Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Applicant withdraws; board declines boarding-house variance at 935 Clay Avenue after neighbors object
Summary
An owner seeking to convert one unit at 935 Clay Ave into a boarding/rooming arrangement withdrew his application and the board recorded a 5–0 decline after extensive neighborhood testimony about safety, noise, squatters and parking problems.
The Scranton Zoning Board of Adjustment declined a boarding/rooming variance for 935 Clay Avenue after spirited public testimony and the applicant—s effective withdrawal. Kevin Brown, the property owner, described steep costs tied to recent eviction and squatters and asked to allow boarding/rooming in one first-floor unit to stabilize rental income. "I had to evict seven people in the last 21 days," Brown said, describing repeated landlord-tenant conflicts and unpaid rent.
Dozens of neighbors spoke in opposition. Susan O'Hearn and other longtime residents cited a recent shooting near the house and said transient rentals and rooming houses attract unsafe, noisy and disorderly behavior. "We have a beautiful block; this would be a slippery slope," O'Hearn said. Others brought a signed petition of neighbors opposing the change and stressed parking constraints on Clay Avenue.
After hearing testimony and questions about parking requirements (the board noted a need for five off-street spaces if the use changed), the applicant elected not to pursue the request further. The board recorded a 5–0 declination and advised that any future application should address off-street parking and neighborhood concerns before re-submission.
The board—s minutes note that change-of-use requests that increase density must show off-street parking capacity and public-safety mitigations; the neighborhood—s testimony was a critical factor in the outcome.
