Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

WILKES-BARRE — For lack of quorum, the city’s zoning hearing board Wednesday put off until next month hearing the request of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District for variances to construct an addition at Kistler Elementary school.

The district wants to add seventh and eighth grades to the school as part of the plan to consolidate two city high schools.

Four of the five members of the board attended the regularly scheduled meeting, but two of them recused themselves due to connections to the district. Chairman John Bergold has two children who work in the district and vice chair Hayden White is a district employee. Their exits left Carl Naessig and Vaugh Koter one short of a majority of members necessary to do business. Board member Edward DeMichele did not attend the meeting.

More than two hours after the start of the board’s regularly scheduled meeting solicitor Charles McCormick apologized for interrupting the district’s presentation that was the last of seven items on the agenda. He said he discussed the recusals earlier with the board.

“I think that’s an open issue about whether the board can conduct (business) if they open with a quorum. Whether they need a quorum for the purpose of the actual vote I’m not able to opine,” McCormick said.

His counterpart for the district Raymond Wendolowski did not want to proceed, saying “I think under the law we can’t get anything done today because there’s not a majority.”

The board favored Bergold’s motion to table the hearing until the next meeting on Aug. 17. McCormick said Bergold could vote on that issue because it did not pertain to the substance of the district’s case on the variance.

Prior to the district’s case, the board voted down the request by two companies to convert the former Harrold’s Pharmacy on Old River Road into a convenience store that would sell take out beer. Harrold’s relocated to the former Old River Road Bakery leaving its old store vacant. Shree Santram LLC and Riddhi Siddhi LLC saw the empty building as the ideal spot for the convenience store with a section reserved to sell beer.

But residents spoke out against the store and said they were concerned it was close to a day care center, Kistler and Meyers high school.

Joe Jacobs told the board there is a Luzerne County Transportation Authority bus stop in front of the store and buses picking up and dropping kids attending parochial and charter schools also stopped there. He worried the children would see someone walking out of the store drinking one of the single cans of beer available for purchase inside.

“We don’t think it’s a good idea to have it in our neighborhood,” Jacobs said.

But attorney John Rogers, representing the owners, said the Riverside Cafe across the street has the same type license as the store.

He said he would appeal the board’s decision denying the request for a special exception necessary to open the store.

The Wilkes-Barre Zoning Hearing Board put off until next month hearing the request for variances from the Wilkes-Barre Area School District to construct an addition at Kistler Elementary school on Old River Road to add seventh and eighth grades as part of the plan to consolidate two city high schools.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_WBASD-Kistler-View-1.jpg.optimal.jpgThe Wilkes-Barre Zoning Hearing Board put off until next month hearing the request for variances from the Wilkes-Barre Area School District to construct an addition at Kistler Elementary school on Old River Road to add seventh and eighth grades as part of the plan to consolidate two city high schools.

By Jerry Lynott

[email protected]

Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott