Tomorrow the LCB will hold a public hearing on the Noise Exemption Zone, in essence spot zoning, to accommodate the Maingate Nightclub. Because Allentown enacted this ordinance, the LCB is legally compelled to consider the ill advised measure.
I attended the council meeting last February, and it was city government at its worst. Club owner Dominic Germano had the meeting packed with supporters, designed to intimidate anybody there to speak in opposition. The City of Allentown, although proposing to alter the character of the neighborhood, failed to notify the neighbors. One neighbor in attendance only learned about the council meeting that day from this blog. Such notification is usually standard in all zoning matters, and this is zoning. The sacrifice of the neighbors' quality of life, for one businesses' profit, was supported by the mayor and city council. Some council members seemed especially committed to Germano's business interests. The meeting even accused and demonized the residents of senior high rises and the hospital for complaining about the noise.
Police Chief Glenn Granitz made it clear that although he would enact whatever council decided that night, that the police department was already spread thin, and certainly didn't need any additional responsibility.
The Maingate was never told by the LCB that it couldn't operate, but that it has to conform to the normal noise limits governing all other establishments. We don't need a city hall to make exceptions, but for a city to enforce the rules in a equal manner
LCB Noise Exemption Zone Hearing
Thursday July 23, 11:00 AM at Maingate Nite Club
Last year, a group considered running car races once a week at the fairgrounds. They dropped it under the advise of people familiar with Allentown, they were told to expect to be extorted repeatedly to get it approved.
ReplyDeleteI was honestly shocked to learn that the hearing is being held at the Main Gate.
ReplyDeleteIf you think Council chambers was packed with Germano's supporters to intimidate and silence any opposition, what is he going to have waiting on his home turf?
It would seem that the LCB hearing is just a sham, and the fix is already in.
anon@9:30, I believe that such activity(race track use) would be at the discretion of the the fair association, not the city. Also I want to clarify that I believe that cronyism played a part in the noise exemption, but NOT payoff of any kind.
ReplyDeleteUnknown@9:36, I agree that the Maingate is not the best place for the hearing, and that it will be top heavy with supporters. Furthermore, certain venues, like the 19th St. Theater, were "lobbied" not to oppose. However, I would not proclaim the hearing a sham or that it is "fixed".
Mike; If you feel that the City improperly advertised their meeting to review and adopt that ordinance, you or those negatively affected should take the appropriate legal action to have the ordinance overturned. My guess is that the meeting was properly advertised. This was not a Zoning Hearing Board meeting with notification requirements, besides, many of the neighboring property owners who you refer to may well not even live close enough to be included in a neighbor notice even if this was a zoning appeal in front of the ZHB. If you are suggesting that City staff should have knocked on doors and/or sent letters to residents living upwards of 1/5 of a mile away about the hearing, that very well might have provided grounds for an aggrieved party to appeal the decision since that type of notification is not required and the city doesn't normally undertake such an effort. Just my two cents worth, not "carrying water" for anyone at all.
ReplyDeletetrent, i believe that as a zoning officer in another municipality, you are indeed "carrying water". the person from the last meeting, who only learned about the hearing from this blog, is on another city commission, and is an aware resident. legal notices in the Morning Call have a circulation of about twelve; they may meet the legal requirement, but do not inform any neighborhood.
ReplyDelete