[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6363473,"mediaKeyId","2166231-3a7ff3389f7a1389dea194f1e1cc2f92","parentId",2166231,"title","Planning office outlines downtown strategic plan implementation, MAP grant push and pending zoning amendments","audioSeconds",1042,"startMs",7655000,"endMs",8697000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2166231-3a7ff3389f7a1389dea194f1e1cc2f92&start=7655&end=8697","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2166231-3a7ff3389f7a1389dea194f1e1cc2f92/thumbnail_7655000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6363473/Reading/Berks-County/Pennsylvania/Planning-office-outlines-downtown-strategic-plan-implementation-MAP-grant-push-and-pending-zoning-amendments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363473-3cde42b44ae3647914f1d1d9e149d642/orig.mp4?Expires=1775993577&Signature=NEWICjH6FKrPl9FRB-MRL4uK5c-aGBxXpGplVModq46amKKv93XW6ree-HxHEizS2RV~NaGG7WF2nT3PJMBYSqAj~g7N3wRShrblapLfuzpKuDvptnHIGFRtiB4ejl41Aue8wwmXMCqMicDBeWjFImJE-VFc2df~fmu8OCWAsnNXZfIGNIw16oKYilgyTgVYMnntzvtAwCmp3f443507DCpgcSh~xNsBW4EZ7qqFJr055ZaFaETSsRXWh5fyxv8rCXtMla4Dr3pFFelQJVTYJlN6C68lLDEIaI9ifOtkXBR4xus2XI0eWiVIvZrOL-Cc1A1AVLQTeZkG4-THl0Zt9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Reading, PA","date","2025-01-28T18:28:05Z","article","Planning staff updated the Planning Commission on Jan. 21 about implementation of the downtown strategic plan, the city’s push for a MAP grant to fund a comprehensive plan update, and the status of zoning and subdivision amendments.

Jerome, a planning office lead, said staff has developed a matrix to prioritize and assign responsibilities for the 139 recommendations in the downtown strategic plan. “This will enable us to prioritize all of the 139 recommendations that are contained within the plan,” Jerome said, describing interviews with city departments planned for February to identify owners, costs and timing.

The nut graf: staff is packaging recommendations into an actionable implementation matrix, pursuing a Municipal Assistance Program (MAP) grant to update the comprehensive plan and expects phase‑1 and phase‑2 zoning amendments to proceed to a public hearing scheduled by city council.

On the comprehensive plan, staff said the city is still assembling materials and letters of support to submit a MAP grant application. Jerome said letters from county planning and other partners are being collected before formal submission.

On zoning work, staff reported that phases 1 and 2 of zoning and SALDO amendments are in final preparation and that a city‑council public hearing is tentatively scheduled in mid‑February. The planning office is coordinating with counsel and expects to begin subsequent phases to avoid confusion and to integrate public feedback.

Several procedural and operational items were raised in discussion. Staff confirmed the beekeeping zoning item has been adjusted after Berks County Planning Commission comments and will return to the commission for a vote; staff said edits were minor and intended to ensure enforceability. The commission also received updates on pending conditional‑use matters and private development submissions, including a revised sketch for a South Ninth Street site and a resolved fee situation for a Barn Street property sale that may require reaffirmation of conditions.

Members asked for clarity about public meeting schedules and document availability; staff said recordings and slide materials would be posted and offered to forward presentations to commission members.

