West End Zoning

How Zoning Enhances Our Neighborhood

The Traditional Neighborhood Development Overlay (TNDO) District was an addition to the 2010 Zoning Ordinance.

Zoning regulations.

We hear about them often – but how many of us understand their real purpose, and how they’re developed?

For answers, we turned to Allentown Zoning Officer Melissa Velez.

“Without zoning, you could have just about anything anywhere – houses built right next to big commercial businesses, and practically any type of business, too,” she said, “including some you might not want to be near.”

One of zoning’s key functions is to maintain a certain level of consistency of use. “It can help certain area,” she said.

And while every community will have a base of zoning regulations, “overlays” can add extra regulations to particular areas. And the West End Theatre District, thanks to its eclectic nature, has several overlays.

“Most of it is considered a ‘traditional neighborhood,’ but part of it is ‘mixed use’ as well,” she said. “Zoning helps keep the ‘charm’ of the neighborhood by issuing regulations for building setbacks – newly constructed buildings must have setbacks that are within five feet of the average on that block. And no new parking spaces can be placed between the lot’s front line and the main building.” She added that existing parking spaces, such as those in front of the Udder Bar and Sleepy Cat Urban Winery, are exempt from that rule.

Zoning regulations can even affect the appearance of buildings themselves. “We have a design guide for new construction and exterior alterations,” Velez said. Building materials should reflect the “look” of the neighborhood, and rooflines should be comparable to others nearby. Flat roofs, though discouraged, can pass if a decorative cornice is added.

Within residential districts, there are even special requirements for cornerbased commercial operations. “Ordinarily, businesses are not permitted in those spots, but they can be cleared by the zoning board if they’ll fit in with the rest of the neighborhood and not be detrimental to it,” Velez said, adding that corner stores, salons and other personal service businesses are often acceptable.

Those regs even help keep our neighborhood safely walkable. “Multi-family dwellings are required to minimize hazards to pedestrians, so there must be barriers around the parking lot, such as wheel strips or grassy strips to separate the lot from the sidewalk,” Velez said.

She added that zoning ordinances aren’t developed in a vacuum. The zoning office develops a plan and maps, which are then reviewed by local planning commissions, which then hold public meetings to get resident input. When the plan has been finalized, it’s presented to city council, which then holds additional public hearings before voting to accept or reject it.

Zoning is certainly a complex topic. If you have questions, or just want more information, Velez suggests calling the Allentown zoning office at (610) 437-7630.

The following Zoning Districts are within the West End Theatre District:

B-5 Urban Commercial District

B-3 Highway Business District

B-1/R Limited Business/Residential District

B/LI Business/Light Industrial District

I-G Institutional and Government District

R-MH Medium High Density Residential District

R-M Medium Density Residential District

maintain a neighborhood vibe, because it can limit the types of businesses that are allowed in a