MINUTES OF ZONING HEARING BOARD MEETING

The zoning hearing board of Palmer Township met on Tuesday, February 3, 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, and Margaret Kennedy, board members, James Raudenbush, zoning officer, and court reporter Ted Rewak.

Cherie Kavanaugh made a motion to accept the minutes of the January 6, 2009, zoning hearings. The motion was seconded by Charles Roseberry, with all in agreement.

09-05 7:30 p.m. James McMillan, 4093 Vaughn St, is seeking a special exception pursuant to section 190-38 B, to operate a landscaping business as a home occupation in a Medium Density Residential zoning district.

WITNESSES: Mr. James McMillan

ACTION: Peg Kennedy made a motion to approve the special exception for a home occupation as a landscaping business. The applicant made no requests for any signage or equipment storage on site. The motion was seconded by Cherie Kavanaugh, with all in agreement.

09-04 7:40 p.m. Dianne Capobianco, 301 Broadway, Bethlehem, PA, representing property owner Josh Case Dream Development Co. LLC, 5010 Harvey Road, Bethlehem, PA, is seeking relief from section 190-53 A pertaining to minimum lot area, width and depth requirements, in addition to relief from section 190-53 C (4) requirement for front yard setback in order to construct a single family home on an undersize lot at the northeast corner of the intersection of Grove Street and Kingwood Street. The applicants are also seeking a special exception to build on this nonconforming lot pursuant to 190-199 C (2) and appropriate relief from setbacks required therein. The premises are located in a High Density Residential zoning district. This is a continuance from January 6, 20009.

WITNESSES: Dianne Capobianco, Constantine Vasiiadis, Esq., Sean Burke, Partner

ACTION: Cherie Kavanaugh made a motion to grant a variance to be able to build a house on an undersized non-conforming lot. With the conditions of having a 8’ front yard setback off of Grove Street, and to have the width of the proposed house be a maximum of 24’. The motion was seconded by Margaret Kennedy with all in agreement.

09-07 8:00 P.M. Thomas A. Buchner 3134 Prescott Rd., Bethlehem PA 18020, is seeking relief from section 190-262.B (1) to expand a commercial ground floor use beyond 1500 square feet pursuant to the requirements under the William Penn Overlay District. The property located at 3655 William Penn Highway is situated in a General Commercial District.

WITNESSES: Thomas Buchner, Don Fredrickson, Engineer, Nick Sabatine, Esq.

ACTION: Cherie Kavanaugh made a motion which was seconded by Margaret Kennedy to grant relief to be able to expand a commercial business beyond 1500 square feet in the William Penn Overlay district. The conditions on this approval are there will be two parking spots by the garage designated for the apartment. The second condition is that the traffic flow shall be one way with the traffic entering on the southern and exiting on the northern end. All were in agreement.

Having no further business to discuss, the hearing was adjourned.

James F. Raudenbush

Zoning Officer