Ending: Staff requested commission support for scheduling and departmental interviews needed to complete the implementation matrix; no formal commission action was taken at the workshop.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Reading Planning Commission Workshop minutes for January 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Planning staff described a matrix approach to implement the 2022 downtown strategic plan, said the city is preparing a MAP grant application for a comprehensive-plan update and reported that phase 1 and 2 zoning amendments (including SALDO changes) are moving toward a city‑council public hearing.","taxTitle","Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania","taxId",2971,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6363478,"Schuylkill River Greenways outlines Front Street trail engineering, riverfront fixes and gateway bridge plans",383,5323000,5706000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2166231-3a7ff3389f7a1389dea194f1e1cc2f92&start=5323&end=5706","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2166231-3a7ff3389f7a1389dea194f1e1cc2f92/thumbnail_5323000.jpg","/articles/6363478/Reading/Berks-County/Pennsylvania/Schuylkill-River-Greenways-outlines-Front-Street-trail-engineering-riverfront-fixes-and-gateway-bridge-plans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363478-8d2c0e4e0fa40cae37c48419c5b0964c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775993577&Signature=jdMWkTTXshhDbZR6G8CE~tLrp1IB0f03eaWXQSpre8Czp5EKRMSftu~sg6CHgZAZwaYtxPUpSc1M7lHonwK1sEjWJk739PdmHLSBvgohZz2utblduAgDABQY~AvPDkTvRYf2dkHT3eFS0XE9Gqit5qGl5f3-ztHKo0YrdrzBG8Y3zBbLfyoj3SNvKKvJtBUHuQjb9Yrd7LNv9Esj3bA78GL9f6ToQQAfYw0P~8h5mTXy9tvHg0oJceoDU6wz4rGTrFbHkozryXD~OLULzzpi4njxiBszrkK8KEKUw7jaDQs9ybGHooZ6XnUE9dephtBMRq9LPlqJsHGqe9TBMy~jsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Schuylkill River Greenways briefed the Reading Planning Commission on Jan. 21 about three near‑term riverfront projects: a Front Street trail connection, a Riverview trail feasibility project and a proposed ‘Reading Gateway’ bridge across the river.

Kent (Schuylkill River Greenways) described the organization’s priorities and said increased trail connections will likely bring more regional users once the 422 connector project is completed. “We do expect an influx of traffic once that connector project is done,” Kent said, adding the group is focusing on the quarter‑mile Front Street section to link the existing River Road bikeway and the downtown riverfront park.

The nut graf: SRG asked the city to lead construction grant applications for a quarter‑mile Front Street segment so SRG can provide engineering and grant writing support; the group said it hopes to pursue construction funding in 2026 or early 2027 and applied to the National Endowment for the Arts for an arts‑integration planning grant for the bridge.

SRG reported the Front Street project is at the engineering access stage and that the organization is working with Reading Area Community College (BRAC) and the city on right‑of‑way and access agreements. SRG said it hopes to have preliminary engineering and a cost estimate ready to support a DCNR grant application early in the spring grant cycle.

On the riverview segment, SRG told the commission engineers found sections of trail are close to active riverbank erosion and that some curves produce poor sight lines; the feasibility work will recommend options to widen or realign the path and to improve safety where cyclists and pedestrians currently have limited visibility.

SRG also described a proposed gateway bridge across the Schuylkill at the county rail bridge. The group said it filed a $50,000 application with the National Endowment for the Arts to fund a collaborative design and community‑engagement planning process to add public art and wayfinding elements to the crossing.

Commissioners and staff discussed parking tradeoffs on Front Street and the potential to use Reading Parking Authority lots to offset loss of on‑street spaces; BRAC staff on the call said recent lot expansions would reduce perceived parking impacts. SRG requested the city serve as lead applicant for construction grants because most state grant programs prioritize municipal applicants.

Ending: SRG said it will continue engineering and public outreach and asked planning staff and council liaisons to coordinate meetings with Norfolk Southern and the Reading Parking Authority on access and easement issues.","Schuylkill River Greenways presented plans and funding strategy for a Front Street trail connection, a Riverview feasibility study and a proposed gateway bicycle/pedestrian bridge. The group asked the city to be the applicant for construction grants and sought coordination on access agreements and parking impacts.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6363483,"Draft TOD overlay ordinance presented as planners map station area and developer incentives",1311,2468000,3779000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2166231-3a7ff3389f7a1389dea194f1e1cc2f92&start=2468&end=3779","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2166231-3a7ff3389f7a1389dea194f1e1cc2f92/thumbnail_2468000.jpg","/articles/6363483/Reading/Berks-County/Pennsylvania/Draft-TOD-overlay-ordinance-presented-as-planners-map-station-area-and-developer-incentives","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363483-bb51aa81d878a6e94537fd9813d8ebbf/orig.mp4?Expires=1775993577&Signature=J2-79L65LeCFQswhBS3AZ9fzfQjAClxdIBitRM86j6Rn-JspVOrW2tLIM6CgnavvRJQ2bEmUsvLYz2CoBfgsf~8xJkQjsAC-HXNrDVKDJ62xAvRM4R27WQMRNtTm3k4t9CbKMaTtFeZ7PmyDWkfvx2EGRu9QDXNX2zPubM9X7hj1~2gmurErokCQUppgvty1saSAkfe6CAlwX-yje-cS0rJH-Ku-HZK1CxquGcaaaF2~5SVWWFrA-NXqAufFT7Zf4nHxq917jzSSTPjsDsu6JiPzrcuXIaAd1tgY8DS7kzwNtHGUcOsoQGPu9XbQL9Qk391cRVS1wuEQWd-jgQrpbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Consultants working on a transit-oriented development (TOD) overlay showed the Reading Planning Commission a draft ordinance and station-area visuals on Jan. 21 as part of a broader plan anticipating reintroduced passenger rail service.

