Lafayette College Master Plan Draft: Preliminary Analysis
June, 2024
Friends and Neighbors,
At a community meeting on June 13, Lafayette College presented a draft of its proposed Master Plan. The atmosphere and listening attitude of the College was a marked change from meetings under the previous President. While we must continue to review with vigor the College’s plans moving forward, I am cautiously optimistic that President Hurd is dedicated to working with the community.
Clicking the "Lafayette Website" button will take you to the Lafayette College Strategic Planning page.
Major takeaways from the plan and discussions:
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The master plan’s driving thesis is to bring students currently living in college-owned neighborhood houses back onto the campus. Vacated buildings will be used to expand residential opportunities near the campus for faculty and staff.
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No new buildings are proposed within the College Hill (off-campus) neighborhood.
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A maintenance plan for all of the College’s 150+ off-campus properties will be developed. (More about this below.)
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New dorm construction (on campus, including the south campus on N. Third Street) is intended to improve the quality of student housing and dining. The temporary dorm on campus will be removed within a year.
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On-campus buildings have been analyzed and a maintenance program is being developed. (Departmental space needs have not been examined and included in the plan.)
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The College is negotiating with downtown residential developers to possibly lease new apartments for faculty and staff. (President Hurd does not believe that the college should own all its off-campus housing.)
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Metzgar Field in Forks Township will gradually be developed for athletic and agricultural purposes. (A hotel suggested in earlier plan iterations seems to have been scrapped.)
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The only development proposed for Lafayette’s Bushkill Drive properties is the renovation of the Rinek Cordage facility for use by engineering students.
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A trail plan is being developed connecting the Karl Stirner Arts Walk with the campus, Bushkill corridor, Metzgar Field, etc.
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Enrollment at Lafayette is expected to remain at the current level of 2800 students for the next 10 to 15 years.
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No new academic programs are contemplated. (A recent draft of Lafayette’s ‘Strategic Plan’ confirmed a commitment to focusing on undergraduate education only.)
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The Master Plan is to be developed during the summer, reviewed by all parties and revised again this fall and sent to the Trustees for approval by the end of 2024.
Items which still need to be addressed:
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Although a maintenance plan for the College’s off-campus properties will be developed, no decision has been made about these properties long-term. The College expressed concern about selling some of the properties because it wants to control the neighborhood immediately adjacent to the College.
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Historic preservation of either on or off campus properties was not addressed.
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Concerns about the deforested College Avenue hillside were expressed, but at present Lafayette does not seem to have a solution to this problem. No mention was made for making the new ramp handicapped accessible or safe for use by cyclists.
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Other than negotiating for off-campus apartments in new downtown buildings, no consideration was given to any community initiatives such as:
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Involvement in the West Ward or South Side
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Partnering with local organizations to develop affordable housing
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Actively locating facilities in vacant downtown buildings
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Addressing the ‘dead-zone’ that exists around the campus during the summer.
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No parking analysis was shown.
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Child-care for Lafayette employees, and the childcare facility on McCartney Street were not addressed.
Public Comments:
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It was suggested that a use plan be developed for the Bushkill Drive properties, including lighting and security improvements. (These are not well populated areas and thus not as safe for students walking back at night.)
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Several parking concerns were raised. It was suggested that perhaps more coaches’ offices could be moved to Metzgar, freeing up community parking spaces near the gym that are now frequently used by staff. Also expressed were concerns about parking for local residents for Lafayette activities they would like to attend, spaces that have been lost due to the temporary dorms and McCartney dorms, etc. It was also pointed out that the play area on McCartney, originally promised as a community resource for neighborhood children when not used for the child-care program, is never open to the public.
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It was suggested that the location of the health center, far removed from most student dorms, is not ideal when it comes to addressing student health care needs.
In other news. . .
Regular readers of my notes will be aware that I often whine that two of Lafayette’s major commitments in a 2018 legal action, the settlement of which allowed construction to begin on the McCartney Dorms, have never been implemented by the College. It now appears that both of these will be addressed:
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The College agreed to develop and implement a maintenance plan for its College Hill off-campus properties. A group to do so, chaired by Audra Kahr, Vice President for Finance & Administration, is scheduled to begin this work in July.
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The College was to implement an Easton Partnership Committee, consisting of college, community and city members, to discuss and oversee developments of mutual interest to all parties. This was to replace a similar group which operated successfully under former president Dan Weiss but was disbanded by former president Alison Byerly. As put together by Chelsea Morrese, Executive Director for Community Engagement, the new group, now called the Easton Area Community Impact Committee, will also hold its first meeting in July. (Full disclosure: I’ve been asked and have accepted an invitation to be part of this committee. I’ve no idea who else is on it.)
Please direct corrections, questions and comments to pfelder@rcn.com.
Paul Felder
Update December, 2023
Friends and Neighbors,
It’s been several months since our last update regarding developments at Lafayette College that have an impact on our community. Lafayette’s Chief of Staff, Dr. Nicole Eramo, has been very generous with her time, keeping me and others in the community informed about matters of neighborhood interest, but there are still many issues that are unresolved or remain items of concern.
Here’s the latest:
Lafayette College Master Plan.
