Zoning Board Approves Variance for Patio Furniture Business

At the Hellertown Zoning Hearing Board's Oct. 20 meeting, owner Andrew Panick successfully made a case for zoners to grant a parking variance for a building he has purchased at 720 Main Street.

The variance Panick was seeking was approved by a vote of 4-0.

Panick explained that he intends to store patio furniture in the 7,200-square-foot warehouse building, and that Neighbors customers will be able to look at furniture there by appointment only.

Current zoning requirements in the town center zoning district would have dictated that the building offer 28 regular parking spaces and one handicapped parking space, but only 14 regular parking spaces plus one handicapped space are available.

Panick told zoners that because of limited traffic to and from the building, which is located behind , he expects that no more than two or three of those parking spaces will be occupied at a time.

"It's going to be seldom (that customers visit the warehouse)," he stated. "I don't need the spaces.... I don't know what else to tell you."

In the rare event that customers do visit, it will be mainly on weekends, and only because the patio furniture they are interested in is not on display at Neighbors, he added.

Panick also said he does not plan to install any signage, although he may replace a tattered canopy on the building with one that bears the name "Neighbors."

No patio furniture will be stored or displayed outside the building, he said.

In other business at the meeting, newly-appointed alternate Zoning Hearing Board member Mark Albright was sworn in by chairman Jeffrey Hahn.

Zoners announced that no meeting will be held in November.