City Council took the first formal step toward aligning zoning for the $18.5 million GoggleWorks II expansion, holding an evidentiary hearing on a proposed map amendment that would shift several Washington Street parcels from residential to commercial core designation.
The request filed by nonprofit developer Our City Reading LLC seeks to change the zoning for 229, 243 and 245 Washington St. from R-3 residential to C-C commercial core, bringing the lots into the same district as the existing GoggleWorks Center for the Arts complex.
Scott Miller, director of civil engineering at Spots, Stevens and McCoy, testified Monday on behalf of Our City Reading. He explained that the zoning change is a practical step following land development approvals and the purchase of adjoining properties.
As part of the process, he said, Our City Reading purchased three properties adjoining the GoggleWorks complex. The buildings at 243 and 245 Washington St. were subsequently demolished, he noted.
Because the parcels are being combined into a single deed, Miller said it makes sense to unify their zoning as well.
“It always makes it difficult when you have a single use split by two zoning districts,” he said. “So this way it will all be now joined in the commercial core, and we would follow all of those regulations moving forward.”
Miller described the surrounding area as a mix of uses. To the south lies the existing GoggleWorks complex, home to art studios, a theater and other cultural spaces. To the north are residential properties. The newly cleared parcels are expected to serve as open space and help meet stormwater requirements.
The GoggleWorks II building will feature a range of uses. The ground floor is occupied by Helping Harvest and Berks Community Action Program, Miller said, while upper floors may include studios and residential units.
The project has secured a special exception to allow up to 21 apartments as part of an adaptive reuse, he said, noting the zoning hearing board approved the maximum allowable.
When asked whether the apartments would be open to the community, Miller confirmed they would be.
A proposed zoning map amendment would shift Washington Street parcels to the Commercial Core, clearing path for the GoggleWorks II mixed-use arts, housing and community hub. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Jerome Skrincosky of Hawk Valley Associates, the city’s planning and zoning consultant, said the amendment was identified as necessary during review of the annexation and land development plans. Having two separate zoning districts on one lot would create complications, he said.
Planning Manager Simon Wangolo told council that the application was first received in August and reviewed by the Reading and Berks County planning commissions. The city planning commission later recommended approval.
Council Solicitor Michael Gombar noted the county planning commission issued no negative comments on the proposal and that a neighborhood meeting drew one attendee who asked questions but did not object.
Zoning Administrator-in-Training Lee Olsen, formerly the architect of record on the project, reflected on the long evolution of the site, which once housed Wilson Safety Products. He described GoggleWorks II as part of a larger vision dating back 15 to 20 years to create a vibrant arts-centered campus.
“It was always meant to be a fully occupied building complex for the neighborhood and for the region,” Olsen said.
During public comment, the Rev. Evelyn Morrison raised concerns about the site’s environmental history. Morrison said the former Wilson Safety Products property was considered a brownfield site.
A brownfield project involves the redevelopment, expansion or reuse of underutilized, vacant or abandoned commercial or industrial land. Such sites may have environmental contamination, requiring assessment and cleanup to make them safe for new uses.
Morrison asked whether any recent EPA assessments had been conducted.
Miller said the building had been monitored for contaminants, including asbestos, during the land development and construction process, but added he was unaware of any formal EPA evaluation or designation of the property as a brownfield site.
There were no further comments from the public.
Council is expected to introduce legislation at its March 9 meeting, with possible action scheduled for March 23.
If approved, the zoning change would clear a final administrative hurdle for GoggleWorks II, an expansion expected to be fully operational later this year and designed to bring together arts, education, housing and community services under one roof.