Zoning board approves previous decision and gives conditional OK to housing authority project
March 13, 2026 | Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania
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The Reading Zoning Hearing Board voted July 9 to adopt the written decision on appeal 2550016 (325 South 12th Street) and to grant conditional approval for the Reading Housing Authority’s adaptive‑reuse proposal for a neighborhood resource center, subject to requested follow‑up materials.
Chair Phil Rabbina asked for a motion on the consent decision for appeal 2550016; Solicitor Steve Price called for approval “subject to the conditions set forth in the written decision,” a motion was seconded and the board approved the relief unanimously. The board recorded that the written decision will be issued and mailed to the parties.
Later in the meeting, the board heard the Reading Housing Authority’s application to convert an existing neighborhood resource center into a small grocery, food pantry, classrooms and offices to serve the Oakbrook/Sylvania campus. Counsel for the authority, Edwin Stock, said the project added 39 parking spaces to bring the site total to 52 and included a 438‑square‑foot grocery and a 376‑square‑foot food pantry that the authority intends to limit to tenants. Delania Herrera, the proposed grocery operator, said the lease expressly prohibits sale of alcohol, tobacco, lottery tickets and skill games.
Board members said they were willing to consider a vote that evening because the applicant was ready to open the grocery, but they conditioned the approval on submission of outstanding plan details requested by zoning staff — notably room square footage and the numbers of staff and students expected for classroom programs — and on coordination of parking/driveway permitting with Public Works. The board asked the applicant to provide the outstanding materials to Zoning Officer Emily Diaz Melendez and agreed to finalize and mail the written decision to the applicant.
The board did not reach final decisions at the meeting on other appeals heard that night; for those matters the board said written decisions would be issued next month.
Chair Phil Rabbina asked for a motion on the consent decision for appeal 2550016; Solicitor Steve Price called for approval “subject to the conditions set forth in the written decision,” a motion was seconded and the board approved the relief unanimously. The board recorded that the written decision will be issued and mailed to the parties.
Later in the meeting, the board heard the Reading Housing Authority’s application to convert an existing neighborhood resource center into a small grocery, food pantry, classrooms and offices to serve the Oakbrook/Sylvania campus. Counsel for the authority, Edwin Stock, said the project added 39 parking spaces to bring the site total to 52 and included a 438‑square‑foot grocery and a 376‑square‑foot food pantry that the authority intends to limit to tenants. Delania Herrera, the proposed grocery operator, said the lease expressly prohibits sale of alcohol, tobacco, lottery tickets and skill games.
Board members said they were willing to consider a vote that evening because the applicant was ready to open the grocery, but they conditioned the approval on submission of outstanding plan details requested by zoning staff — notably room square footage and the numbers of staff and students expected for classroom programs — and on coordination of parking/driveway permitting with Public Works. The board asked the applicant to provide the outstanding materials to Zoning Officer Emily Diaz Melendez and agreed to finalize and mail the written decision to the applicant.
The board did not reach final decisions at the meeting on other appeals heard that night; for those matters the board said written decisions would be issued next month.
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