Bed & Breakfast Conversion to Offices Denied

An appeal to establish offices in the , a downtown bed and breakfast, was turned down at the Bethlehem Zoning Hearing Board meeting Wednesday after more than two hours of testimony from Central Historic District residents, both for and against the plan.

A 2-2 tie vote, with board member Michael Santanasto recusing himself, resulted in the denial.

John Brew, founder of 262 Paradice Found LLC, who seeks to purchase the 476 N. New St. property, sought variances to relocate his community banking consulting firm from 968 Postal Road in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, and from the city’s off-street parking requirements.

The 1845 three-story inn, which, since 1939, has housed students and dental and optometric offices, has three parking spaces; five would be required for Brew’s 10 employees. Brew said he would operate the office Monday to Friday, maintain the existing interior and exterior, not have outside visitors, and obtain employee parking in the city’s Walnut Street Garage. Brew said he can walk to the site from his home at 262 E. Market St.

Robert Virgilio, who with his wife Suzanne, has owned, lived in and operated the city’s oldest bed and breakfast at the southeast corner of New and Market streets for 25 years.

He said the property was originally offered for sale at $625,000 in 2006 and was since reduced. He pointed out that he has been unsuccessful in selling it as a bed and breakfast or as a single family home. Virgilio said he wants to downsize and move to a property he owns at 522 Long St.

Residents opposed to the variance cited parking and vehicle congestion, including bus and parent traffic at the nearby Moravian Academy, preservation of the integrity of the city’s historic district as single family dwellings, and a need to demonstrate hardship to meet variance requirements.

Beall Fowler, 443 Center St., said commercial offices are not allowed in a residential district and use variance requires a high standard of need. It is “bad for the neighborhood as a whole,” he said, noting that a transformation of the historic district could result in “resembling Delaware Avenue,” a residential area of historic homes, many now occupied by commercial enterprises.   

“This is a very healthy neighborhood and we plan to keep it that way,” Fowler stated, opposing the transformation.

Also among those urging Virgilio to “maintain the property as a single family residence,” were Historic Preservation Association supporters Tim and Christine Stevens, 54  E. Market St., and Bob Romeril, 26 W. Market St., who said that a granting a variance would “take a piece of property off the residential  rolls.”

“Every time we change from residential to commercial, you lose a neighbor,” he emphasized, pointing out that the change between ”residential and commercial is incremental.”

Those supporting the variance included Joseph Shaffer, 23 E. Market St., who said, ”Mr. Brew’s use is ideal; a win-win situation,”  and John Sinks, 456 N. New St., who offered his support, noting “We’d prefer it be a family-owned residence, but that’s not going to happen.”  

Voting for the appeal were Linda Shay Gardner and James Schantz. Voting against were Gus Loupos and William Fitzpatrick. Santanasto removed himself from the vote to avoid conflict of interest, though he offered no explanation of the conflict.