Planning Commission hears informal update on sketch plan for 630 South 9th Street

The City of Reading Planning Commission on Jan. 28 heard an informal update on a revised sketch plan for 630 South 9th Street, where the applicant is proposing phased site work including parking, sidewalks and a potential small flex building near South Street.

Jerome, a planning staff member, said the commission had reviewed an earlier sketch plan and that the applicant’s representative, Dan Bonslayer, wanted to address comments from a review letter dated Nov. 22. Jerome said he did not expect the revisions to the sketch plan to create zoning or land-development compliance problems and noted sketch plans are not typically reviewed a second time.

Dan Bonslayer described three construction phases intended to ease the cost of curb and sidewalk work, with initial work on Ninth and Laurel, then proceeding up Ninth Street to South Street, and a final phase along South Street. He said the owner is considering a small flex building with multiple small units intended for light commercial or storage-type uses and that plumbing demand would likely be under one EDU if the units had one or two employees each.

Planning staff and Public Works staff said utilities are available on South Street and that stormwater and ADA/access issues can be addressed at the preliminary/final plan stage. Public Works staff and commissioners discussed driveway separations near intersections and said proposed driveway locations appeared to meet the minimum separation standard mentioned in the meeting.

No formal action was required for the sketch plan; Jerome and staff advised the applicant to submit a preliminary/final plan with the review fees and to address detailed stormwater, sidewalk and curb questions in that submission. The applicant said he would provide plan sets to staff for the next submission.