[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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],{"_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",6591878,"mediaKeyId","3005015-d653bf41a4a04f5fc8a18889460c7813","parentId",3005015,"title","Staff outlines zoning rewrite, permitting overhaul and grant updates to committee","audioSeconds",748,"startMs",1930000,"endMs",2678000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3005015-d653bf41a4a04f5fc8a18889460c7813&start=1930&end=2678","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3005015-d653bf41a4a04f5fc8a18889460c7813/thumbnail_1930000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6591878/Allentown-City/Lehigh-County/Pennsylvania/Staff-outlines-zoning-rewrite-permitting-overhaul-and-grant-updates-to-committee","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6591878-8196f63af433c43433b4fc13caf26718/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200739&Signature=R5uC86PDMbziAQNZ~B3L37adeoEzNKjXXFhRcrTbv~~lony8s0Q0cx7zGXmGRpw-Y9THHaRVBdjGDCCZnBA80iu0O-9X-G~EpgRFYDyMpT~-Iz3Et7BxrSzjgMQh9mGQM1vCSLG~fKO6JDRi3yaux--~VqbxU8MR-YdalLHFoThczR2Qgkm2DD5j6qS3z010WiSUEmINgi-2BfwHLhJMEf25TbYqtO7K6uWDAt2tqFuOuzZPvzR5ERd0Hb5qKLwifE1IJwmp1Hzrav71R6N1aUzBwRjDgK6joVqSgsIHmN7efw1hNMvRVw-6XsbsOV786NIkJP7nb83fLjAWcRyL~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Allentown City, PA","date","2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","article","City staff told the Community and Economic Development Committee on March 26 that the zoning rewrite is in its second public comment period, which closes March 31, and that the draft will return to the planning commission for additional review before coming to the City Council for final approval.

Staff said the city is proposing major changes to its permitting process, including a one-permit system for multiunit projects (so a single project permit would cover repetitive unit-level permits such as multiple plumbing fixtures), expanded in-house plan review by newly certified plan reviewers, and options for expedited inspections and permitting on projects with tight deadlines. Staff said these changes are expected to streamline permitting, reduce duplicative fees, and allow inspectors to be cross-trained for mechanical, electrical and plumbing reviews.

The department reported progress on the recompete grant: subcommittees are forming, strategies for subgroups are being developed, and the city has selected a final candidate for a grant-funded position pending mayoral approval. Staff said they have already been drawing recompete funds for existing staff salaries since October and that they will propose budget adjustments to reflect those reimbursements.

Staff also reported that community reinvestment contracts have been issued, though a few were delayed by negotiations or outstanding property or inspection issues; those providers now have contracts and work is beginning. The city is accepting applications for CDBG, HOME and ESG federal funds, and staff emphasized that awards depend on federal funding stability.

The redevelopment authority completed an in-depth strategic planning process with city staff; priorities for redevelopment properties and classifications are being drafted to move some properties toward owner-occupancy or commercial reuse.

In public comments, Gary Newman of Blackstone Structures praised the recent changes in the building department, particularly cross-training of inspectors and assigning inspectors by ward. \"It's been absolutely incredible,\" he said, calling the restructuring material to the development community because it reduces inspection delays and paperwork burden on large projects.

Staff said they are also reviewing possible tweaks to nuisance-property abatement legislation and building-code standards to better recoup costs and streamline enforcement and are training inspectors to perform additional fire-related inspections for higher-risk facilities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Community and Economic Development Committee\t3/26/2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff told the committee that a comprehensive zoning rewrite is in final public comment and that a proposed overhaul of the permitting system — including a single-project permit and expanded in-house plan review — will be presented to council soon.","taxTitle","Allentown City, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania","taxId",12607,"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},6591883,"Committee denies certificate of appropriateness for 927 Turner Street, forwards denial with offer of extra time",174,1715000,1889000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3005015-d653bf41a4a04f5fc8a18889460c7813&start=1715&end=1889","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3005015-d653bf41a4a04f5fc8a18889460c7813/thumbnail_1715000.jpg","/articles/6591883/Allentown-City/Lehigh-County/Pennsylvania/Committee-denies-certificate-of-appropriateness-for-927-Turner-Street-forwards-denial-with-offer-of-extra-time","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6591883-1f3a24ddd92e507f9b21a8de84e6a6f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200739&Signature=XBGA57mBnJD6LH7QBXWqETDsKTnw8R1SQVS0jjPKJ04f-DBP7-UdNUE7WJaDtpWUGCegikxR4kpgsXYxVF05IN2pPUg-QOwqNKAhUTc5O88HMgfHaUHFbZnAGp0ke46M4cuHmqL-EB0YNuT2lefRZtQDMdkjjOuTPlrHtS-174MxjuEtZ~ofg9bRPk7zwVN9eiv6z1XpFzWzMyateWk1LWUX21til111R8s3tPj3cvgrdDMrDbAS32n1VfwZarlMZ9ZFLAzDaHE04ld1QNCMQnrAsVRVc0fFWJjGrGd2IWaGh2hDq8dyIVsH627JGLWtjNb0huzjVGTY-5lsB7-0TQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Community and Economic Development Committee on March 26 voted to deny a certificate of appropriateness for 927 Turner Street and forwarded that denial to the full City Council, while instructing staff to work with the property owner on a feasible timeline for bringing the property into compliance.