There has been virtually no progress on the plan since a June community meeting, at which time few specifics were offered. The initial completion deadline of December 2023 was extended to June 2024, but that has seemingly been pushed back in order to coordinate the Master Plan with the new Strategic Plan. (See item below.) President Nicole Hurd has promised that Lafayette will not initiate any major development activities until the plan is finalized. Neighborhood input has been extensive, but we still have no idea if the College will incorporate any of that input into its plan, including such items as:
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Define the ‘campus edge,’ the limit Lafayette intends to grow its campus within College Hill. (There was a defined campus edge in Lafayette’s 2009 Master Plan, and the College’s 2016 expansion proposal—which went beyond that edge—stressed the importance of establishing a new one, but that was never done.
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Related to the campus edge, the College has been asked to define (and limit) the extent to which it will purchase College Hill properties, further raising prices on the Hill, reducing buying opportunities for young families or older residents wishing to downsize, and opening up greater opportunities for future demolition/expansion projects. After a hiatus of a few years, the College recently bought 605 McCartney and 620 Pierce. In the meantime, the College owns many properties that are in states of disrepair and/or vacant. Neighbors have requested that the Master Plan include a commitment to establish a maintenance plan for the more than 150 off-campus properties the College owns on College Hill. This should include a preservation plan for the many properties the College owns that are listed in the College Hill Residential Historic District. (Lafayette has demolished more than thirty such properties in the last five years.)
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Propose an improvement plan for Lafayette properties on Bushkill Drive (the sustainable development of which is supported by most local residents).
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Develop a plan for the College Hill area around the campus so that it doesn’t continue as a ‘dead zone’ during the summer when students are away. (President Nicole Hurd has said she supports this concept.)
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Commit to incorporating the Comprehensive Plans of both Easton and the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission in future decisions.
Strategic Plan.
This document is also a work-in-progress. It is intended to establish the College’s Mission and Value Statements, and chart a course towards future academic programs and policies as well as other (primarily internal) goals and procedures within the College. More on the plan can be found at: https://becoming.lafayette.edu/. Normally, this type of plan would be completed before a master plan process would begin. The College is attempting to do both simultaneously.
College Avenue Hillside Deforestation. At a meeting with local residents in June, Dr. Hurd apologized for the College’s removal of dozens of mature trees on the slope above N. Third Street. The work was done without permits, beyond the limits of the walkway the College was constructing and without input from the public or the City Forester. An Oct. 29 article in The Express noted that the Easton Zoning Administrator said “plans for the walkway did not include removal of the trees.” The City Forester “wishes the college hadn’t cut down the trees that weren’t leaning over the path and weren’t sick. The more trees you remove, the harder it is for the remaining trees to survive.”) In public remarks since June, Dr. Hurd has only been quoted as justifying the tree removal. The College has agreed to plant more trees elsewhere on and off-campus. Planting of new trees on the barren hillside itself may not be feasible, but the embankment will be landscaped this spring. (Last June, Dr. Hurd talked about ‘branding’ the hillside with lighting that would identify Lafayette College. After a number of residents protested, she said the concept would be reconsidered and brought up again for public discussion before anything is implemented. As yet, I don’t know if this (very dubious) concept has been abandoned or not.
College Avenue Hillside Ramp.
The deforestation debacle aside, in my view and that of many online commentators, the design of the concrete ramp at the bottom of College Avenue is as awkward and unattractive as, say, the new Fourth Street Parking Garage or the monstrous Lafayette sign facing Route 22 on the side of Buck Hall. To add insult to injury, the ramp was largely paid for with public funds and is NOT handicapped accessible. In fairness (and in contrast to the deforestation work), the ramp is the brainchild of the previous Lafayette administration, not the current one.
Easton Partnership Committee. In 2018, four College Hill residents (including this writer) reached a legal settlement in the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas that allowed the College to proceed with the construction of the dormitories on McCartney Street. The terms of that settlement required the College to create an ongoing committee that would maintain a dialogue between neighbors and Lafayette officials to address issues of mutual concern (such as the topics covered in these notes). The idea was based on a similar committee that worked extremely well in the early 2000s, but was dismantled by the College’s previous administration. In the five years since that legal agreement was signed, the College has failed to form such a group. I’ve been advised that this spring it will announce a schedule for bringing this committee to life.
Salvaging historic items from demolished buildings.
Another aspect of the 2018 legal agreement stipulated that when the College demolished the existing historic buildings on McCartney St. (more than 20 of them) for the new dorms, it would survey the buildings for historic elements that could be salvaged and auction off these items with the proceeds going to the Easton Area Community Center. Lafayette did that for the first dormitory. I personally saw what I considered salvageable historic items being destroyed during demolition work on both Phase II and the Portlock Center projects, but in response to my enquiries, the College has reported that salvage work was done for both and $1300 donated to the Community Center.
Lafayette Scholarships to Easton High School graduates.
The 2018 agreement also mandated that the College would award one full four-scholarship per year (forever) to a qualified Easton graduate. That’s been done: five local students have thus far attended Lafayette under this program.
Property taxes on the McCartney dorms. A major outcome of the residents’ opposition to the dorm projects was that the College agreed to pay all Easton, County and School taxes on the new buildings. (Initially, the College proposed not to do this, and the City of Easton agreed that Lafayette wouldn’t have to.) After the first dorm was occupied, no property taxes were assessed or paid until local residents complained to both the College and the County. Full property taxes of over $200,000/year are now being paid. Residents will monitor the new dorm (scheduled for completion this September) to make sure it is assessed and taxed on a timely basis.
