[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6591877,"mediaKeyId","3005042-fa7e6e8751e4fada5535626b8bf89148","parentId",3005042,"title","Allentown Zoning Hearing Board denies Ponce Holding’s 701 N. Eighth Street proposal amid parking and safety concerns","audioSeconds",5581,"startMs",114000,"endMs",5695000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3005042-fa7e6e8751e4fada5535626b8bf89148&start=114&end=5695","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3005042-fa7e6e8751e4fada5535626b8bf89148/thumbnail_114000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6591877/Allentown-City/Lehigh-County/Pennsylvania/Allentown-Zoning-Hearing-Board-denies-Ponce-Holdings-701-N-Eighth-Street-proposal-amid-parking-and-safety-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6591877-cac5e165c97901a23873e88c4e0e891d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192743&Signature=jVVV18yXH5M6wbeUvxfydBY0OoeNRuX4DSdhEL4qFZOSdJLmT5xQA-7kwKQqkzQ1VL-8UgB-eWiT7ATrr-E9WtWFhl8b6H1BMjcw43RN0-TWdjVjx~uYuo0U7wi2U59Sypxt2bDoVegMZfxb0JvUemcy1g1HUKr8lOlbEB6UCXptdIEmZSJGxGyCh7fzcE1H1bpKIwPcZeDPttCd776j9v~~yDZYrfZdIlxmmQ7hLAzvNC5eJ2EimN6CmvasA2m5LgTqMjgCqYLwRT98u-605GT4o8WciQ~Y3h5Q8kZFiFQPIqVGXgO91FfCtmLL0fajOU9olyRXQM1LNhR4WlNttQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Allentown City, PA","date","2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","article","The Allentown Zoning Hearing Board on March 31 denied without prejudice a Ponce Holding Company application to convert a former church at 701 North Eighth Street into six apartments, citing unresolved parking, circulation and safety concerns and insufficient proof of minimum relief required under the zoning code.

Owner Manny McCall, represented at the hearing, presented plans that would create six units (one two‑bedroom and the remainder one‑bedroom), add three off‑street spaces by removing a rear door and reconfiguring the rear area, and make facade improvements including new windows and exterior paint. McCall told the board he intends to relocate trash storage to the rear, add basement storage units, and follow direction from the city’s Shade Tree Commission on street trees and plantings.

City planning director Jennifer Gomez reviewed the Planning Commission’s comments and told the board adaptive‑reuse standards require exterior changes be compatible with the building and neighborhood and recommended conditions on window and door spacing, exterior lighting, coordination with the Shade Tree Commission on street trees, and documentation for the sewage planning module required by state code.

Neighbors and residents testified repeatedly that the neighborhood already has very limited on‑street parking and that the handful of off‑street and alley parking spaces near the property are typically occupied. Brian Engler, who lives across the street, said he had observed traffic and crash incidents in the alleys and asked the board to consider the safety of backing maneuvers. Several neighbors described chronic parking shortages and cited prior occasions when nearby renovation work had disrupted available curbside spaces.

The zoning office noted code language that generally requires sites to allow vehicle turnaround on‑site rather than backing into traffic; staff said the proposed three rear spaces would require a determination about whether alley operations and proposed vehicle movements complied with section 66073 and other standards.

Board members said they were receptive to adaptive reuse but raised repeated concerns about the sufficiency of the evidence on parking availability, the practicality of the proposed rear parking and turning movements, and potential safety risks posed by backing and cantilevered structural elements near a travel way. Because the application did not provide the board with clear evidence of the minimum relief necessary (for example, verified off‑site parking commitments or engineering documentation showing turning and structural feasibility), a member moved to deny the application without prejudice. The motion passed on a voice vote.

