MINUTES OF ZONING HEARING BOARD MEETING

 

The zoning hearing board of Palmer Township met on Tuesday, October 6, 2009, at 7:30 P.M. in the Palmer Memorial Library, One Weller Place, to hear the following appeals.  In attendance Nicholas Noel III, Esq., zoning board solicitor, Charles Roseberry, board chairman, Cherie Kavanaugh board member, Peg Kennedy alternate board member substituting for Dan Caravetta board member, James Raudenbush, zoning officer, and court reporter Ted Rewak. 

 

 

Cherie Kavanaugh made a motion to accept the minutes of the September 1, 2009, zoning hearings.  The motion was seconded by Peg Kennedy, with all in agreement.

 

09-27 7:30 p.m. 3046 Hecktown Rd, David and Carol Border, are seeking a dimensional variance from section 190-42 F (1) in order to build an addition on their garage that would have a  side yard setback of five feet. This property is located in a Medium Density Residential District.

Witnesses: David Border, Homeowner and Jay Miller, Contractor

Action: Peg Kennedy made a motion to deny the dimensional variance to construct a garage addition that would have been five feet from the eastern side of the property. The motion was seconded by Cherie Kavanaugh, with all in agreement.

 

09-28 7:40 p.m. Michael L Kocsis, 2597 Northampton St., Easton Pa. 18045, is seeking a variance in order to have less parking than is required under section 190-210 C 17(d) for  a personal fitness center. The fitness center would be located in Unit #6, within the building located at 720 Sheridan Dr., Easton Pa 18045. This property is located in a Light Industrial Zoning District.

Witnesses: Michael Kocsis, Owner of Unlimited Changes and Jeffery Brode, Landlord

Action: Cherie Kavanaugh made a motion to grant the variance for a reduction in off street parking limiting the business to a 45 person maximum at any one time.  The motion was seconded by Peg Kennedy, with all in agreement.

 

09-29 7:50 p.m. Northeast Corner of Nazareth Rd. and Kingston Rd, Parcel L8-4-2, Scheetz, Inc., 5700 Sixth Ave., Altoona Pa 16602, Scheetz, Inc is seeking an interpretation as to whether signage above the entrances that are located on the Southern, Western, and Northern sides of the proposed building are wall or freestanding signs. In the event the signs are defined as wall signs the applicant is seeking variances from sections 190-171, 190-184 A (3)(a) relating to the number of wall signs facing a public street, and section 190-184A (4)(a) in regards to signage that will not face a public street on the Northern portion of the building, and signage that will face a residential use on the western portion of the building. If the signs above the entrances on the Southern, Western, and Northern sides of the building are defined as freestanding signs the applicant is seeking a variance from section 190-184A (b)[2] relating to the number and maximum size allowed for freestanding signs on a property. Scheetz, Inc also is requesting variances from sections 190-183 A to have a freestanding sign along Nazareth Rd. that will be 15’(10’ Permitted), and section 190-184A (b)[2] in order to have one freestanding sign being 58.78 square feet. Scheetz, Inc is also seeking a variance under section 190-184 for signage on Northern and Western sides the proposed gas canopy. This variance is being sought (canopy signage is not specifically addressed in the ordinance). This property is located in a General Commercial Zoning District.

Witnesses: Michael Lacesa, Scheetz Inc., Brian Soyka, Scheetz Inc., Daniel Cohen, Esquire, Carol-Lee Parr, 3510 Nazareth Rd, Ann and Vincent Cruver, 3516 Nazareth Rd.

Action: Charlie Roseberry made a motion defining the signage located on the entrance canopies to the store on the Southern, Western, and Northern sides of the building as wall signs. The motion was seconded by Cherie Kavanaugh, with all in agreement. With the signage on the store entrance canopies being defined as wall signs, Charles Roseberry then made a motion to approve all of the wall signage depicted on exhibits A-1 and A-2 at the time of the hearing. The motion was seconded by Cherie Kavanaugh, with all in agreement. Charles Roseberry then made a motion to define the gas pump canopy signs as freestanding, and to deny the signage on Side ‘A’ and Side ‘B’ of the gas pump canopy depicted in exhibit A-3. This motion was seconded by Cherie Kavanaugh with all in agreement. Charles Roseberry’s final motion was to approve the freestanding sign depicted in exhibit A-4 at the time of the hearing, and to approve the Auto diesel sign in exhibit A-3 as a directional sign. This final motion was seconded by Cherie Kavanaugh, with all in agreement.

 

Having no further business to discuss, the hearing was adjourned at 10:50p.m.

 

James F. Raudenbush

Zoning Officer