Liaison with the neighbors. Many neighbors have had issues with the College (involving maintenance of buildings, public safety, coordination of volunteer activities, off-campus parking, etc.) without having an assigned community liaison to contact. Some matters have gotten resolved, some haven’t. The College is aware of the problem: I hope I’ll have something positive to report on this within the next few months.
Title IX.
Title IX is a federal act passed in 1972 that is best known for requiring equity between men’s and women’s sports programs. But an important aspect of Title IX is that it is also the vehicle by which institutions monitor instances of discrimination, harassment, sexual assault, etc. Lafayette has a well-staffed Title IX office. However, some years ago Title IX was amended to require that institutions like Lafayette provide training to staff members (including faculty) who may be approached or become aware of possible Title IX violations. I learned this because a few weeks ago, as a Lafayette adjunct faculty member, I received an email informing me that I needed to take an on-line training course educating me about my Title IX responsibilities. I thought it strange that after teaching at the College for 27 years, I’d never been asked to do this, let alone advised that I had any Title IX responsibilities. I did the training, and learned a lot. I’m very glad that the College is now addressing this issue, but (assuming I understand the federal mandates correctly) I have serious concerns about all of Lafayette’s compliance mechanisms, from Title IX to the Easton zoning ordinance and building code, the 2018 legal agreement and perhaps other things.
I give the current administration, which began at Lafayette in 2021, a lot of credit for trying to straighten out a great many institutional problems. As the Master Plan is developed and the other issues I’ve touched upon are addressed, in the coming months we should learn a lot more about how this administration is doing. Please stay tuned, or better yet, please get involved.
And please feel free to contact me with comments, questions or offers to help with our work at: pfelder@rcn.com.
Paul Felder
Lafayette Master Plan Community Meeting: June 2, 2023
This meeting included comments from Lafayette College President Nicole Hurd and a presentation by Lauren Leighty, a planner for the College’s planning consultant, the SmithGroup. It was attended by several dozen Easton residents. Because of the number of topics discussed (and for the benefit of those who do not wish to immerse themselves in a fairly lengthy account of all that went on), we’ll start with a summary of the main topics.
More related to the Master Plan can be found on the Lafayette website at: https://facilitiesplanning.lafayette.edu/
Summary
Dr. Hurd opened the meeting with an apology for the clearing of trees above College Avenue. She said the College is “committed to reforestation” with non-invasive species. (See below for before-and-after photos and extended discussion).
A related topic dealt with the College’s plan (also in the Master Plan) to install lighting on the now-cleared hillside, in the form of path lighting for safety and security as well as signage to identify the College. As described below, residents were generally in favor of the former and opposed to the latter.
Ms. Leighty reviewed the Master Plan findings to date, most of which were contained in the March 2023 ‘Findings and Observations’ report, also posted on this website. The timeline for the completion of the Master Plan has been moved back from the end of 2023 to mid-2024.
Resident comments included the importance of historic preservation, traffic concerns on Cattell Street (and how it might be impacted by further Lafayette development of Metzgar Field), concern about proposed College lighting of the College Avenue hillside, development of College properties on South Campus and Bushkill Drive, etc.
Both Dr. Hurd and Ms. Leighty emphasized that resident concerns and input will be incorporated into future Master Plan studies.
Meeting Notes (In most cases, speakers from the audience will be identified as ‘resident’ except when their position is relevant to their comment.)
College Avenue tree clearing.
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Although this topic was not strictly speaking part of the Master Plan conversation, it dominated much of the discussion. Dr. Hurd began the meeting by apologizing for the extent of the removal. Many of the 40 or so cleared trees were NOT part of the project to rebuild the hillside steps and to create a trail connecting the campus to the Karl Stirner Arts Trail.
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The College is “committed” to reforesting the hillside. It is working with the City Forester, and will replant more than 90 trees, some on the hillside, others around the City.
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In the future, the College will consult with experts from its own geology and biology departments before doing anything further of this sort.
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Dr. Hurd said that the cleared trees were dead or diseased. A resident doubted that all the dead or diseased trees were located in a straight line.
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Dr. Hurd noted that some of the cleared trees were invasive species; all replanted trees will be non-invasive species.
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Resident and preservation-planner Tom Jones noted that many historic items were destroyed in the hillside clearance but there is still an opportunity to develop a presentation plan. (When Mr. Jones brought this topic up near the end of the meeting, Dr. Hurd asked if she could meet privately with him to discuss the matter further.)
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State Representative Robert Freeman noted that ‘shade is an important consideration’ for people walking up the hillside. He urged the College to ‘please continue the dialogue’ before proceeding.
Lighting the hillside
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The Master Plan presentation showed that the College is concerned with visitors being able to find the campus, and is preparing a signage program to deal with this. One of the proposed sign locations seemed to be at the top of the hillside where the trees have been cleared.
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A resident said that there has been a rumor that the College is planning to erect on large backlit ‘Lafayette College’ sign on the hillside.
