Zoning board denies plan to convert 30 S. Jefferson St. into two apartments

The Allentown City Zoning Hearing Board on Jan. 13, 2025, denied an application to rebuild and convert the fire-damaged structure at 30 South Jefferson Street into two residential units, concluding the proposal required multiple dimensional variances and did not meet the ordinance standards for conversion.

Property owner Abbu Bakar Shaw testified he has owned the property since 2006 and that the existing building was damaged by fire and would need demolition and rebuilding. Contractor Tom Williams and design consultant Matthew (Matt) Longenberger presented plans for a rebuilt structure totaling about 1,936 square feet on a lot the consultant described as approximately 16 by 105 feet (1,680 square feet) and proposed two modest apartments (a first-floor one-bedroom and an upper two-bedroom). The project as presented included two rear surface parking spaces, with stacked parking mentioned as a possible configuration; the team also discussed the potential to acquire neighboring parcels to expand parking in a later phase.

Longenberger described the site context, noting adjacent higher-intensity districts and multiple nearby converted row homes, and argued the proposal would add modest housing that is walkable to transit and neighborhood services. He cited national and regional materials about urban parking ratios and local housing shortages in the Lehigh Valley as background for the application. Owner and contractor witnesses said they believed the product would be marketable and would support neighborhood housing goals.

Board members expressed concern that the project required too many dimensional variances — including lot width and the ordinance’s conversion standards, which the board read as favoring detached structures or larger footprints for conversions — and that the parking plan was inadequate given the proposed occupancy and neighborhood character. The board discussed a 16-foot lot width versus a coding threshold that is substantially wider and noted prior conversions in the area but concluded the current ordinance did not provide a legal basis to grant the relief sought. The board moved to deny the application; the motion passed. Vote tally on the denial: yes 3, no 0.

Actions taken: the board denied the application to rebuild and convert the property at 30 South Jefferson Street to two apartments under the current zoning rules. The record shows discussion of alternative approaches (assembling multiple parcels, seeking broader redevelopment) but no board-directed approval or conditional relief during the hearing.