Planning Commission advances multiple parking and land‑use items, including two Reading parking‑lot plans

The Reading Planning Commission on Jan. 27 voted to advance several land‑development projects and zoning recommendations to city council and staff, most notably conditional approvals for two parking‑lot plans and a set of reaffirmations for previously approved projects.

Jerome, planning staff, told the commission the revised final plan for the Reading Parking Authority’s lot at 213 South 11th Street covers 29,747 square feet and proposes 63 off‑street spaces (51 standard, two handicap, 10 large). Staff flagged technical items (turning templates, signage) and required municipal improvements and a stormwater maintenance agreement. Don Edwards of the Public Works Department said two driveways were installed without permits and asked to resolve that issue before construction proceeds. The commission voted to grant final plan approval, conditioned on resolving items in the Hawk Valley Associates review (dated 01/19/2026), addressing the public‑works comments, and the city’s agreement on the property lease.

The commission also granted conditional preliminary/final approval for a separate Reading Parking Authority project at 210 Maple Street, a 20,505‑square‑foot site that would add 41 spaces. Jerome said the project received zoning relief where necessary, the city arborist deemed the landscaping adequate, and the conservation district approved the stormwater submission. The commission approved the plan subject to resolving the consultant’s remaining comments and authorized the chair to sign municipal‑improvement and stormwater‑maintenance agreements once they are finalized.

Separately, the commission reaffirmed earlier conditional approvals for Duca Properties’ parking and apartment projects on Moss Street and for a land‑development plan at 138 South 8th Street after the developer received DEP signoff. For 313 Elm Street — a conditional use to convert a single‑family dwelling into a two‑family dwelling — staff recommended the council forward approval; the commission voted to recommend council approval pending minor plan clarifications.

Finally, the commission recommended that city council approve a zoning‑map amendment to transfer 243 and 245 Washington Street into the CC (commercial core) district and confirmed 229 Washington Street is already in CC; county review showed no objections. The motion passed without recorded opposition.

The commission’s actions typically carried the condition that outstanding technical, legal or public‑works items be resolved before construction or final recording. The most recent staff review letters and referenced consultant reports were cited as the basis for the conditions. The meeting adjourned with announcements about upcoming workshop and regular meetings in February.