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Dr. Hurd responded that the steps and walkways must be lit for safety and security purposes and the College was not proposing anything that would make the hillside “look like Las Vegas.” She also asked that rumors be brought to the College’s attention quickly, before they get out of control.
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A long discussion followed, making clear a distinction between lighting intended for ‘safety and security’ and lighting intended for ‘branding the College.’
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A resident suggested that instead of a large sign, perhaps Pardee Hall could be lit in a beautiful way that would identify the College.
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A resident pointed out that Easton’s sign ordinance does not permit either large or backlit signs.
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A resident said that the massive sign on Buck Hall already identifies the College. Dr. Hurd described that sign as “interesting.”
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A resident spoke in favor of a sign as well as lighting the steps.
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Dr. Hurd assured the group that the community’s input will be sought before the College proceeds with any lighting or signage plan for the hillside. “We have to think about lighting together.”
Master Plan
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Dr. Hurd stated that the Master Plan can only be a success if all concerned parties, including members of the community, ‘”take ownership.”
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A timeline graphic showed that the completion of the Master Plan has been moved back from the end of 2023 to mid-2024.
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A resident suggested that the Plan could play a role in ‘making Easton a college town.’
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A resident felt that the Plan should ‘recognize the historic importance of the College and the neighborhood.’ Ms. Leighty responded she will do what she can.
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Jared Mast from the Greater Easton Development Partnership suggested that the planners look into potential connections to regional trail networks.
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A resident advised the planners to look into the potential of ‘greater shared knowledge through social media connectivity.’
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A resident referred to a recent essay by a Lafayette student describing the parts of College Hill near the campus as a ‘dead zone’ when students are not present. Ms. Leighty has read this essay and will look into ways to ‘make the campus thrive year round.’
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Bicycles as a means of transportation for students were discussed. Representative Freeman thought perhaps there could be ‘rental bikes with Lafayette logos’ around the campus or town.
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Regarding further expansion; Bushkill Drive. A resident said that “the more the College expands into the neighborhood, the less it looks like a community.” Another resident said that the College should ‘stop coming into the neighborhood and expand onto Bushkill Drive.’ Another resident: ‘Bushkill is better than Metzgar (for expansion). It can help form a hard edge of the campus.’ Ms. Leighty: “We will look at Bushkill carefully.” She also said that consideration of the ‘campus edge is very preliminary’ and will be studied further. Mr. Jones noted that there are lots of natural springs at the rear of the Bushkill Drive property and that these might offer an opportunity for a nature preserve, especially if the College could acquire more land in the Bushkill Creek area.
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Metzgar Field. Ms. Leighty reviewed the extensive development, mostly for athletics and recreation, being considered for Metzgar Field. Comment from Antonia Mitman (a founder of Historic Easton, Inc.): ‘Metzgar development negatively impacts traffic through College Hill. Consider investments in vacant downtown facilities instead.’ Planner Jones pointed out that ‘Metzgar is on Class 1A farm soil, which is under attack (from warehouses and other development, in Forks Township and elsewhere). Other resident comments: ‘Use other areas for large scale recreation.’ ‘Traffic concerns on Cattell Street.’ ‘Farmland like Metzgar is very endangered.’ ‘Cattell Street should be ‘made safe for pedestrians.’
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South Campus. A resident described the South Campus as ‘very under-programmed.’ Another proposed that South Campus be more developed as ‘a cultural hub.’
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Further Master Plan studies. In discussing the planners’ concerns about on-campus activities and spaces, Ms. Leighty referenced historic preservation opportunities; ‘game day’ visitor experiences such as access, parking and food; improving the ‘quality, character and condition’ of student housing; examining student food service options, such as ‘grab & go’ kiosks.
Other Discussion
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Dr. Hurd said that the College has purchased the Lafayette Inn and will keep it as an inn. Representative Freeman said it should remain an inn and suggested that Lafayette reach out to Northampton Community College’s hospitality program for guidance.
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A resident pointed out that Lafayette’s 2018 settlement of a legal action required the College to create a partnership with local residents to discuss College matters on an on-going basis. The College has not done this. Dr. Hurd’s Chief-of-Staff, Dr. Nicole Eramo, said that she is tasked with addressing this over the summer.
Ms. Leighty said that the planners’ next steps are to explore concerns that have been addressed and report back to the College and the community.
Dr. Hurd introduced Board of Trustees Chair Robert Sell. The meeting adjourned.
Please address comments, questions and corrections to Paul Felder: pfelder@rcn.com
March 2023
Lafayette College is working on a new Master Plan, to be completed within the next year. The work is being led by a consultant, The SmithGroup, from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Their first report to the College and the community, 'Summary of Findings & Observations,' can be seen below or in its original format by clicking on the 'Download pdf' button. Representatives from Preserve College Hill and the community will be meeting with Lafayette President Nicole Hurd in the coming weeks to provide further input and express concerns about this report. Please add your thoughts by clicking on the 'Comments' button.
