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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A decision to continue to allow parking on the former Hotel Sterling property until the site is developed was delayed for at least a month to figure out the precise wording of an application for a zoning variance.</p><p>George Albert, the consulting engineer for H&amp;N Investments LLC, the owner of the site, agreed to modify the application presented Wednesday to the Wilkes-Barre Zoning Hearing Board.</p><p>Board solicitor Charles McCormick suggested the change to avoid litigation that could delay the proposed $35 million project to construct condominiums, retail and office space, and a hotel on the property at North River and West Market streets.</p><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think anybody wants to tie this parcel up &#8230; in legal battles,&#8221; McCormick said.</p><p>A battle is brewing with the Wilkes-Barre Parking Authority against the competing Sterling lot and a decision at the board&#8217;s next meeting Sept. 19 could resolve the dispute.</p><p>Tom Torbik, executive director of the parking authority, said he sent a certified letter to Wilkes-Barre city council Tuesday asking it to refer his concerns about the lot to the zoning board.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re still pursuing the idea that there&#8217;s no license, no city (parking) tax being paid and it&#8217;s a non-conforming use,&#8221; Torbik said.</p><p>City Administrator Ted Wampole said he disagreed with the authority&#8217;s approach. He echoed Albert&#8217;s argument that parking on the lot will be temporary until the project gets underway.</p><p>&#8220;This is not the future of this property,&#8221; Albert told the zoning board.</p><p>H&amp;N is asking for approval for temporary parking, Albert said. &#8220;We anticipate this parking lasting no longer than 18 months while we work to develop the site,&#8221; he said.</p><p>By then, Albert noted, the major tenant of the lot, Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance, will have transitioned to its new headquarters on Public Square and worked out a parking agreement at the city-owned James F. Conahan Intermodal Transportation Facility&#8217;s garage.</p><p>But McCormick pointed out the application has to be reworded to comply with zoning rules.</p><p>The paperwork submitted by H&amp;N sought a variance for an &#8220;unimproved on-grade limited parking area.&#8221; But the zoning ordinance defines limited parking area as &#8220;a parking area used exclusively for the parking of vehicles by residents of the neighborhood in which it is located&#8221; and not commuters like those that park in the Sterling lot.</p><p>Taking the language of the application and Albert&#8217;s testimony into consideration, McCormick said, &#8220;You&#8217;re not going to fit that definition of our statute.&#8221;</p><p>McCormick acknowledged he was uncertain what the precise definition was for the use sought by H&amp;N.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;ll figure it out,&#8221; Albert said. He agreed to work with William Harris, the city&#8217;s director of planning and zoning, to determine the proper language.</p><p>In other business, the board:</p><p>&#8226; Approved a special exception to permit the Quick Food Mart at 544 N. Main St. to sell beer.</p><p>&#8226; Approved a special exception to permit Louis Weibrecht to operate a gas station, deli and used car sales lot at 680 Hazle St.</p><p>&#8226; Denied an application by Ana Perdomo to open a unisex barbershop at 3 Regent St.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The Wilkes-Barre Zoning Hearing Board continued a hearing until next month on a request by the owner of the former Hotel Sterling property to temporarily use the site for parking until a proposed $35 million mixed-use project gets underway. The Wilkes-Barre Parking Authority has concerns about using the empty lot for parking. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/web1_parkinglot-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>The Wilkes-Barre Zoning Hearing Board continued a hearing until next month on a request by the owner of the former Hotel Sterling property to temporarily use the site for parking until a proposed $35 million mixed-use project gets underway. The Wilkes-Barre Parking Authority has concerns about using the empty lot for parking. </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Decision delayed on Sterling lot parking; concerns aired by parking authority