City’s zoning board grants special exception – Standard Speaker

HAZLETON The citys zoning board granted a special exception to a developer who wants to build 24 apartment units in a wooded area near East Street and Berner Avenue on the Hazleton Heights.

John Caputo cleared the first hurdle of the approval process for his plan to construct four buildings that will house six garden apartments each on a parcel bound by Berner Avenue, Carleton Avenue, East Street and property that houses a former naval reserve building.

Zoning board Chairman Michael Pozzessere teamed with board members John Paletski and Bob Hoegg when voting unanimously on Thursday for approving the special exception sought by Caputo.

Caputo must next secure approval from the city planning commission, which Pozzessere said will address concerns raised by four people who attended the hearing and raised concerns about storm water drainage and displacement of wildlife.

In his original application filed with code enforcement, Caputo sought approval for a height variance for the three-story apartment buildings but Zoning Officer Charles Pedri said Thursday that setbacks are adequate enough to render the height variance unnecessary.

The zoning board was subsequently tasked with acting only on the special exception.

Caputo testified that the apartment buildings will be built in phases, with the first constructed at East Street and Berner Avenue.

That three-story building will house six apartment units, with two on each floor, he said.

Each unit will have two bedrooms, as well as a kitchen and living and dining rooms, he said.

Caputo said he plans to cater to the same type of tenants who live in apartments that he owns near Heights-Terrace Elementary/Middle School who are generally retirees and widows.

The apartments proposed for East Street and Berner Avenue are not affiliated with government-subsidized housing, though Caputo said he had no problems with a 70-year-old tenant who qualified for assistance at a different apartment building that he owns.

The buildings will be built in phases, depending on the availability of tenants, Caputo said.

They will likely be built with a brick on the front and siding installed on the sides, with the buildings fronting Berner and Carleton avenues, he said.

Caputo said he will comply with the zoning ordinance and offer two parking spaces for each apartment unit. He plans to offer 12, 9-foot wide spaces for the first building that will give tenants the ability to park head inat the front of each building, he said.

Four people addressed the proposal Thursday. They include Vincent Fayock, Maria Jacketti, Susan Notaro and William Letcher.

Jacketti said that she didnt necessarily attend in protest of Caputos plans, but sought clarification from Caputo about the potential for the apartments providing a haven for crime and drug activity, and displacement of wildlife. Letcher also raised questions for the potential for increased crime.

Caputo said the terms of his lease simply wont lead to an increase in criminal activity. He referenced his track record at other apartment complexes he owns when making his point.

Displacement of animals, meanwhile, is an issue for the planning commission to consider, Pedri noted.

Fayock, meanwhile, asked why the apartment buildings couldnt be designed with a two-story plan and how construction will impact an endangered species of wildflowers that grow on the land.

Caputo said that the rent that he would charge wouldnt justify costs of accommodating 24 units in two-story buildings.

Concerns for wildflowers, Pedri said, would be for the planning commission to consider.

Fayock also questioned the impact utility installation will have on street conditions and believes storm water runoff will be a disaster for the neighborhood.

Caputo said he plans to install utilities at the back of the property and run them through the center of the land.

Notaro, meanwhile, questioned impact the project will have on traffic and asked why the apartments couldnt be built in place of the former naval reserve building.

Caputo said that some of the tenants at his other properties dont own cars and that the complexes, in his opinion, havent drastically impacted traffic conditions.

The apartments cant be built in place of the former reserve building because demolition costs would be too expensive, Caputo added.

Caputo said after the hearing that he has no intention of harming anyone with his plans for developing the property.

Contact the writer:

sgalski@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3586

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City's zoning board grants special exception - Standard Speaker