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Zoning board approves small, appointment-based salon for 530 Tillman Street with conditions
Summary
The zoning board granted a special-use change of use for 530 Tillman Street to operate a small nail salon with conditions including proof of professional licensing, a certificate of appropriateness to HARB for exterior changes and compliance with parking and signage rules.
The Allentown Zoning Hearing Board on May 19 approved a special-use change of use for 530 Tillman Street to allow a small nail salon, subject to multiple conditions aimed at limiting neighborhood impacts.
Christopher Rad, broker for the property owner, and Barbara Detris, property manager, testified the proposed fit-out would be roughly 800 square feet with one main operator and one part-time assistant, one nail station and one pedicure station. They said the applicants proposed appointment-only service and anticipated low customer volume (about five customers per day), and they proposed hours of roughly 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Resident Jessica Ortiz objected, saying the block already faces serious parking congestion, litter and nuisance activity and urged the board not to approve additional commercial intensity. Rad and Detris said the owners have worked to remove problem tenants, have sought low-impact users and will enforce appointment-only operations and licensing requirements.
After deliberation the board approved the request with conditions recorded in the motion: operate as testified; obtain a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) for any exterior changes; provide evidence of required professional licensing (cosmetology/esthetician) before a certificate of occupancy is issued; and coordinate signage with zoning and HARB requirements. The zoning office also advised the applicant that, if on-site street trees are impractical, a cash-in-lieu donation to the Shade Tree Commission may be required.
Board members discussed but ultimately did not further reduce the proposed hours; they noted enforceability concerns and said they would prefer limits tied to the number of stations and staff (easier to verify) rather than appointment-only conditions alone. The board’s motion passed (vote recorded as aye by the members present). The zoning office will notify the applicant when the permit can be issued after the appeal period and after the applicant submits the HARB application and licensing documentation.
The approval is conditioned on the applicant obtaining all required occupational licensing and satisfying HARB and zoning signage rules; the board noted ongoing enforcement is available if permits are violated.
