presentation before a hearing of a Department of Public Welfare Committee on the Closing of the Allentown State Hospital --- Monday, February 22, 2010 at 3:45 PM by EARN President Dennis L. Pearson The East Allentown- Rittersville Neighborhood Association comprises the 14th and 15th wards of the City of Allentown --- that portion of the city located east and north of the Lehigh River, which includes the location of the Allentown State Hospital. It remains the expressed wish and hope of the association that the Allentown State Hospital remains operational. Unfortunately, this closure seems like a slow death to us for it evolved incrementally since the 1980's. . Nevertheless, we cling to the slight hope that the Allentown State Hospital would be rescued from closure even in the face of the DPW's recent announcement of the same on or by December 31. 2010( which we are told caught all our Assembly and Senate representatives by surprise who serve our divided district neighborhood ).... But if this hope is dashed , it is our firm belief that the future use of this site must balance the needs of the City of Allentown with the impact on the neighborhoods immediately adjacent. We are not unmindful of the fact that the development of a tract of this size --- a huge piece of land that goes from Hanover Avenue all the way back to the Lehigh River --- is expected by some to provide a significant addition to the tax base of the city. The City of Allentown Financial Recovery Plan of 7/25/2009 speculated that in Fiscal Year 2009 the sale of an undefined acreage of Allentown State Hospital land would yield a projected sale price of $180,000 with a future projected property tax of $150,000 yearly. In spite of these rather optimistic projections which we note have not yet materialized we do have misgiving. It is our belief that the increased infrastructure costs will eat up a significant portion of any increased tax revenue - perhaps all of it. Examples of these infrastructure costs may be construction for new roads, water and sewer lines - whether for sanitary runoff or sewage effluent discharges , pumping systems to ensure adequate water pressure for fire protection, water tower storage and delivery and other uses, as well as projects to remove asbestos and other Brownfield materials that may exist on the tract. Last of all, the important need to provide police, fire and medical emergency services. We propose this challenge to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, the Allentown School District and the City of Allentown... And yes, even the Federal Government. Any future development must minimize any negative impacts on east Allentown, with particular reference to environmental impact, infrastructure costs, traffic congestion, increased criminal activity, and possible crowding in area public schools. To aid in the closure process, the DWP said it would establish a strong community advisory team made up of Allentown residents, county representatives from the Allentown service area, as well as other interested stakeholders who will monitor and assist the department through the process. EARN as a stakeholder, and the neighborhood most impacted by any present and future decision this advisory team may make to the DWP and to the State Assembly, fully understands that members of our association and our community ought to be represented on this advisory team when hearings, meetings and discussions are held related to closure and reuse of all the grounds related to the institution. The question may be raised: "Why is this so necessary?" It is necessary because our long-term residents have the personal knowledge of where the former swamp, dumping of road material, asphalt, sludge pitch material, field drainage systems, Etc. may be found. A little known fact that most people don't understand about the Allentown State Hospital is that it mainly sits on marsh land. We ask: Do we do right if we allow developers to destroy yet another wetlands area, especially one which clearly supplements the across the River Wildlands Conservancy property on South Mountain, throughout all of which are deer and other wildlife that roam on both sides of the river. Oddly the abundance of wildlife in the vicinity of Allentown State Hospital and the adjacent Community of East Allentown residents living on the Hill has become more noticeable since the construction of the well traveled Route 78 just South of South Mountain. Since then this wildlife because of the loss of habitat has migrated to this area. And we do recommend that as part of the planning process, an impact study on wildlife existing there be made. As indicated before, we know that City Administrators have considered both the State Hospital and Queen City Airport as the best "solutions" to increasing the Allentown tax base. And as a counter-point there are those who think that both tracts should remain undeveloped. Their belief is that our officials should raise the tide by improving the quality of life.. But for East Siders, the descending northern slope of Lehigh Mountain away from the river has been totally encroached upon by a combination of existing development and new City of Allentown approved high density development ... And this new development even has spilled over the crest of the Mountain toward the southern descending side which slopes toward both the Norfolk-Southern Railroad tracks and Lehigh River at the bottom. Quite literally, the open space as seen on Allentown State Hospital grounds can be described as an Oasis surrounded by an encroaching and windblown desert with the water tower looking very much as a golf ball on a tee serving as sentinel. We understand that various state properties including other state hospitals have been turned into so-called mixed use developments which include both housing and other types of buildings. But do we really need more apartments and high density homes? With tens of thousands of people here already, this part of town is congested enough! With only 2 main east/west arteries flowing through it all and the site sitting on Hanover Ave, which is already maxed daily in traffic volume, do we want to exacerbate the problem? ... We don't think so, and we hope regional planners agree ... We note, at present the Allentown State Hospital property can only be accessed from Hanover Avenue into a beautiful tree-lined cul-de-sac road leading up to main Hospital building. Other access roads from Sherman Street to River Road and from E. Hamilton Street have been closed years ago. Although the City of Allentown did encourage the State to cede part of the land for development. We do not blame the City for the State's decision to pull the plug . This was Ed Rendell and our state government at work. But as one voicer in the Morning Call observed: "With that being said, consolidation wouldn't be such a bad idea, but the problem is... who loses? Norristown gets all of Philly's people, plus some from the suburbs. Allentown is the split between Norristown and Clark-Summit. Wernersville would be the logical one to go. Open up previously closed units in Norristown and Allentown, and move the staff (if they're willing to commute) over. " In my lifetime, I have seen the decline of many industries in the Lehigh Valley area since the 60's. The most notable that impacted