Allentown hearing on Bill 16 would remove senior-only meal restriction for community centers

A special hearing of the Allentown City Council drew residents and nonprofit leaders to comment on Bill 16, a proposed ordinance to change the cityzoning codedefinition of "community center" by removing language that limits meal provision to senior citizens.

Jennifer Gomez, planning director for the city of Allentown, told the council: "The amendment would be to remove the specific provision of meals for senior citizens and open it up more broadly to any meal provision." Gomez said the change responds to a court interpretation and to a pending application from RCI Properties for a community-center use at a property in a residential district; she emphasized that no decision about a specific property was being made at the hearing.

The amendment follows a zoning hearing board denial of a special-exception request for a property at 1539 Chiu Street and subsequent litigation involving RCI Village Properties and the zoning hearing board. Gomez said the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas…