POTTSTOWN — Council will decide Monday whether to support, oppose or remain neutral in zoning matters related to the redevelopment of the downtown Lastick Furniture buildings at the corner of High and Charlotte streets.
The longtime business, winner of 15 consecutive Reader’s Choice awards in The Mercury, closed in 2022 after nearly 50 years in the downtown when owners Jerry and Marsha Lastick-Petnick retired. The business began in 1973.
Now a plan has been proposed to convert the two buildings on either side of North Charlotte Street into a mixed use development called High Street Commons with retail on the ground floor and 21 “market-rate apartments” on the floors above.
At 22,452 square feet, the larger building is 269 E. High St., which is three stories tall and has a 5,600-square-foot footprint. The building dates to the early 1800s and was once a spinning wheel factory.
This building is envisioned as housing 10 of the 21 apartments, some including multiple floors.
The smaller building on the east side of North Charlotte Street, 305 E. High St., is a 9,810-square-foot brick structure with a partial second-story and was once a J.C. Penney store. In addition to the 1,900 square feet of commercial space, there would be four apartment units on the first floor and the partial second floor would be expanded and be home to seven more apartments, according to the proposal submitted to the borough.
There are two zoning matters at issue, both connected to 305 E. High St. The more technical of the two asks for a variance because the zoning code requires that the retail uses on the first floor occupy 50% of the square footage and, as planned, the retail use at 305 E. High St. would only take up 42%.
The other zoning matter involves, of course, parking, triggered by the fact that the plans call for additional construction on the second floor to accommodate the seven additional apartments then require 22 dedicated parking spaces for 305 E. High St.
Neither building has any dedicated parking, but the proposal calls for constructing a 15-spot parking garage in the basement of 305 E. High St., accessed through the garage doors on North Charlotte Street. The developers are asking either for an interpretation that recognizes that they are creating 15 parking spaces where none existed before and the mixed-use development generates less parking than the previous retail use; or, if the borough refuses that request, a variance to allow fewer dedicated parking spaces than the zoning code requires.
“We think this is a good revitalization project for the downtown area by having market rate apartments to bring more people downtown to spend money in the businesses as they develop more in this area,” Mike Murray, attorney for the property owners, Lastick-Petnick Real Estate Partnership, told council Tuesday night.
The ultimate decision regarding the zoning requests will be made by the zoning hearing board. At Monday night’s meeting, council has the option of three actions: supporting the request, opposing it, or remaining neutral.
“I’m very enthusiastic about this project,” said Councilman Ryan Procsal, who represents the first ward where the buildings are located.
Source: Berkshire mont