The Reading Zoning Hearing Board has approved plans for new stonework, wrought-iron fencing and other improvements to a historic mansion at 200 N. Fourth St.
The board voted Wednesday to grant zoning relief requested by property owner Gary Wegman for the project, one of five cases on which the board rendered decisions.
The North Fourth Street property, known as the Aldine mansion, was the subject of a hearing in August, when Wegman presented plans for improvements to the historic site.
Reading zoning board hears plans for historic Aldine mansion
The board also approved four other applications:
• Latin Fusion Baseball received approval for administrative offices and a small indoor baseball training facility at 1639 Mulberry St.
• Miguel Del Rio Jr. received approval to establish a commercial garage and a notary and tag agency at 624 N. Third St.
• Eric A. White received approval to continue using a building at 400 S. 10th St. as a two-unit dwelling.
• Sweet Street Desserts Inc. received approval to install eight directional signs on the company’s 15.8-acre property at 722 Hiesters Lane.
The approvals allow all five projects to move forward subject to conditions contained in the board’s written decisions.
The board heard a request from the Reading Housing Authority to replace two signs at River Oak Apartments.
The Housing Authority is seeking zoning relief to replace signs at River Oak Drive and Schuylkill Avenue and at Fisher Lane and North Front Street.
Randy Dowtrick of Dowtrick Engineering said the existing signs, which are mounted between wooden posts, would be replaced with signs on masonry block foundations.
The new signs would have exterior lighting operating from dusk to dawn. Dowtrick said the lights would be shielded to prevent them from casting light beyond the property.
City Planner Emily Diaz Melendez asked the authority to provide specifications for the proposed lighting.
“If we could just get like a spec sheet of the type of lighting so that we know what kind of lights are going to be on it,” she said.
Melendez said the number of signs is the only aspect of the proposal requiring zoning relief.
“The relief being sought is the number of signs,” she said. “Everything else actually complies with the zoning ordinance.”
Dowtrick said he was not aware of any complaints from residents about the proposal, and no one attending the hearing spoke in opposition.
A decision is expected in October.
The board granted a one-month continuance to Segundo Zhingre, who is seeking zoning relief to convert a single-family dwelling at 612 Willow St. into a two-family home.
Zhingre did not appear for Wednesday’s hearing, and city officials said repeated attempts to contact him by telephone and email had been unsuccessful. Solicitor Stephen Price recommended giving the applicant another month. The board agreed to delay the case until October. Price said the application could be denied if Zhingre again fails to appear.
Melendez said she will send the applicant a letter notifying him of the October hearing.