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Council supports 127 West Front special-exception for batting clinic, with six conditions
Summary
Bridgeport Borough Council voted May 13 to send a letter supporting a zoning hearing board special-exception application for a proposed batting clinic at 127 West Front Street, contingent on six conditions including paving, removal of containers and limits tying the approval to a baseball training use.
Bridgeport Borough Council on May 13 voted to support a special-exception zoning application for a proposed baseball training clinic at 127 West Front Street, provided the applicant accepts a set of conditions described by borough staff.
Staff described the proposal as a primarily daytime/weekday indoor baseball training clinic that would share parking with an existing brewpub and other First Street uses. Borough code staff advised the council that the project proposes to add 10 paved parking spaces on a single deed but that the lot is currently stone, contains an overseas shipping container and contains unlicensed vehicles.
Council and borough counsel discussed how zoning relief runs with the land and noted potential future complications if the space later changes to a different use with higher parking demand. Borough solicitor counsel said such relief “runs with the land” but that the borough could seek contractual assurances at the Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) — for example, a condition that a future, materially different use would require return to the ZHB for approval.
Council approved a motion to support the ZHB application with the following conditions: the proposed parking lot at 127 West Front be paved and constructed to meet the borough's subdivision and land development ordinance (SALDO); the overseas container be removed from the proposed parking lot; any unlicensed or abandoned vehicles in the proposed lot be removed; any new tenant must seek zoning relief for parking; any disabled parking spaces meet ADA requirements; and that the special-exception be tied specifically to the baseball training/indoor recreation use described by the applicant so that a materially different future use would require separate review.
The motion to support the application with those conditions was moved by Mr. Schenck and seconded by Ms. Hauck; council members voiced assent and the motion carried. Borough staff said they will attend the ZHB hearing and present the conditions as council’s recommendation.
Staff emphasized the shared-parking rationale: under the zoning code's special-exception language for uses with different peak hours, the batting-clinic training use would require far fewer simultaneous parking spaces than a typical restaurant or expanded brewpub seating. Council members said they favored a low-impact daytime recreational use for the large space, provided the applicant agrees to the stated conditions.
Because the applicant was not present at the council meeting, council limited its action to a contingent supporting letter and resolution of recommended conditions rather than an unconditional endorsement.
