West Park Civic Ass'n v. Zoning Hearing Board

59 Pa. D. & C.4th 44, 2002 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 98
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County
DecidedJune 27, 2002
Docketnos. 2001-C-2399 and 2001-C-2406
StatusPublished

This text of 59 Pa. D. & C.4th 44 (West Park Civic Ass'n v. Zoning Hearing Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
West Park Civic Ass'n v. Zoning Hearing Board, 59 Pa. D. & C.4th 44, 2002 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 98 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2002).

Opinion

FORD, J.,

These consolidated zoning appeals raise interesting issues about the continued use of an architectural treasure in the City of Allentown, Grace United Evangelical Church, a neo-Gothic edifice located at 15th and Turner Streets.

Bayham Antiques Ltd. tendered a proposed written agreement of sale to Grace United Evangelical Church, the present owner of the building and lot, to buy the property for $300,000. The proposed agreement was accompanied by a down payment of $30,000. Bayham wants to use the church as a fine art antique business. The property is located in a medium high density residential district. A church is a permitted use in this district but an antique business is not. Accordingly, Grace Church and Bayham filed a zoning application for a variance. It was denied by the zoning officer. Grace Church and Bayham appealed to the zoning hearing board of the City of Allentown which granted the variance.

One of the objectors at the hearings before the board was one of the appellants herein, West Park Civic Association, which describes itself as a non-profit community group with a mailing address only a few doors from the church. West Park presents various reasons as to why the variance should have been denied, and we will address each of those below. Bayham also appealed the decision of the board on the basis that conditions placed upon the grant of the variance were unreasonable.

We begin by discussing our limited scope of review. In an appeal from a zoning board decision where, as here, no additional testimony or evidence is taken, our review [47]*47is limited to determining if an error of law or an abuse of discretion occurred. East Torresdale Civic Association v. Zoning Board of Adjustment, 536 Pa. 322, 325, 639 A.2d 446, 448 (1994). An abuse of discretion can only be found if a board’s findings are not supported by substantial evidence. Valley View Civic Association v. Zoning Board of Adjustment, 501 Pa. 550, 555, 462 A.2d 637, 640 (1983). Substantial evidence is “such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support its conclusion.” Id.

After our review of the record and the excellent briefs and arguments of the attorneys, we conclude that the board acted in accord with its authority in case 2001-C-2399 so we deny West Park’s appeal. We grant the appeal in case 2001-C-2406 by remanding to the board for clarification of a point and by our correcting an ambiguity in a provision of the board’s order on a separate issue.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The zoning hearing board conducted hearings on Grace Church’s and Bay ham’s request for a variance on June 4, and June 25, 2001. The transcripts of those hearings are part of the record. The board met again on July 23, 2001, to decide the request for zoning relief. By a two to one vote, it granted the variance with conditions attached. Its written decision is dated August 8,2001, and includes findings of fact. Under the board decision, Bayham may convert the church into a wholesale antiques dealer shop.

On September 7, 2001, West Park appealed the grant of the variance to us (2001-C-2399). Grace Church and Bayham intervened in this appeal.

[48]*48The board attached six conditions to the grant of the variance. Only the fifth and sixth conditions were challenged by Bayham in the appeal to us that it filed on September 7,2001. The City of Allentown intervened in this appeal. Condition five reads: “The cultural events will be by invitation only and shall not exceed four per year.” Condition six reads: “The number of individuals who will come by appointment to the premises shall not exceed three to five per week.”

We consolidated the two cases by our order of February 12, 2002.

On February 12, final argument on the consolidated appeals was conducted. We have reviewed the substantial record developed before the board. As stated previously, the record developed before the board was not supplemented with evidence taken before our court. We now explain the reasons for our ruling. The facts stated in the discussion which follows are gleaned from the board’s findings of fact and transcribed notes of testimony.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

Construction on the church began in 1905 and was finished in 1922. The church has the capacity to hold up to 400 people. No off-street parking is or ever has been available for the use of the church.

The area surrounding the church is primarily residential. There are a number of commercial uses in the immediate vicinity of the church including a pizza shop, a steak shop, a laundromat and funeral homes.

[49]*49Church membership has dwindled over the years. In the 1960s, membership was almost 500 people. In the 1980s, the membership was between 150 and 160 people.

Even in the 1980s, with the lower membership, the church was used almost daily. There were Sunday school, church services, choir practice and youth activities. Many of the people who attended the activities used vehicles. Use of the church on Sundays was particularly intensive and involved as many as 40 to 50 vehicles. During the holiday season, church use was also intense and produced congestion on the streets near the church.

In 1994, Grace Church took formal action to sell the building to move to a new location. The property was initially listed for $650,000. One indicator of the value of the property was the securing of insurance for the church in 1999 with a replacement cost determined to be $3,431,790.

The findings of fact chronicle the aggressive and meaningful efforts made in succeeding years to sell this property. Thus, in 2000, the asking price was reduced to $350,000.

In approximately 1999, Grace Church vacated the property and began leasing it to other congregations. At one time, there were four congregations which simultaneously occupied the site. One of the tenants is known as the Church of God.

The property has an outstanding mortgage balance of approximately $238,000. The mortgage was created so that the property could be used as collateral for other property bought by Grace Church in Whitehall Township for its new church. In addition to servicing this [50]*50mortgage, Grace Church pays all costs of maintaining the building including heating, electric, insurance, gas and water. These costs total approximately $1,000 per month. These costs are not the responsibility of the tenants.

The Church of God expressed interest in purchasing the property. Although the asking price at the time of inquiry from the Church of God was $350,000, Grace Church indicated that it would consider a $300,000 offer if it included a deposit. A formal offer and deposit were never submitted by Church of God.

A formal offer was submitted for the purchase of the property by Bayham. The offer was for $300,000 and was accompanied by a cash deposit.

Finding of fact 30 summarizes this marketing experience for Grace Church.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

East Torresdale Civic Ass'n v. Zoning Board of Adjustment
639 A.2d 446 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1994)
Boundary Drive Associates v. Shrewsbury Township Board of Supervisors
491 A.2d 86 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1985)
Valley View Civic Ass'n v. Zoning Board of Adjustment
462 A.2d 637 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1983)
Shohola Falls Trails End Property Owners Ass'n v. Zoning Hearing Board
679 A.2d 1335 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1996)
A & D, Inc. v. Zoning Hearing Board
379 A.2d 654 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1977)
Appeal of Walter C. Czop, Inc.
403 A.2d 1006 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1979)
Boundary Drive Associates v. Shrewsbury Township Board of Supervisors
473 A.2d 706 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1984)
In re Appeal of deBotton
474 A.2d 706 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1984)
East Torresdale Civic Ass'n v. Zoning Board of Adjustment
481 A.2d 976 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1984)
Hersh v. Zoning Hearing Board
493 A.2d 807 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1985)
Somerton Civic Ass'n v. Zoning Board of Adjustment
503 A.2d 500 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1986)
In re Booz
533 A.2d 1096 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1987)
Holmes v. Board of Zoning Appeals
568 A.2d 301 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1990)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
59 Pa. D. & C.4th 44, 2002 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 98, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/west-park-civic-assn-v-zoning-hearing-board-pactcompllehigh-2002.