York City Planning Commission tables Roosevelt Avenue plan, approves Pennsylvania Avenue waiver and zoning changes for West Philadelphia Street

The York City Planning Commission voted to table a land‑development plan for 1237 Roosevelt Avenue, approved a land‑development waiver for 2206 Pennsylvania Avenue, and granted variances and a special exception to allow conversion of a single‑family house into a two‑unit dwelling at 335 West Philadelphia Street.

The action to table the Roosevelt Avenue plan came after the applicant was not present. The commission moved to table the item until the end of the meeting and later confirmed the tabled status by roll call. Commissioners voting in favor were Johnson, Velez, Davis, Wolfe and Moore; the motion passed.

Adam Anderson, representing Site Design Concepts for the applicant on 2206 Pennsylvania Avenue, told the commission the property owner has withdrawn a previously approved larger expansion and is instead pursuing a smaller office expansion. "There was a full land development plan that was, previously, it went through the process. It was conditionally approved by city council, but it was a much bigger expansion. It was around 36,000 square feet," Anderson said. He said the owner is scaling the project back to a roughly 4,400‑square‑foot office expansion with improvements to a small gravel area for parking and a stormwater seepage bed to handle runoff. "So at this point, what we'd like to do is a stormwater site plan... We're just not going through that process, posting a bond for public improvements," Anderson said.

On a motion to recommend approval of a land‑development waiver for 2206 Pennsylvania Avenue, the commission voted yes: Johnson, Velez, Davis, Wolfe, Burgos and Moore. The motion passed.

The commission then considered zoning case 19‑2025‑Z‑SE‑DE for 335 West Philadelphia Street, where the property owner, SPG Capital LLC, sought permission to convert a single‑family dwelling into two dwelling units. Monty (staff) summarized the zoning review and noted staff recommendations; staff initially recommended denial of several variances linked to the property’s conversion rules and parking requirements. Attorney Summer Penizzo, representing the applicant in the absence of Applicant Devin Myers, said the owner is not seeking a parking variance and asked the commission to treat the property as historically residential. "The property in question has been used historically as a residential unit... so the applicant here today requests a variance from the definition," Penizzo said.

The commission approved three separate motions on the West Philadelphia Street case: a variance from the ordinance definition related to multifamily conversion from a different use; a variance waiving the special‑exception requirement that the property be vacant for two years; and a special exception to permit the multifamily use. Each motion passed by roll call with affirmative votes from Johnson, Velez, Davis, Wolfe, Burgos and Moore.

Votes at a glance

• 1237 Roosevelt Avenue — Motion to table land‑development plan until later in the meeting; outcome: tabled (motion passed; roll call: Johnson, Velez, Davis, Wolfe, Moore — all aye).

• 2206 Pennsylvania Avenue — Motion to recommend approval of a land‑development waiver (applicant to pursue a stormwater site plan for a reduced ~4,400 sq. ft. expansion; prior 36,000 sq. ft. plan withdrawn); outcome: approved (roll call: Johnson, Velez, Davis, Wolfe, Burgos, Moore — all aye).

• 335 West Philadelphia Street (Zoning case 19‑2025‑Z‑SE‑DE) — Motions approved: (1) variance to the definition for multifamily conversion; (2) variance waiving the two‑year vacancy special‑exception requirement; (3) special exception to permit a two‑unit multifamily dwelling. The applicant withdrew a parking variance; the owner provides on‑site parking. All three motions passed (roll calls: Johnson, Velez, Davis, Wolfe, Burgos, Moore — all aye).

The commission recorded a quorum at the start of the meeting and approved the previous meeting’s minutes by roll call before proceeding to new business. The meeting concluded with the commission adjourned.