The denial without prejudice leaves the applicant free to return to the board with additional engineering, parking‑authority or design information addressing the board’s concerns.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Zoning Hearing Board 3/31/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board denied without prejudice a request by Ponce Holding Company to convert a former church at 701 North Eighth Street into six apartments, citing unresolved parking, circulation and design concerns and insufficient evidence to establish minimum relief necessary.","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},6591881,"Allentown zoning board approves 18-unit conversion at 943–951 West Chew with parking conditions",3972,90000,4062000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3005042-fa7e6e8751e4fada5535626b8bf89148&start=90&end=4062","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3005042-fa7e6e8751e4fada5535626b8bf89148/thumbnail_90000.jpg","/articles/6591881/Allentown-City/Lehigh-County/Pennsylvania/Allentown-zoning-board-approves-18-unit-conversion-at-943951-West-Chew-with-parking-conditions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6591881-4b1827a1919198c26b49d1d8f52cf4dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192743&Signature=IQN~~Gjj9KEKbX4hovFIpwXJb1-QdvPSRFYboSy6wfqN221o~fg8d6NsAVUYlkTiecxFPeMrVol2bhply0Heqf-b5sYoqzc9gAXTR~Oh5qJMcuUP-2GKHgsb97oD-07KZBR-QZ5B3bY~-nwiexRXJX6Kk45~jUPlKYodzAsJw8J~8MwSn6Fnn2ClMLtRfWNkKqUKQppuJwvbAHPkMISjceyFCs94pr~Gs1tvTMHZxdRQx58DD8WkYXXXSO3orkYHtAmAnSV~ZKg4XBaVeB6f71cenoWc3yjs84YOOK4fP3xnsW1KjmHAp5wzGogKuClbPpQ0qmhLFtcikSVsjhKWJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Allentown Zoning Hearing Board on March 31 approved variances allowing MPC Allentown LLC to convert a two‑story building at 943–951 West Chew Street into 18 residential units, with conditions that the developer pursue off‑site parking through the Allentown Parking Authority and comply with historic‑district and building‑code reviews.

Board Chair Robert Knauer and members Samantha McLean and Scott Unger voted in favor of relief after hearing testimony from Jason Colfer, a member of MPC Allentown LLC, and attorney Joe Pipparato. Colfer told the board the applicant proposes a mix of mostly one‑bedroom apartments with about six two‑bedroom units and one studio for a total of 18 units, and that the building has roughly 21,600 square feet of floor area on a lot about 100 by 110 feet. He described the First Floor as approximately 10,000 square feet of open space and said the property was constructed around 1900.

The zoning officer had denied MPC’s November 13, 2024 permit application, citing expansion of a nonconforming use and a lack of parking. The zoning officer’s letter calculated that adding 13 dwelling units (from 5 to 18) would require an additional 19 parking spaces. Colfer testified the applicant found limited public parking nearby and reported the Allentown Parking Authority had one space in “E Lot” and five spaces in “C Lot” available when he checked; a third lot was fully booked. He said the applicant had not executed any leases because availability was uncertain.

The board majority accepted the applicant’s evidence of a long history of prior zoning decisions for the property and the applicant’s financial estimates for rehabilitation — Colfer estimated about $2,000,000 to renovate the building — but emphasized parking and design conditions. The board ordered conditions that the applicant: apply to the Allentown Parking Authority and, if spaces become available, lease up to a capped number of spaces within an agreed radius; obtain any necessary Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) approvals for exterior changes in the city’s historic district; and complete all construction in accordance with applicable building and safety codes. The board recorded the motion and voted aloud; the board’s stated outcome was approval of relief with those conditions.

Mark Toro, representing the Allentown Parking Authority, testified as an interested party and said the authority “can verify that the surrounding, street parking is quite limited” and that Authority lots are largely at capacity. The zoning office noted code language that encourages on‑site turning areas and said the applicant might require engineering review to ensure any angled parking or backing maneuvers from the alley would meet city standards.

Board members discussed alternative designs — including demolition/rebuild with structured parking — and heard the applicant say such options would be financially unfeasible (Colfer estimated demolition and new construction would cost “upwards of $3,000,000 or more”). During deliberations the board and applicant agreed to a condition tying proof of efforts to secure off‑site parking to permitting steps, and to notify the zoning office and parking authority when spaces are leased so compliance can be monitored.

The board’s order accepted the property’s nonconforming status and granted the variances needed to allow 18 dwelling units, subject to the conditions described above and standard building‑permit and HARB processes.

The board’s approval does not itself create leases or guarantee that sufficient parking will be available; it requires the applicant to pursue off‑site spaces and to meet design and code conditions before final occupancy approvals.","The Allentown Zoning Hearing Board granted variances allowing MPC Allentown LLC to convert a two‑story former industrial building at 943–951 West Chew Street into 18 apartments, subject to design, building‑code and parking conditions including coordinated leases with the Allentown Parking Authority.","actionData","errors"]

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Allentown Zoning Hearing Board denies Ponce Holding’s 701 N. Eighth Street proposal amid parking and safety concerns

Allentown zoning board approves 18-unit conversion at 943–951 West Chew with parking conditions