strongly on my neighborhood was the closure of Bethlehem Steel, Lehigh Structural Steel, Arbogast and Bastian Meat Packer, Neuweiler and Horlacher Breweries, the relocation of manufacturing facilities by Agere Technology one of many the successors to Western Electric, and Mack Trucks. Equally so, as a neighborhood we have dealt with the downturn of operations at the Allentown State Hospital as well. In the 80's, all the buildings were in use. Then, in the 90's they transferred some of the more elderly patients out to facilities that were more equipped to take care of their needs and proceeded to close those units. Now most of the buildings are contracted out to other agencies not related to the state At one time, cars coming into and going out of the cul-de-sac road at Hanover Avenue at shift change presented a problem for the School Crossing Guard at Plymouth Street. Then it was not a matter of speeding cars or people ignoring School Crossing Guard attempts to get School Children from Ritter Elementary across the road safely, it was the matter of the volume of cars coming out of the cul-de-sac and finding the right opportunity to stop all traffic to allow the children to cross the street. Then with decline in operations and decline in vehicular traffic to and from the Hospital, the traffic pattern on Hanover Avenue changed but was not as safe. As stated above , periodically, the Hospital contracted out its closed building for other uses. But what shocked the neighborhood was the 99 year lease of Allentown State Hospital Land to the Lehigh County Housing Authority to build Transitional Housing on E. Gordon and N. Oswego Streets for former Allentown State Hospital residents deemed healthy enough to live out in the community but under supervision of professionals who visited the apartments on a regular defined basis. This was an early sign that things were changing at the Hospital. Now we observe that an individual who had worked only four short years at the State Hospital , claims that he or she has seen many of the same people who were deemed well enough to go out to group homes come back for a second, third time. And moreover, there are patients there that doctors have acknowledged will never fare well in a community setting. The neighborhood is saddened at what will happen to these patients and what will happen to those still employed at the Allentown State Hospital ....Knowing that the final word may have been said about Allentown State Hospital closure ... We turn our focus to its reuse. Not that we want to. But from the sense of reality. In conclusion, we say that our neighbors are telling us the following about what development or lack of development should happen on the grounds of the former Allentown Homeopathic Hospital for the Insane which opened nearly a century ago on Oct. 3, 1912 in the village of Rittersville which actually extended from Pennsylvania Avenue in Bethlehem to Irving Street in Allentown. 1. We note -- traditionally East Allentown has been the most family oriented section of the City by statistics. Therefore we are very much interested in promoting families with kids to move here and promoting activities for the same ... Nevertheless - the neighborhood objects to the development of apartments and multi-family housing on the Allentown State Hospital property ... Such housing would exacerbate traffic conditions on Hanover Avenue and could put added pressure on the Allentown School System. . 2. Most of this land should remain undeveloped or remain open space leaving open habitat for wildlife with reuse or new development occurring only within the footprint of the Allentown State Hospital's current buildings 3. The tree lined entrance to the Allentown State Hospital Campus , the historic main building and the water tower should be preserved. 4. It would be totally acceptable that the current buildings and campus to be used for a Veteran's Administration Hospital. 5. It would be totally acceptable that the current buildings and campus to be used for a developing a stand-alone Medical/Pharmacy school in the Lehigh Valley. The Lehigh Valley doesn't have a standalone Med or Pharmacy school in our area (St. Luke's Bethlehem Med School is in affiliation with a Temple med school). Even Erie, PA has both a Medical and Pharmacy school. The Scranton/W-B area is developing a medical school and already has a pharmacy school at Wilkes Univ. in W-B. We could also use a physical therapy program and PhD programs in the biomedical sciences. How about a Lehigh/Moravian/Muhlenberg College of Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences? We all know we will need more doctors and healthcare workers in the coming years. 6. It would be totally acceptable that the current footprint of the Allentown State Hospital be utilized by the Allentown School District or some private school to meet its school building needs . 7. A certain portion of the footprint be used for Athletic fields for East Side A-Youth Youth Organizations.. 8. We do not close our mind to the development of a business park with medical offices in the footprint of the State Hospital Campus .... But such a Business Park must aesthetically fit into the neighborhood and what surrounds it. We do not want the type of businesses and type of construction we term Business slums located North and South of Union Boulevard nearby the former Agere Technology plant. The Agere Technology Plant we add should be retooled for new manufacturing rather than introduce manufacturing that would not aesthetically fit into the neighborhood and what surrounds it and would in fact become an intrusive nuisance. 9. For security reasons, some developments are termed gated communities ... For the reason that we may not have access to the new residents of these communities and the fact that these developments may use up more of the open land than we desire we are not thrilled by such developments ... On a limited basis within the footprint over 55 communities are acceptable. 10. Finally, if new housing is built on the Allentown State Hospital Campus it should be single family detached housing ... Ideally the portion of the property allowed for such housing should allow one house per acre. However, as much as three houses could be built on a acre if on that tract three other acres are not built upon where building is allowed. Clearly, the City of Allentown will play an important role in the future development of a comprehensive Land Use plan for the 217 acres that currently comprise the Allentown State Hospital Campus and will facilitate this plan with newly adopted Planning and Zoning Ordinances for the area... As predicted by Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham: " Coming up with a plan that everyone agrees on could be difficult ... Both because of competing interests among elected officials and developers, and the desire of people who live around the Hospital." ... So in the end, when things are finalized in time after give and take , all governmental units and the public should be on the same page if that is possible... And the State should not abandon its responsibility in the process by passing the torch too quickly before such same page agreement is achieved. It is a priority, indeed that we find a way to turn something negative into something positive. |