Lafayette College Campus Master Plan
Summary of Findings & Observations
Emerging Themes: What we have learned
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Better Leverage Current Assets
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Support Lafayette's Culture and 'And'
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Embrace a More Sustainable Mindset
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Focus on Student Wellness and Success
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Strengthen Both Local and Regional Connections
Community Context
Campus Connectivity
Key Takeaways
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Arrival experience is strong in some locations but more limited in others
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Opportunity to strengthen connections to City of Easton and explore additional local and regional partnerships
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Accessibility needs improvement to provide a more inclusive campus environment
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Bicycle and trail connections are currently limited, and non-existent to Metzgar Fields
Next Steps
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Explore opportunities to better connect Campus to the City of Easton and Metzgar Fields
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Identify strategies to enhance the vehicular arrival experience beyond College Ave
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Consider ways to improve pedestrian safety across campus and to key adjacent off-campus destination
Campus Context
Campus Organization
Key Takeaways
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Campus wayfinding is challenging in some perimeter locations, leading to feelings of being disconnected from core
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Opportunity to enhance the first-year student experience particularly, around student life strategies
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Potential to better utilize and connect campus open spaces
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Desire to improve lighting and pedestrian safety across campus, particularly in perimeter areas
Next Steps
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Consider ways to enhance campus as a "learning lab"
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Identify key academic and student services supporting first-ear experience
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Complete facilities condition Index and overlay with space utilization
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Explore both near-term and long-term strategies to support campus expansion, enhancement and redevelopment
Campus Context
Infrastructure & Utilities
Key Takeaways
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Primary heating and cooling equipment appears to be well maintained
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On-site backup generation requires a hours-long, labor intensive, manual transfer
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Electrical capacity on legacy 2400V campus distribution is limited
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Policy differences created inequities related to occupant thermal comfort in res halls
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Aging infrastructure is beyond its useful life at multiple sites
Next Steps
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Evaluate existing loads served and system/distribution capacities
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Determine impact on utility systems, particularly during future energy source transitions
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Identify opportunities for distributed power sources via renewables/energy storage
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Develop a priority matrix to replace critical infrastructure
Campus Context
Sustainability
Key Takeaways
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Celebrate and build upon current sustainable initiatives and achievements
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Align master plan with sustainable and resilience lessons students are learning in the classroom
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Support goals and objectives of the Climate Action Plan 2.0 and also next iteration of the Climate Action Plan
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Identify partners and opportunities for collaboration related to sustainability and resiliency
Next Steps
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Identify and benchmark sustainability peer institutions to highlight trends and opportunities
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Explore strategies to support the campus plan and prioritize solutions that align with the climate action plan
Facilities Focus
Space
Key Takeaways
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Space data is not up-to-date and has gaps; impacting ability to effectively manage
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Lack of existing organized method for decision making to ensure alignment with institutional goals and holistic approach
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Some classrooms and teaching labs are underutilized; opportunities exist for improvement or repurposing
Next Steps
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Complete on-site verification of space inventory
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Work with campus staff to resolve space data misalignments
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Complete preliminary space needs analysis to serve as baseline for future space needs analysis
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Develop future space needs
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Assess locations of departments and programs for greater alignment
Facilities Focus
Dining
Key Takeaways
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Limited seating, especially during Common Hour
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Food feels too far away from housing
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Overcrowding results in wait times
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Storage is an issue
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Students desire more weekend and late-night options; flexibility with meal plans
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Interest to create a more sustainable dining experience
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Limited digital screens, online ordering, and frictionless dining opportunities
Next Steps
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Perform demand analysis and benchmarking
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Develop alternative planning scenarios for dining redevelopment including distribution of venues, mis of services, hours, seating capacities and space requirements.
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Create detailed space program for each component of the foodservice operations
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Implement cross utilization of data to inform limited supplier request for proposal and negotiation.
Facilities Focus
Intercollegiate Athletics
Key Takeaways
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Focus facilities and services on more holistic support mechanisms around student - athlete success
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Enhance game-day experience for spectators, including parking, field access, on-site restrooms and dining options for events
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Kirby Sports Center: Recapture underutilized space for expanded indoor athletic training and support
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Metzgar Fields
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Priority to expand and better support all D-1 sports
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Create a centralized, on-site sports performance and athletic training facility
Next Steps
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Further assess gaps in current facilities around physical, emotional, academic and social wellbeing
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Metzgar Fields
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Identify site for future lacrosse stadium and team facility
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Determine location for centralized athletic success center and campus green
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Prioritize near-term infrastructure improvements
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Explore options to relocate indoor track to expand arena for basketball and volleyball
Facilities Focus
Campus Recreation
Key Takeaways
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Current recreation facilities and services based primarily on student demand; facilities and services should reflect baseline industry standards for small colleges
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Metzgar Fields: Provide quality turf fields to support growth in club sports
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Kirby Sports Center: Recapture under-utilizes space for growth in group exercise, club sports and student organizations
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Campus: Desire for more outdoor recreation space for open play and intramurals
Next Steps
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Identify cross-campus partners and spaces to support expanded wellness service around nutrition, academics and student life
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Metzgar Fields: Explore options for a lighted, turf "super field" for club sports and intramural play
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Identify space to support more resilient recreation with multipurpose fitness studios supporting functional fitness, group exercise, dance, wrestling, etc.
