Owner seeks rear parking area at 1323 N. 13th St.; board notes size and impervious-coverage limits

Evelyn Munoz asked the Reading Zoning Hearing Board for a dimensional variance to construct a surface parking area at the rear of 1323 North 13th Street that would exceed the maximum permitted impervious coverage in the R-2 Residential Zoning District and the Heights Conservation District.

Munoz said the proposed concrete area would provide safer access to her home, where she and family members live, and said her grandson uses a wheelchair. She said she intends to expand on an existing concrete area and that the proposal would likely accommodate one vehicle and leave part of the yard for gardening and gatherings. Munoz said she has discussed the plan with nearby neighbors and that several were not opposed.

Zoning officer Emily Diaz told the board that if the applicant proposed two vehicles the parking area would need to be about 18 by 18 feet, while a single-space area would need to be 9 by 18 feet to comply with staff guidance. The applicant said she intended space for one vehicle and agreed to work with staff on exact dimensions. The board accepted testimony, asked no additional follow-up questions of the applicant, and closed the hearing. The board will issue a written decision and mail it to the owner.

Why it matters: The request raises neighborhood and site-planning issues — impervious surface, stormwater runoff and the consistent application of parking-dimension standards in an established residential conservation district.