READING, Pa. – The Reading Planning Commission voted Tuesday to approve two final land development plans that will allow the Reading Parking Authority to develop parking lots.

The plans involved lots owned by the city and leased to the RPA at 213 S. 11th St. and at 210 Maple St. 

However, Tuesday night’s approval will not automatically guarantee a parking lot on the South 11th Street property because Reading City Council may have other ideas for it.

At a Committee of the Whole meeting earlier this month, council discussed a proposed ordinance to extend its lease agreement for South 11th Street with the RPA for an additional 15 years. The current lease had expired at the end of 2025. 

During the meeting, Councilmember Jaime Baez Jr. asked council to put the ordinance on hold to allow the city time to explore alternate plans for the site, such as affordable housing. 

Jerome Skrincosky, the city’s planning consultant from Hawk Valley Associates, said the lot on South 11th Street is a 29,747-square-foot parcel. The RPA’s plan is to develop it into 63 off-street parking spaces. Fifty-one spaces would be standard. Two would be handicapped and 10 would be larger spaces to accommodate large vehicles. 

Planning commission Chairman Wayne Bealer alerted the commission to the potential alternate plans by the city. 

After some discussion, the planners, along with their solicitor, agreed that the parking plan was the only one submitted to the planning commission and approving it does not guarantee that the applicant will go through with the project. 

The proposed parking lot on Maple Street consists of a 20,505-square-foot parcel where the RPA plans to create 41 off-street parking spaces. 

As with most plans, the two parking lot plans are conditional to ensure all issues referenced in the review letters from Hawk Valley Associates are resolved. 

Church parking

Also Tuesday, the commission reviewed a plan by Iglesia Cristiana Casa del Rey, 556 N. Ninth St., to annex and develop the adjacent dirt lot at 544 N. Ninth St. 

The church plans to develop the parcel into a four-space parking lot. 

The plan was tabled to allow for a minor municipal improvements agreement to replace the sidewalk in front of the lot. 

Access to the proposed lot will be through a rear alley.