Movie theater, hotel proposed at William Penn Highway and Route 33 in Bethlehem Township

An 11-screen movie theater and 120-room hotel are proposed near Route 33 in Bethlehem Township, Pa.

Developer Charles Chrin submitted plans for both amenities along with a gas station, restaurant and bank on 17 acres at William Penn Highway and Hope Road. It's the site of the former V-7 Golf Driving Range.

Chrin's plans don't specify operators, and company officials didn't return calls for comment Wednesday.

Chrin in 2010 proposed a supermarket, two restaurants and a small strip mall on the property but plans didn't get past early discussions. Some township commissioners expressed concerns about traffic, and several neighborhood residents came out to oppose the plans.

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Chrin would need several variances for his newest proposal to be built; neither movie theaters nor gas stations are allowed on the property. The hotel also would need a variance to be four instead of three stories.

The plans likely will go before the township planning commission July 28 then go to the township commissioners Aug. 4 for sketch plan consideration. They'll also have to go before the zoning hearing board once they're formally submitted.

Commissioners' President D. Martin Zawarski said he likes Chrin's latest idea for the site and has heard it would be an upscale movie theater, possibly with in-seat food service or an IMAX screen.

"Anything that the Chrin organization has done in the valley has been first class," Zawarski said.

Chrin's plans call for a new stoplight and turning lanes at Country Club Road and a realignment of Hope Road. Zawarski said he believes those changes will help the current traffic problems at the intersection.

"That will improve the overall dynamics of the intersection," he said.

But some nearby neighbors said they believe any development there will only make the area's many traffic problems worse.

"We don't have enough space to get out of our driveway now," William Penn Highway resident Constance Rampulla-White said. "It's going to be such a traffic jam."

Malissa Davis, who lives behind the former Christmas Barn on William Penn, was also concerned about additional traffic and the overall size of the proposed complex.

"It sounds like it's just way too much," she said.

The movie theater is proposed to be 46,057 square feet while the hotel would be 29,517 square feet. The gas station and convenience store would total 5,773 square feet while the restaurant would be 5,532 square feet and the bank, 4,500 square feet.

The plans also detail 608 parking spaces, though 665 would be required under township ordinances.

Source: Lehigh Valley Live