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Explore potential for use of Sullivan Courts for open recreation, including tennis, pickleball and futsal
Master Plan Schedule
May: Guiding Principles & Futures Framework
July - August: Alternatives Workshop
September: Preliminary Campus Plan Review
November: Revised Preliminary Campus Plan
December: Final Campus Master Plan
February 17, 2023
Friends & Neighbors,
The community website Easton Conservation Districts has been updated to include notices like this and other news updating the ongoing Lafayette College Master Plan process. Please click on these links to stay up-to-date:
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Easton Conservation Districts: www.eastonconservationdistricts.com
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Lafayette College Master Plan: https://lafayette-campus-plan.webflow.io/ (This website will also connect you to a questionnaire asking about how you use the campus.)
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Lafayette College Strategic Plan: please see the Becoming Lafayette strategic planning website https://becoming.lafayette.edu/
HERE IS A RUNDOWN OF UPCOMING EVENTS AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS:
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Lafayette’s Strategic Plan. The link above will allow you to RSVP to attend a special College Hill/Easton Community Session on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 7-8:30 p.m., Marlo Room, Farinon Center. A big local turnout would be very helpful. The Strategic Plan is the College’s effort to determine an academic direction for the coming years. New programs, student outreach efforts and other campus goals will be discussed. (You may recall that in 2016, when the College announced its McCartney Street Expansion Plan, there was considerable talk of a “Need Blind” tuition program. That hasn’t been discussed in recent years, as far as we know. The meeting on Feb. 28 might be a good time to ask College officials what happened to that effort.)
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Lafayette Master Plan. The Master Plan is being developed in tandem with the Strategic Plan. Master planning involves specific construction projects that may be implemented in the coming years. Last fall, the College hired an experienced Michigan firm, SmithGroup, to lead the master plan process. We understand that the director of that effort, Kevin King, has recently left the firm. We’ll provide an update of where the process stands in the coming weeks. Meantime, some of SmithGroup’s local team will be given a briefing next week about the history of the College’s 2016-2023 expansion program, including the zoning changes, community opposition and other events that played out during the McCartney Street expansion process.
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McCartney Street Property Tax Update. When the College announced its expansion program in 2016, a joint Lafayette/City of Easton statement was made that the new mixed-use buildings would only pay County, City and School District property taxes equivalent to what the existing properties on the site (mostly small houses) were paying. Many neighbors objected to this, and in 2018, the College finally agreed that it would pay full property taxes on its new, reassessed McCartney Street building. That building opened in 2020, but apparently, it was never reassessed. By the beginning of 2022, it was discovered that the College was only paying about $500 a year in County taxes, as if the property was a vacant lot. City and school district taxes were commensurately minimal. After vigorous inquiries by neighbors, the property was finally reassessed, and in 2023, it appears that the total County, City and School District taxes to be paid on the new building will be nearly $200,000. This is about forty times what was paid the last two years. Once again, the vigilance and voices of our citizens have proven enormously beneficial to our community.
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College Avenue Overlook improvements. Another item of concern brought to the College’s attention in 2022 by College Hill residents was the shabby and overgrown condition of the College Avenue property where Lafayette demolished four historic homes a few years ago. Once again, the concerns of College Hill residents have gotten results. A preliminary landscaping plan provided to us by Lafayette’s administration is included at the end of this update.
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McCartney Street Mixed-Use Building, Phase 2. The location is the currently closed parking lot between March St. and Clinton Terrace. Construction is expected to start soon. Our understanding is that a use for the first floor commercial area has not yet been determined: community input may be sought for this. The upper floors will be student dorms.
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West Ward Historic Conservation District. Work on this was suspended during the COVID epidemic. If there is sufficient community interest, efforts to identify potential demonstration historic conservation district sites in the West Ward may begin this year, probably after any contested elections for Mayor and City Council seats. A draft of the most recent proposal is on our website.
Please feel free to use the ‘Comment’ section at www.eastonconservationdistricts.com, or send questions or comments to me at pfelder@rcn.com.
Paul Felder
November 30, 2022
Friends & Neighbors,
The public input phase of Lafayette College's proposed new Master Plan began with a November 30 on-campus meeting with Kevin King, Principal of SmithGroup, a large planning and design firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It's encouraging to note that much of the planning process will be posted and updated online.
Here's the link to follow it: https://lafayette-campus-plan.webflow.io/
(This website will also connect you to a questionnaire asking about how you use the campus.)
The most important take-away from the meeting: Mr. King repeatedly expressed his planning firm's interest in getting input from College Hill community members as well as from the Lafayette, Easton and Lehigh Valley communities. Mr. King has invited residents to send their thoughts directly to him:
Please use the subject line "Sharing ideas about the Lafayette Campus Plan" in your email.
I'll summarize his remarks and give you some of the comments made by residents at the meeting, including my own:
Mr. King began the evening by briefly outlining his firm's approach to the planning process. Main points:
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The planning process is expected to take a year, and perhaps last into 2024. Everything is open to discussion: 'blue-sky now as much as possible.'
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The Master Plan will be coordinated with Lafayette's Strategic Plan (not yet begun), which will focus on the academic future of the College (e.g. new programs, perhaps a different emphasis on existing programs, etc.)
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One aspect of the plan will be to look at the condition of all the buildings on campus.
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He seemed very interested in the potential of developing the Metzgar field site, which is 70% vacant.
