DeSales University's plan for a 7,760-square-foot "welcome center" will be reviewed Tuesday by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission.



The university in Upper Saucon Township proposes the new center off Station Ave. The LVPC's Comprehensive Planning Committee will discuss the proposal Tuesday at a virtual meeting and again Thursday when the full commission meets.



The LVPC's draft review of the DeSales plan favors the sidewalk connections for pedestrians and accessibility that suits the Americans with Disabilities Act.



"This design allows anyone using a mobility device to quickly access the walkway safely after parking," according to the report. The staff review advises DeSales to carry out testing at the site "to minimize environmental impacts of development." The location is in the Saucon Creek watershed.



DeSales is a Catholic university on a 550-acre campus in Center Valley. According to its website, it has 3,016 students.



This week's LVPC agenda is lengthy, with a potential 332,240-square-foot expansion of the Americold warehouse at 7150 Ambassador Drive in Upper Macungie Township on the agenda. That warehouse is near Tilghman Street and close to the intersection of Route 22 and Route 100.



Atlanta-based Americold Realty Trust is the largest Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) that focuses on cold storage of food. It operates more than 1.5 billion cubic feet of refrigerated storage space.



The commission will also discuss the potential rezoning of four parcels of land, total about 8.8 acres, in Lower Saucon Township. The land is east of Route 378 and north of Colesville Road. The proposal is to change the zoning from Rural Suburban to General Business.



The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission is an advisory body with a professional staff that reviews big projects proposed in Lehigh and Northampton counties. After the staff goes over a plan, the LVPC's 37 appointed commissioners discuss their recommendations, sometimes alter them, and then vote on the reviews.



The LVPC does not vote on whether projects should proceed. Its reviews are sent to developers and local municipalities for consideration. Final land-use decisions are up to local governments.



The Comprehensive Planning Committee will meet at noon on Tuesday, and the full commission will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday. Both meetings are virtual and open to the public.



Agendas and links to the webcasts are available on the LVPC website. Agendas are subject to change.