EASTON, Pa. — A downtown property is one step closer to hosting a mixed-use residential and retail space.
The Easton Zoning Hearing Board on Monday night approved a variance for a building footprint intended for a mixed-use apartment and retail space in the 500 block of Northampton Street Monday.
- The Easton zoning hearing board granted a variance which will allow for a five-story building to be built on an empty lot on Northampton Street
- The proposed mixed-use building will feature 27 apartments, retail space, and on-site parking
- The proposed building will encompass 7,199 square feet across two parcels
The request for approval came from developer and local resident Eric Riedinger. The approval will allow for the construction of a five-floor building consisting of retail and parking space on the first floor, along with 27 one- and two-bedroom apartments on the others.
The parking area will include space for 12 vehicles and 10 bikes.
Retail space will be relegated to the side and front of the building on the first floor, while parking will sit at the side and rear.
“So we’re proposing to redevelop the lot,” Riedinger said. “The lot spans between 513 and 519 Northampton Street; it’s actually two parcels. It’s an underutilized property in the city, a vacant lot. It had structures on it many years ago, they’ve been torn down.”
“Our building footprint does exceed the 15% allowable overage of adjacent buildings, however, it’s not uncharacteristic of the neighborhood to have a building of this size and scale in it.”Eric Riedinger, developer and local resident
Due to the proposed size of the building, which is more than 15% greater than principal structures on adjoining properties, Riedinger was required to obtain the variance.
“Our building footprint does exceed the 15% allowable overage of adjacent buildings, however, it’s not uncharacteristic of the neighborhood to have a building of this size and scale in it,” Riedinger said.
Without the additional area, Riedinger said the property would not be able to provide the parking necessary for the building.
The two empty parcels that make up the lot, 513-515 and 517-519 Northampton St., will spread over 7,199 square feet, Riedinger said.
Due to the requirement of first-floor retail space and parking for residents, Riedinger said the variance was a necessity.
“If we eliminated the parking, it would create another hardship – we would need to find parking somewhere else offsite to utilize this lot, which we feel is its highest and best use,” Riedinger said.
When questioned by board member Michele Vulcano-Hall as to why he opted for the layout and property size proposed, Riedinger again noted he was “trying to achieve the highest and best use of this property while keeping in character with the neighborhood.”
“By creating a five-story building, we were able to max out the parking, so we did meet all the parking requirements while providing the most beneficial use of the property,” Riedinger said.
Earlier this month, Riedinger received approval for a subdivision and land development request for the building.
Rentals, parking at a premium
The launch of the project comes at a time when rentals and parking are both at a premium in Easton, with Riedinger pointing out the “huge demand for housing.”
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s Data LV Housing site notes the Valley’s rental market has grown consistently since the mid-2000’s, with an average of 460 new rental units added annually.
In 2020, 866 apartment units were approved for development, nearly doubling the long-term average, and “indicating that the private sector is pushing meet the rising demand for rental units.”
On average, apartments cost around $1,428 in Easton, according to real-estate listing service Point2 Homes, with about 51% of those units retailing between $1,000 and $1,500.
Most of the market is comprised of one, two, or three-bedroom apartments, according to the planning commission and Point2 Homes.