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He said that the occupants of the Simon Center on campus will be relocated, and it is not clear how the existing facility will be used; suggestions are welcomed. (He also noted that the interior of Pardee Hall is expected to undergo a major renovation.)
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He ended his presentation by saying 'it is important for us to understand how community members use the campus,' and invited comments.
Resident questions and comments included the following:
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Is enrollment expected to grow? President Hurd: 'There is no appetite to grow.' She noted that facilities such as the library and the student center are at capacity, and she expressed concern that the character of the school could change with increased enrollment: 'We'll lose something if we get too big.'
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Will the College be acquiring more properties in the College Hill neighborhood? Mr. King: 'I don't think the president has an appetite for acquisition.'
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When the median strip was built on High Street, neighbors lost their primary means to park near the Williams Art Center for events that many of us support. How about getting rid of that strip? (It wasn't mentioned but could have been that the neighbors also lost valuable visitors' parking for Skillman Library when the strip was installed.)
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Lafayette acknowledges that it has a dorm shortage, yet by closing fraternities and moving faculty offices into them, it lost a lot of student housing. How about using some of these beautiful buildings for housing as they were intended? (President Hurd might have taken this as a plea to restore fraternities, which it wasn't.)
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Could the College acquire the car wash at the bottom of the hill? (It doesn't seem to be for sale.)
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The College's property along the Bushkill has a lot of potential. (I was a bit surprised that Mr. King seemed more interested in Metzgar Field, which is far from the campus, than he did in the Bushkill site adjacent to it. But it's still very early in the process.)
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The relocation of some Lafayette offices to the downtown, as well as the entire development of the South Campus, were very well received. It might also be a valuable community service, and good for participating students, to consider establishing a presence in the West Ward and the South Side. (West Ward might be a priority because of its proximity to the campus.)
To the dismay of some, I'm sure, I expressed a number of concerns:
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I appreciated Mr. King's comment that 'it is important for us to understand how community members use the campus,' but I suggested he also turn it around and try to understand how the College impacts and uses the community. Given that it owns more than 150 properties on College Hill and that hundreds of students live off-campus and use neighborhood stores and parking spaces, the impact on the neighborhood is significant. I mentioned that the previous Lafayette Master Plan did not refer to neighborhood needs (or to the Easton or Lehigh Valley Comprehensive Plans), and I hoped that the new plan would take all of these things into account. (The questionnaire I referenced above is an example of my concern: it only addresses the way the campus is used, not the impact of the College on where we live.)
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I was disappointed that Mr. King's introduction never mentioned the words 'sustainability' or 'historic preservation.' He apologized for not talking about sustainability (which I saw later is featured prominently on his firm's website). He said that landscaping on campus will be carefully studied and that among many other sustainability concerns reducing carbon emissions will be a major consideration in the plan. (He did not mention Lafayette's off-campus properties in these remarks.)
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Regarding historic preservation, Mr. King said the planners would look at all the historic buildings on campus. Again, he did not mention off-campus historic buildings. I intend to continue bringing to the planners' attention the importance of looking at AND DEVELOPING A PRESERVATION PLAN for all the historic buildings the College owns on and off-campus, and I hope many others will, as well.)
Overall, I thought the meeting was encouraging, primarily because the planning process seems to be conceived of as gathering input from all stakeholders (including members of the community) BEFORE a plan is formulated. This of course is the opposite of the previous administration's approach to planning. Mr. King's apparent openness to new ideas and to learning about the community in which he's working are grounds for optimism.
My concerns, as noted above, are his focus on the College's campus and needs to the exclusion of the impact of the College on the community. However, this is very early in the process, and by asking for our input, SmithGroup is suggesting that it can expand its thinking to develop a plan that will truly encompass the needs of "College AND Community."
I put "College AND Community" in quotes because it was one of the mantras that was included in Mr. King's presentation. He doesn't yet know the ramifications of that statement but he seems open to learning what they are. I INTEND TO SEND MR. KING A SUMMARY OF MY THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS, AND I HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER DOING THE SAME. I also hope you'll feel free to echo some of my points, to disagree with them and/or to express other thoughts and concerns you may have. Again, please be in touch with:
And have a wonderful holiday,
Paul Felder
October 11, 2022
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Below are my notes from a meeting held at Lafayette College on October 11, 2022, with several dozen community members in attendance. Major points discussed were as follows:
1. The College has hired the Smith Group to develop a master plan. Dr. Hurd stated that the Smith Group will host a focus group for community members to have input into the plan. “I’m committed with my whole heart that this will be an inclusive process. . .You [community members] can participate as much or as little as you want.” (Background: Lafayette’s previous plan, c. 2010, was removed from the College website a few years ago, because the proposed McCartney Street expansion program and other Lafayette projects were not in conformance with it. Since then, the College has operated without a master plan. Dr. Hurd has said that no major new programs will be initiated until there is a new, approved master plan.)
2. At the same time it is developing a master plan, the College has begun a “strategic planning” process that will focus on academic issues such as the potential creation of new fields of study, academic priorities, etc. Dr. Hurd: “We feel a little rudderless.” There is no end date for this process.
