Lafayette Housing Gets Zoning Approval

In a 4-1 vote, approval was granted for a special exception for parking for Lafayette College's housing unit at the corner of Cattell and March streets Monday evening.

Easton Zoning Hearing Board member Lynn Starke cast the dissenting vote, after expressing concerns that the apartment house's residents would likely park on the street anyway, despite assurances that students would be assigned parking on campus.

The existing building at 512 March Street, which is to be demolished, contains six apartments and provides six parking spaces. The planned student housing unit will contain 12 apartments and house a total of 35 students. Legally, it is required to provide one parking space for each apartment.

Dave Yeager, owner of Radnor Property Group, testified an additional six parking spaces required due to the additional apartments to be added would be provided by the college on its campus.

Because the college will lease the property directly from Radnor, students living in the building will not be able to apply to the city for on-street parking permits, he added.

Additional students with cars that live in the building may also be assigned on-campus parking, Yeager said.

He testified the new building would not have an adverse effect on the neighborhood or its residents.

Lawyer Daniel Cohen, representing Yeager, echoed the sentiment saying, “We're very cognizant of the parking problem in this neighborhood.”

Speaking on behalf of the city, Easton Chief Planner Brian Gish said parking issue was more than “just about numbers” and the planning department wanted to ensure resident concerns were addressed as well.

“We want to make sure as this progresses that parking issues are addressed,” he said, referring to implementation of various parts of its master plan. “As these things progress, it's going to become more critical...As these things come in, we'd like to keep the big picture in focus.”

Cohen told the board the plan was sound and will impact the neighborhood less than if a traditional apartment unit was being built.

“We've addressed it as best as it could be addressed. It could have been 18 cars on the street, and we're taking some of them away,” he said.

Three residents were in attendance at the hearing, and expressed concern that the building would further reduce street parking in the neighborhood, despite the assurances that have been offered by Radnor Property Group and college officials.

Though the area requires a resident permit to park overnight, during the day no permit is required to park on the street, noted Caroline Massour of Cattell Street. She said it is likely student residents will take advantage of that.

Landlord Steven Plesko said his tenants were worried about the parking issues as well, and wondered how the college would handle student residents who flaunt their parking agreement.

“What if a student still decides to park on a side street?” Plesko asked.

Cohen replied that students parking illegally off-campus is a matter for city police, who residents should call in case of illegally parked cars.

“The police do ticket,” he said.

Approval of the special exception for parking is contingent upon the college addressing 28 conditions set, including a design change that would require a mansard roof on the building, by the Easton Planning Commission,

If the issues are satisfactorily addressed, it is expected the plan will be given the final go-ahead at the commission's meeting on June 1, Gish said.

Another request by the college, for a hearing for a special exception allowing a non-permitted use for a proposed parking lot on Pierce Street, was postponed until the zoning board reconvenes next month. Officials said planning concerns needed to be addressed before the special exception could be properly considered.