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- 🛑 Wyomissing Prohibiting Soliciting; 📍Zoning approves variances for Palmer and Commonwealth Charter Academy
🛑 Wyomissing Prohibiting Soliciting; 📍Zoning approves variances for Palmer and Commonwealth Charter Academy
Dr. Angela Adler
August 01, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
Wyomissing Fire & Police Committee met on July 29th, and on July 31st the Wyomissing Zoning Hearing Board approved zoning variance applications from RM Palmer Company and Commonwealth Charter Academy. The Wyomissing Fire & Police Committee considered interventions for traffic issues on Hill Avenue, and recommended that the borough prohibit solicitation.
The Zoning Hearing for 130 Flower Lane, scheduled for July 31st at 3pm, was continued.
Hill Avenue Traffic Update & Prohibiting Soliciting
Updates from Wyomissing Fire & Police Committee
The Wyomissing Fire & Police Committee met on Monday, July 29.
The committee approved recommending that Wyomissing Borough Council prohibit soliciting in the borough. Soliciting entails knocking on doors with the intent of engaging occupants and selling a product or service. The prohibition would have exceptions for youth selling door-to-door (such as the football team or girl scouts), and for religious organizations. This prohibition wouldn’t effect leaving door hangers or other materials that do not require knocking.
Traffic Planning and Design conducted a review of traffic on Hill Avenue and recommended against making Hill Avenue one-way. Instead, the committee approved recommending that council add some stop signs and amend parking restrictions on Hill Avenue.
Western Berks Ambulance reported that they need to hire 10 paramedics. If you know anyone who may be interested, send them this application.
The committee considered Safety Net Sanctuary as an alternative to the Animal Rescue League for animal control services in the coming year, but ultimately decided against it. The borough needs animal control services that include managing aggressive dogs - a service that Animal Rescue League provides, but Safety Net Sanctuary does not.
For more details on the July 29th Wyomissing Fire & Police Committee meeting:
RM Palmer Company Zoning Variance Approved
On July 31st, the Wyomissing Zoning Hearing Board approved RM Palmer Company’s zoning application.
No representatives from RM Palmer Company appeared to be present when the board delivered its decision. Impacted community members from Berkshire Heights were in attendance.
The Zoning Hearing Board gave a prepared statement with the rationale behind the approval. The statement noted that providing such a rationale is not their usual practice, but that they were making an exception as the concern was registered during the previous hearing that approving RM Palmer Company’s request would disadvantage residents with limited means to protest the decision. The Zoning Hearing Board rejected this assertion on the basis that Wyomissing is historically a haven for manufacturing.
In the interest of the residents, the Zoning Hearing Board stated that RM Palmer Company has the responsibility to be a good neighbor to the residents. In addition to usual clearances in the case of an approval, the Zoning Hearing Board approved the request with the addition of the following enforceable conditions:
restrictions on lighting spillover from the property
a landscaping plan to screen the property, for submission to the borough
signage with emergency contact information for RM Palmer Company for residents who encounter issues, to be approved by the Zoning Officer
directional signs to prevent tractor trailers from idling on public streets, to be approved by the Zoning Officer
additional 24/7 live security onsite to prevent trespassing by employees, idling tractor trailers, etc; security report with resolution of issues, employee training protocols
designated employee pickup/drop off on Spring Street, away from residential areas
Angela adds…
The rationale statement offered by the Zoning Hearing Board centered on an alluded reference to Ferdinand Thun, as an immigrant who ran lucrative manufacturing in Wyomissing and thereby lived in the house that now is Wyomissing Borough Hall, as well as his business partner Henry Janssen.
It is unclear how Thun and Janssen were relevant to determining whether RM Palmer Company had demonstrated hardship in the zoning variance application.
The clearest connection, and perhaps the intended connection, between Thun, Janssen, and the RM Palmer Company decision is manufacturing. Personally, I remain unclear on why the board felt the need to include Thun and Janssen in their statement.
It is also unclear to me why no representatives from RM Palmer Company were present at the rendering of the decision.
For more details on the RM Palmer Company Zoning Hearing Board application approval:
Commonwealth Charter Academy Zoning Variance Approved
Commonwealth Charter Academy
On July 31st, the Wyomissing Zoning Hearing Board heard testimony on the Commonwealth Charter Academy application for additional lighting at their property at 1001-1015 Penn Avenue.
The Wyomissing Zoning Hearing Board approved the relief requested, which included an LED sign on Penn Avenue with timed, changing messages.
During the hearing, owners of nearby residential property expressed concerns about the additional lights. Residents also questioned whether Commonwealth Charter Academy had met the burden of demonstrating hardship, which is the stated requirement for the approval of a zoning variance.
Angela adds…
The Commonwealth Charter Academy representatives communicated alterations to the originally submitted plans during the hearing. These alterations included the removal of planned strip lights along the top of the building, and the removal of a second lit sign from the rear of the building.
Commonwealth Charter Academy also agreed to work with neighbors and the borough on the timing and brightness of the illuminated signs, and offered to post community events on the sign with changing messages on Penn Avenue.
The Wyomissing Zoning Hearing Board noted and accepted these alterations and agreements, which constituted part of the approval.