3. Hurd was reminded that in the 2018 legal agreement with residents that allowed the McCartney project to proceed, the College was to form an ongoing “Easton Community Partners Committee” (such as used to exist before being dissolved by former president Alison Byerly). No such committee exists. Dr. Hurd said that the College is working on putting together some form of ongoing structure. She agreed that this should be ongoing and separate from any community input on the master or strategic plans. She recognizes that College Hill, Easton and the Lehigh Valley all have different needs that should be addressed. The College will send out a letter of interest to residents who might wish to serve on such a committee or committees.
4. Lafayette will soon post a job seeking a ‘Director of Community Relationships.’
5. The McCartney building that opened in 2020 was to be Phase 1 of the campus enrollment expansion announced in 2016. Although enrollment has increased by a few hundred students since then, there are no current plans for future enrollment growth. Dr. Hurd said she didn’t think there was any current “appetite for growth” and that she’d be “floored” if the planning process led to any calls for aggressive growth.
6. This winter, the College intends to begin construction of Phase 2 (McCartney Street between March and Clinton Terrace) simply to address current dormitory overcrowding issues, including the modular ‘barracks’ assembled on-campus a few years ago. (Background: originally, the expansion was to be in four phases: two buildings on McCartney Street, one on Cattell—which was scrapped after much community opposition; the site is now the small park across from Wawa—and a dorm on campus to replace Watson Courts, which would be demolished. That project has also been shelved, at least for now.)
7. The Phase 2 building on McCartney will have retail on the first floor. Community input will be sought to help determine what type of retail might be included. (Background: the original plan called for a campus and community health center on the first floor. That concept has apparently gone away.)
8. There will be an open house on November 18 for the new Portlock Black Cultural Center on McCartney Street. Details to be announced. (Background: the 2018 legal agreement required that the College relocate a historic Clinton Terrace building design by noted Easton architect William Michler. That building was scheduled for demolition, along with the then existing Portlock Black Cultural Center, as part of the Phase 2 dorm project. The College did move the Michler building, unnecessarily demolishing five other historic buildings in the process. All of that planning happened before Dr. Hurd became Lafayette president.)
9. Hurd was repeatedly asked about all the historic buildings the College has demolished in recent years (for the two McCartney projects, the Portlock Center, along College Avenue, behind Williams Art Center, etc.) She said at one point: “I’m not afraid to apologize. It will not be that way while I’m here.”
10. Hurd was asked if the College will continue to purchase properties in the College Hill neighborhood. She said it might, but only “to house our faculty.” There are no plans to demolish anything. (Background: according to an October 7, 2022 article in the student newspaper, The Lafayette, the College owns more than 120 properties—17% of all properties—off campus on College Hill. Since Dr. Hurd has been president, we’re aware of only one property purchased by the College: across the street from Kirby gym.)
11. Hurd expressed concern that traffic on Cattell Street is hazardous. She recognized that because it is a Penn Dot road and because Forks Township is experiencing so much growth it will not be easy to resolve Cattell’s problems, but she is hoping to address them. She said it should not serve as a barrier isolating students from the rest of the College Hill neighborhood. She remarked several times that as resident, she wants to become part of the College Hill neighborhood.
12. Hurd and several residents commented on the growth options available to the College going forward: on-campus, South Campus, Metzgar Field, Bushkill Drive, vacant buildings downtown, the West Ward, etc. Development downtown and/or in the West Ward could be of great potential benefit to both the community and Lafayette students. (Background: the Easton Comprehensive Plan 2035 calls for “Lafayette to have more physical presence outside of College Hill.” Both the College and the City ignored this during the McCartney Street expansion project.)
Comment from residents:
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‘There’s been a lot of damage done [by the College] to the College Hill neighborhood.’
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‘Anything that contributes to the historic district is historic: this applies to the campus itself. . .[for example,] Hogg Hall was the site of the conference that led to the creation of the Appalachian Trail. . . There needs to be a Lafayette College Preservation Plan.’
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‘Cattell Street should not be a DMZ (separating students from residents).’ Dr. Hurd: ‘Cattell Street should be made more attractive.’
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‘The College should consider creating a historic preservation major.’ Dr. Hurd: ‘[Right now] we don’t even have a campus architect.’
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‘The College should integrate contemporary with historic buildings [rather than simply demolish historic buildings].
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‘This community was built on values’ [that should be respected by the College].
I wrote in my meeting notes: “Architecture not decoration.” I’ve no idea what this was referring to, but it seems like a good idea.
Two comments unrelated to the meeting:
1. I’ve never really known who the driving force was behind the College’s 2016 plan to expand onto McCartney Street and change the City’s zoning to accommodate it. Dr. Byerly? Vice President of Finance Roger Demareski? The City itself? Lafayette’s Board of Trustees? The role of the Board of Trustees remains undefined and undiscussed. At some point, the community will need to find out if the Trustees are in favor of a cooperative relationship with the community or if—as has been the case since at least 2014—they will choose to ignore it when it comes to developing plans and implementing policies.
2. As many of you know, last spring a College Hill resident began asking the College why it wasn’t paying full property taxes on the McCartney Street mixed-use building, as it had promised to do. It turned out that Northampton County had reassessed the property once it became a vacant lot, but not after construction was completed two years ago. After the question was raised, the property was finally reassessed. Going forward, we expect Lafayette to be billed and to pay the nearly $200,000 per year it should owe the County, City and School District.
Paul Felder