Maria Rodriguez, who identified herself as the property owner, told the committee she purchased the house \"as is\" and undertook repairs after discovering the building needed extensive work. \"I bought the house,\" Rodriguez said, describing repeated repairs, contractors who did not finish work and the financial strain of multiple payments to fix the property. She said a realtor named Millie gave her a presale inspection report during the transaction.

Committee members and staff said the presale inspection report repeatedly highlighted that the property is in a historic district and that alterations to windows and doors require a review process and a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB). Staff reported that the presale report showed multiple failed installations and that 12 windows had been replaced.

One committee member noted that nine windows appeared on the primary (front) façade and that three were on a side façade. Members discussed possible mitigation: allowing the owner extra time to replace windows or prioritizing the front façade first while offering greater flexibility for secondary facades. Staff also suggested the owner may have civil recourse against the realtor or title insurance depending on whether the presale inspection was provided before closing; the committee said it could follow up with the owner in Spanish to gather details and, if appropriate, report possible realtor misconduct to the real estate board for investigation.

A committee member moved to deny the certificate of appropriateness and forward the denial to the full council with the understanding that the council could consider allowing the owner to forgo replacing three side windows; another member seconded the motion. The committee voted by voice to forward the denial to full council and noted that CED staff would work with the owner to develop a compliance timeline that reflects the owner’s financial constraints.

The committee directed staff to meet briefly with the owner after the hearing to explain the next steps and the full-council process.","The Community and Economic Development Committee on March 26 voted to deny a certificate of appropriateness for 927 Turner Street and forwarded the denial to full council, while offering to work with the owner on a timeline to correct windows and other violations.",{"_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},6591885,"Committee forwards budget amendment to cover insurance for grant-funded staff",1581,57000,1638000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3005015-d653bf41a4a04f5fc8a18889460c7813&start=57&end=1638","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3005015-d653bf41a4a04f5fc8a18889460c7813/thumbnail_57000.jpg","/articles/6591885/Allentown-City/Lehigh-County/Pennsylvania/Committee-forwards-budget-amendment-to-cover-insurance-for-grant-funded-staff","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6591885-b4ac47a6ca3f6c6b85e4b1f226806b37/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200739&Signature=dOeH1t-kJX~~Ork6JAJwNBo1~P9op6YvDADDwbHjpbeVYS9HXbNzn8BMU-NTaLswpxxjLx1BK~XkcXwYzE6DVZ8H307Op6X~hFEviofbD~e0t~ckVNfN3xmCNXMMci5Wz~8qLhpG8nPmyre7lp68mvTFPuqusPpeEWlsN61FkQ2Yj0rdwZxB4raq4beuGxPj5j6DaLdmbyTQHD-amuWP3FYCzrpb8oWUPYo73ddMcAREjsesAyFD7GqTwwCdfgXGd3hnmaTpn9DImMhswbGS6j490zLiMB6yiPaRIEsscHbIIWCiaFFC5zWnQibJYzRt~pyWgtcDFjoT6Ht-vTY4mw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Community and Economic Development Committee on March 26 voted to forward Bill 23 to the full City Council. The ordinance would amend the 2025 risk fund budget to provide additional budget authority to cover insurance expenditures for staff funded by the city’s recompete grant.

Miss Kistler, a department staff member in the city’s Department of Community and Economic Development, told the committee that the issue arose after the recompete grant was awarded. \"When the budget was submitted and we worked with finance, all of the salaries were put into the 2025 budget, but for some reason the cost of the benefits were not put in the budget,\" she said, describing the amendment as a neutral budget item needed to establish the insurance lines for grant-funded staff.

Kistler said some salaries for existing staff have already been billed to the recompete grant and that staff began drawing recompete funds in October. She said the department has one held vacancy it plans to fill and that a brief period of data-entry system downtime briefly delayed processing, but the program is otherwise proceeding.

A committee member moved to forward the bill favorably to full council; another member seconded the motion, and the committee chair called for a voice vote. The motion was forwarded favorably to full council by voice vote.

Committee members were told finance staff will return with a related ordinance to reclassify portions of salary allocation in the budget so that salaries reimbursed by recompete are reflected in grant accounts. That ordinance was announced as forthcoming and will be presented to the full council for consideration.","The Community and Economic Development Committee on March 26 voted to forward Bill 23 to full council. The ordinance would amend the 2025 risk fund budget to add insurance lines covering staff paid from a federal \"recompete\" grant after benefits were inadvertently omitted from the original budget submission.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Staff outlines zoning rewrite, permitting overhaul and grant updates to committee

Committee denies certificate of appropriateness for 927 Turner Street, forwards denial with offer of extra time

Committee forwards budget amendment to cover insurance for grant-funded staff