For more than two years, residents of Hanover Township, Northampton County have been fighting an outrageous proposal to build massive warehouses — between 2.3 and 2.5 million square feet — on the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority Flightpath Property at Schoenersville and Airport roads, stretching between Stoke Park Road and Orchard Lane.
This land has never been zoned for such high-intensity industrial use. And yet, Majestic Realty, a Los Angeles-based developer known almost exclusively for building warehouses, has aggressively pushed Hanover Township — not once, but twice — to rewrite its zoning laws to allow exactly that: a wall of warehouses right next to five established neighborhoods — some within 300 feet of people’s homes.
This is despite Majestic’s 2021 pledge to work within existing zoning regulations.
In 2023, township residents organized to block a text amendment, written by the developer, that would have made way for this warehouse development. Thanks to persistent community pressure and a 3-2 vote by the Hanover Township Board of Supervisors, that proposal was defeated.
But Majestic is back. And they’re pushing yet another zoning change to allow 100% warehousing on a property that has never allowed it. It’s not just a minor adjustment — it’s a hand-crafted overhaul designed to benefit one developer, on one property. This is vague enough to open a Pandora’s box of unforeseen consequences, and set a dangerous precedent of developer influence. All designed to benefit a deep-pocketed developer more concerned with its own profits than the health, safety and integrity of our community.
While Majestic Realty often publicly plays the villain in this story, the real power behind the curtain is the Lehigh and Northampton Airport Authority — an entity that has consistently avoided public accountability.
The LNAA has quietly maneuvered for years to prepare this land for warehousing. After decades of financial mismanagement, the authority now seeks to plug its budget holes by monetizing land it owns — land it largely acquired through questionable eminent domain practices — at the expense of surrounding communities.
In 2017, the LNAA chose Majestic Realty to develop this land. Authority officials never once approached the affected residents to explain or discuss it. The LNAA has been hiding behind its developer, refusing to engage directly with the very communities that will suffer the long-term consequences of their decisions.
They cite “diversifying revenue” as justification, but the truth is clear: this is about positioning themselves for a cargo-focused expansion, with a planned freight runway between Race Street and the FedEx hub. The proximity of these proposed warehouses to that future runway is no coincidence.
The LNAA knows what this means for Hanover Township. More traffic on already congested roads. More noise in what were once peaceful neighborhoods, especially overnight. More air pollution from endless truck traffic. More light pollution. And a permanent loss of quality of life for families who’ve lived here for generations.
They simply don’t care.
They’re letting Majestic take the heat, while they quietly reap financial benefits and avoid accountability. But make no mistake — this is their plan. They are the ones actively allowing, encouraging and facilitating all the consequences that will land on the backs of nearby homeowners, schools, parks and already overburdened roads. This isn’t just poor planning or negligence — it’s intentional disregard for the health and welfare of their neighbors.
What gives the LNAA the right to decide, unilaterally, what the view, noise, heat and light conditions should be in our backyards? What gives them the arrogance to treat decades of established zoning as a minor inconvenience — something to be swept aside at the snap of their fingers? Why should Hanover Township residents be forced to shoulder the burden of fixing the authority’s financial mess?
We didn’t cause these problems. We’ve been good neighbors to the airport. It’s time for the airport to return the favor — and to respect the people who live, work, and raise families in this community.
Hanover Township does not exist to serve as the authority’s industrial park. We will not sit quietly while outside developers and unaccountable authorities destroy the community we’ve built.
This is a contributed opinion column. Monica Beaky is the originator of the residents’ group Hanover Township Residents Against Warehouse Development. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author, and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication. Do you have a perspective to share? Learn more about how we handle guest opinion submissions at themorningcall.com/opinions.
