LVPC to Review New $298 Million Easton High School, 324 Housing Units on North Whitehall Farmland

May 25, 2026

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission will review this week the second phase of Easton’s new $298 million high school and a plan for 324 housing units in North Whitehall Township at two meetings this week.

First, the new high school in Palmer Township, from the LVPC agenda:

“The redevelopment would demolish the existing high school and rebuild a new 250,444 square foot building, along with new parking lots. The site will maintain the two access points existing on the lot from South 25th Street and the William Penn Highway.”

The cost is estimated at $298 million, and the Easton Area School District is preparing to raise taxes, partly to pay for the new school.

The commission will also discuss the proposed Saxton Walk development in North Whitehall Township, a mix of 324 residential units and commercial space:

The project proposes to construct a mixed-use development that includes 128 apartments, 123 single-family detached houses, and 73 townhouses for a total of 324 units, with 30,000 square feet of commercial space. The project is located at 3410, 3530 and 3531 Mauch Chunk Road at the intersection of Cedar Crest Boulevard, approximately two-thirds of a mile north of the Township’s border with South Whitehall Township … “

The land is used for farming now, according to the LVPC agenda. The township is growing, the LVPC says, and may gain more than 5,000 residents by the year 2050.

The Saxton Walk plan would add 5,161 vehicle trips per weekday, according to an LVPC estimate.

The LVPC’s Comprehensive Planning Committee will review the two projects at a Comprehensive Planning Committee meeting at noon on Tuesday, May 26. They will also be up for review Thursday at 7 p.m. during a meeting of the full commission.

For agendas and links to webcasts, see this link to LVPC meetings. Meeting agendas may change. Check the LVPC website closer to the meeting time.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission is in most cases an advisory body. Final land-use decisions will be made in these cases by Palmer Township and North Whitehall Township.

While Palmer Township and the LVPC review the plans for the high school, the cost of the project is set by the Easton Area School District board of directors.