Owen, a consultant on the TOD project, told the commission the overlay is being developed “in anticipation of the reintroduction of rail between Reading and Philadelphia” and that the team has coordinated with the Reading Parking Authority and other stakeholders while Stantec studies permanent station location options.

The nut graf: the draft overlay would apply to roughly a half‑mile to one‑third‑mile radius around the proposed station area (about 1.2–1.3 square miles overall, consultant estimate) and would add by‑right development options, parking‑reduction mechanisms and incentives such as increased height and reduced lot-size minimums to encourage mixed‑use and workforce housing near the station.

Owen described TOD best practices the draft seeks to adopt: concentrated mixed‑use development near transit, pedestrian‑oriented design, ground‑floor active retail and a range of housing types. The draft includes new definitions for uses such as stacked townhouses and artisanal manufacturing and proposes a workforce‑housing requirement; one example shown would require 10% of units in a 100‑unit project to be set aside as workforce housing.

On affordability, the consultant explained how workforce housing would be defined in the overlay: households earning between 60% and 120% of area median income (AMI). “For a four‑person household the AMI in Reading last year was $93,700,” Owen said, explaining the income bands that would qualify under the proposed standard.

The draft also ties parking relief to proximity to transit and to agreements with the Reading Parking Authority or private garages; the team is coordinating those details with the city’s phase‑2 zoning and SALDO amendments. The consultant said some parking and loading requirements are presently staged in SALDO rather than in the zoning text, and city counsel advised that final placement of those standards had not been decided.

Commissioners asked several substantive questions. One commissioner raised concerns about the overlay’s geographic size and potential encroachment into residential neighborhoods; another asked about airport overlay height limits for riverfront sites, noting federal review (FAA) implications. Owen acknowledged both points and said the drafts will be adjusted to respect existing overlays and federal constraints.

The consultant showed photomontages that illustrated possible infill on surface parking authority lots, a repurposed brewery‑area temporary station and scenarios for taller riverfront buildings buffered from low‑lying residential neighborhoods. The draft also anticipates coordination with economic incentive programs (the consultant cited the city’s recent CRIS designation) and potential tax‑abatement or other financial incentives to improve project feasibility.

Staff and consultants said the overlay will be refined with city departments and returned to the commission for further review; no regulatory change was adopted at the workshop.

