Wvw's Fronzoni Commits To Michigan

4 Local Teenagers Ruled Delinquent

By TONI COLEMAN Times Leader Staff Writer
 Sunday, November 28, 1999 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





WILKES-BARRE - James McDermott says his once quiet, family oriented North
Main Street neighborhood has become a haven for troublemakers. He blames that
on home conversion. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 He and other neighbors said one house in the 300 block of North Main was
renovated into small, two-to-three-room apartments, attracting unsavory
tenants. The police have been called to the house many times. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ``I've lived here since 1947. At this point, I'd be tempted to sell,''
McDermott said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I would be totally against home conversion based on my experience,''
McDermott said. ``I wonder if the character's not destroyed here. Maybe, it's
too late.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The city hopes to prevent what's happened on North Main from occurring in
the rest of the city. Officials want to pass into law a zoning code amendment
that would prohibit homeowners from converting single-family dwellings into
apartments, businesses and other non-residential uses. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A public hearing on the proposed amendment to the zoning ordinance is
scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 in the council chambers at City Hall. The City
Council is scheduled to vote on the amendment at the Dec. 9 meeting, which
starts at 7 p.m. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 City officials say home conversion is creating overcrowding and congestion
in neighborhoods. They fear conversions will cause blight because of more
intensive use and reduced maintenance of older buildings. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If the amendment passes, those seeking an exception to the rule would need
to secure a variance from the zoning board. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 To get an exception, ``You have to prove there is extreme hardship and that
the property could not be used for any other purpose'' than what the property
owner is proposing, said Jack Varaly, city planning director. And meeting
those requirements is ``extremely difficult,'' he added. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The city hopes the amendment will stem the shift toward renter-occupied
neighborhoods. While the state norm is to have 70 percent of dwellings
occupied by owners and 30 percent occupied by renters, in South Wilkes-Barre
the percentage is 39 percent owner and 61 percent renters, which is
troublesome to city officials. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``It's not a knock (on renters). Every city needs a mix of renters and
owners,'' Varaly said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But city officials feel homeowners tend to take more pride in and care for
their property than do renters. Homeowners who occupy their dwellings are more
likely to protect their investment. And they're also are more likely to stay
in their homes longer, decreasing turnover in the neighborhood. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``(The law) is trying to preserve the integrity of single-family
residential areas,'' Varaly said. ``We're hoping it will have a stabilizing
effect on neighborhoods. The character of the neighborhood won't change.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 While some, such as McDermott and his neighbors, say the city should have
taken this action a long time ago, others say government has no right
dictating to homeowners what they can and cannot do to their properties.
``They're going too far,'' said North Main resident Rico Fonseca. ``When you
have your own home, you should be able to do what you want with it.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At least one real estate agent agrees. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I fear it's going to backfire on them,'' said Jim Straub, president of
the Wyoming Valley Real Estate Investors Association. Instead of preserving
neighborhoods, homes that are too large for the average family will not be
sold and will sit uninhabited, deteriorating in the process. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Straub, who owns several buildings in the city, understands the theory
behind the amendment, but says the city has not demonstrated that law will do
everything it promises. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Rothstein Inc. real estate agent Marge Pretzman said the ordinance was `` a
truly positive effort on the city's part to allow for enhancements to
neighborhoods.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ann Lewis, associate broker for Ruth K. Smith Century 21, also said the
ordinance is a good idea. Home conversion could increase the parking woes the
city is experiencing, she said. Her only concern is that a developer who can
develop adequate parking and meet other zoning regulations would not be given
consideration. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pretzman and Lewis disagreed with Straub's assertion there isn't a market
for larger homes. ``At the right price anything sells,'' Pretzman said.

W-b Looks To Put Stop To Turning Homes To Apartments