Care Center Can Be 40-Feet High, Zoners Say

The Upper Macungie Zoning Hearing board granted a height variance to Richard Koze/Kay Builders on Feb. 27 concerning a proposed personal care facility.

The appeal of the Wescosville-based company revolved around a property at Blue Barn Road and Oak View Drive.

The builders proposed a maximum building height of 40 feet 7 inches. That exceeds the township's maximum building height of 35 feet.

The request was amended to permit a building height of 38 feet, 6 inches, which was approved by the board.

The developers appeared before township planners in November 2012.

A two-and-a-half story building, at 62,000 square feet, would house an assisted living facility with a memory care unit.

Another two-story, 30,000-square-foot office building would house Kay Builders and a new Design Center on the upper floor. There would be additional space for other offices, such as for a dentist or lawyer.

First-floor businesses that would provide services to the community include a hair salon or physical therapy unit.

In 2011, a proposed senior care facility raised the ire of some township residents, who feared such a plan would affect the quality of their lives.