Ending: The commission asked staff and consultants to coordinate on overlay extent, historic‑district protections and utility capacity issues before the next presentation.","Consultants described a draft transit-oriented development (TOD) overlay intended to support a planned passenger rail return between Reading and Philadelphia, outline permitted uses, workforce housing requirements, parking reductions and developer bonuses, and show early station-area simulations.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6363488,"Planning commission hears update on Vision Zero action plan and priority corridors",235,151000,386000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2166231-3a7ff3389f7a1389dea194f1e1cc2f92&start=151&end=386","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2166231-3a7ff3389f7a1389dea194f1e1cc2f92/thumbnail_151000.jpg","/articles/6363488/Reading/Berks-County/Pennsylvania/Planning-commission-hears-update-on-Vision-Zero-action-plan-and-priority-corridors","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363488-7848c54d61e01792f51a24531a01d913/orig.mp4?Expires=1775993577&Signature=kg~NbT1Er3Fw9gmdWB0cxEqILdIQvJRPn4pBHwEWwLBM5aoH~s1-L35Ev2PM0-3hv4uDIVn27Jet4tTAjqO4Fj~DpZcsq3Yp1Zh7KhxRUvmiZmz5ySX8-piTNAEMlGIQaYAB3rIcVJivxhlO-HdWMmZGvYqBRUlRWQ1x7d8T3UTpl4FvwYIHqQgF3DCBar-uDcxJ3~X6e4aCMmP~6wCDC0khuXR3OkAnejod9bfOMNXMsku7~jQ112PPTFk-HKuVy-gOgWrQgZwjpfaeckmZnA3nDePXyYnY3toYfHc7-O0drjxb548JDqnqbx8Z9jLYqaW4wTcS2IvONMM~bEo-HA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Consultants presented an update on the Vision Zero action plan to the Reading Planning Commission on Jan. 21, saying the draft will be finalized in the coming weeks and could underpin future federal grant applications.

Peter Stone, consultant presenting the plan update, told commissioners the Vision Zero effort grew out of the city’s earlier active-transportation work and was revised in 2022 to align with funding opportunities. “Primarily, there’s a lot of funding available once you have a Vision 0 action plan,” Stone said, noting the city submitted a demonstration grant last August but was not awarded funding.

The nut graf: the plan identifies six priority corridors downtown and along the river to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and to position the city for federal implementation grants through programs tied to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Stone summarized the plan’s scope and rationale, saying Vision Zero is “a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all.” He reviewed the plan’s components: leadership commitment, a steering committee, a five‑year safety analysis, engagement and equity considerations, policy and process changes, and an inventory of project tools ranging from painted sharrows to protected bike lanes and sidewalk infill.

The consultants identified six priority corridors: Second/Canal Street, Court Street, Penn Street, Cherry Street, Seventh Street/the railroad corridor and Spruce Street/Riverfront Drive. Illustrative concepts shown to the commission included parking-protected bike lanes and buffered bike lanes that preserve most on‑street parking. Stone said the team avoided recommending changes on PennDOT-owned roads when possible to reduce permitting complexity.

Commissioners and attendees pressed on practical constraints. A commissioner asked how the plan would address winter maintenance; Stone replied that “if it become an issue, then the city would just have to wake up and have the same cleaning systems that, for example, Berlin does,” pointing to joint operational solutions such as small street and sidewalk sweepers.

Parking and implementation were recurring topics. Stone said the steering committee and city staff were clear that wholesale removal of on‑street parking would not be acceptable and that most proposed designs preserve parking except at a few intersection locations where sight lines are a safety concern. Multiple commissioners noted underused parking garages downtown and urged staff to examine incentives or agreements to shift short‑term parking off the street to enable protected bike facilities.

Stone also flagged equity as a funding advantage: the plan’s disadvantaged‑population analysis showed about 76% of Reading’s population would score as disadvantaged under the federal formula used for grant evaluations, which could strengthen future grant applications.

The consultant recommended the city consider converting the steering committee into a standing advisory body to track progress, update priorities and support grant applications. Stone said the final draft will include a color‑coded mapping system for recommended treatments by corridor and a short list of “low‑resistance” pilot projects for near‑term implementation.

Planning staff said the plan will return to the commission after staff and the consultants reconcile the draft with other ongoing initiatives. The timeline discussed at the meeting called for wrapping the action plan in the coming weeks and considering another round of grant applications in spring 2025.

Ending: The commission did not take formal action at the workshop meeting. Staff said they will bring draft materials back for additional review once the report and mapping are complete.","Consultants briefed the Reading Planning Commission on a draft Vision Zero action plan that reframes an earlier active-transportation plan, identifies six priority corridors for bike and pedestrian improvements and outlines steps needed to pursue federal Safe Streets for All and other grants.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning office outlines downtown strategic plan implementation, MAP grant push and pending zoning amendments

Schuylkill River Greenways outlines Front Street trail engineering, riverfront fixes and gateway bridge plans

Draft TOD overlay ordinance presented as planners map station area and developer incentives

Planning commission hears update on Vision Zero action plan and priority corridors