ALLENTOWN, Pa. — An Allentown childcare center will be able to expand after getting a special exception at the zoning hearing board Monday night.
But it turns out the owners didn't need the exception in the first place.
Vladimir Moreno Sanchez appeared before Allentown Zoning Hearing Board on Monday with his wife and brother Wilfre, who served as an interpreter, to request a special exception for an insufficient dropoff/loading area for the child care center at 420 S Jane St.
The center wants to expand from a “family childcare” designation accommodating four to six children, to a group childcare facility that can take in between seven to 12 children.
The property is in the Rittersville area on the city's east side.
"It turns out the family already had enough space as to not require a special exception."Allentown Zoning Hearing Board
But it turns out the family already had enough space as to not require a special exception.
According to Moreno Sanchez, as per his brother, the home was purchased in June 2024 and operated as a family childcare center for eight to 10 months.
While some parents drop off and pick up their children from the facility, Moreno Sanchez said the childcare center also offers transportation for those in need.
Point is moot
City Zoning Supervisor Mike Handzo said a zoning officer who evaluated the file for the special exception indicated the driveway at the home was 22 feet, but Moreno Sanchez said it is 30 feet.
That sparked questions concerning the availability for parking in the residential district in addition to allowing adequate space for pickups and drop-offs.
But officials had assumed the child care center had two employees in addition to Moreno Sanchez.
“To make a correction on there, the two employees will be my brother, which he lives in the house, and then another extra employee that lives outside of the house,” Moreno Sanchez said to the board.
Handzo confirmed there would only need to be one spot reserved for an employee before declaring it a nonissue.
"Any dimensional issues have become moot with that information."Allentown Zoning Supervisor Mike Handzo
“The office would have went off the narrative that was provided," Handzo said. "So in that case, with the information that's been provided through testimony, it's the zoning officer’s determination that there's no insufficiency with respect to the to the loading and unloading space.
"And that any dimensional issues have become moot with that information."
Handzo said that even if the lower figure, 22 feet, was used for determination, “and only 8 1/2 feet of that need to be taken up for required parking, then that still leaves more than more than 8 1/2 feet available for drop off and unloading.”
Handzo advised Moreno Sanchez to reach out to the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs to ensure he had the appropriate licenses to expand the childcare center.
Wilfre Moreno Sanchez said the family already was in communication with an agency regarding license updates.
