Another View: Bethlehem Resident Bud Hackett Comments on Potential Cost Increases for Housing, Development From Land-Use Ordinance

Aug. 6, 2025

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

Below is a statement from Bethlehem resident Bud Hackett on potential changes to the city’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance.

Some background first: The law goes by the acronym “SALDO.” It sounds like a nickname from The Sopranos, but it’s a very serious city ordinance.

It’s about how tall buildings can be, green space, housing density, parking and traffic, all the things that come from development, directly and indirectly.

About 40 years ago, a city official told me that Bethlehem was fully developed when we were discussing sewage-plant capacity. He was wrong. I was too because I believed him.

There weren’t many warehouses then either, and I doubt anybody saw the big-box era coming.

That just shows that we need good laws because who knows what will come next? This stuff might not interest a lot of people, but when a 10-story warehouse automated warehouse pops up and brings in hundreds of trucks daily, then they will care.

And here are the views of Bud Hackett — who follows local government and knows about development — on SALDO. The opinions expressed are his own:

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New Bethlehem Ordinance Could Raise Housing Costs

Bethlehem’s proposed changes to the ordinance regulating land development will likely raise the cost of housing and other buildings.

At the July 15 city council meeting, staff discussed many changes to the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO). Notice to the public was in an obscure publication. The public could read a digital version of the ordinance sent out the Friday before the hearing, but it was very hard to compare news vs. old. They don’t make it easy, by design.

We were told that the most important changes come from the Climate Action Plan and Environmental Advisory Committee. They didn’t seem to want input from people in Bethlehem other than those special interest groups.

It was not clear from the council presentation 1) what were the changes 2) what was motivating the changes and 3) most importantly what are the impacts of the proposed ordinance including new costs for development.

Staff presenters said lots of government agencies had input. It appeared that LANTA input was more input than input from Bethlehem citizens. There was no evidence that any attempt was made to evaluate the impacts of new and additional regulations. Has there ever been a government regulation that reduced costs? Maybe they only cared about climate change, certainly not affordable housing.

It is very likely that these new regulations will raise the costs of housing and other development.

Is that what is best for Bethlehem or just for political activists?

Bud Hackett

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania