$43 Million For Renovations To Va Center Passes House

Agencies, Streets To Feel City Cuts 
Disaster Recovery Continues Its Impact On Wilkes-barre As Mayor Mcgroarty 
Adjusts Budget Priorities

By P. DOUGLAS FILAROSKI; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Thursday, June 27, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





WILKES-BARRE -- The Stegmaier Brewery project cleared a hurdle Wednesday as
a city board agreed to reduce the number of parking spaces required for the
new federal offices. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With demolition work at the site underway, the city's Zoning Hearing Board
granted developers a series of variances waiving parking, setback and
screening requirements. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The project needs only final approval from the Planning Commission, which
meets July 10, to fulfill its city permitting requirements. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The board agreed to reduce the number of parking spaces for the
150,000-square-foot office project from 730 to 400. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The board said that although zoning requires one parking space for every
200 square feet of office space, this office use should generate a need for
only 450 spaces. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Fifty other parking spaces can be found at nearby lots, the board said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Nearby property owners and three federal workers turned out at City Hall to
oppose the developer's requests. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ron Dickinson, who identified himself as a federal employee destined for
the new building, said his current building on Pennsylvania Avenue was
supposed to have enough parking. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "But many of us have to park in private lots," Dickinson said. "There's
obviously a need for more employee parking." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Last week, about a dozen residents showed up at the board's meeting to
oppose the request for fewer spaces. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Zoning Hearing Board Approves Stegmaier Parking