Gov. Wolf Building Gets Zoning Approval, Other Projects Postponed

By Christina Georgiou

The Governor Wolf Building on North Second Street is one step closer to
being renovated into more than 50 apartments after the project gained
the city zoning hearing board's approval Monday evening.

Plans to renovate the Governor Wolf Building on North Second Street into more than 50 one- and two-bedroom apartments were approved by Easton's Zoning Hearing Board Monday night, though five other scheduled hearings for various other projects were postponed until February due to the properties not being posted with the hearing date.

A tech glitch, compounded by a communication failure in the zoning office, resulted in the city not mailing hearing notices to property owners surrounding all six of the properties on Monday night's agenda, and consequently, the properties weren't posted notices of Monday evening's hearing date as well, said Zoning Administrator Cindy Cawley.

The lack of notice left the applicants facing the prospect of any approvals by the zoning hearing board might make Monday being appealed, noted board solicitor Robert Nitchkey.

Five of the proposed projects, which included an application to convert a row of garages on South Tenth Street into a delicatessen and small grocery store, will either be heard at a special zoning hearing board meeting to be held on Monday, February 3 or at the regular meeting on Monday, February 17.

Representatives for the Governor Wolf building, however, chose to go forward with their hearing, saying the agreement of sale to buy the property from Northampton County for $1.92 million is contingent on city zoning approval.

William Vogt, a principal partner of VM Management, which is purchasing the former Easton High School campus, said he'd talked with neighboring property owners and feels their concerns have been satisfied, making the chance of a substantial appeal unlikely.

The Penny Arch will be restored, VM Management partners
have promised.

Architect Lucienne Di Biase Dooley of Artefact, directing the project, echoed statements made by VM partner Mark Mulligan last week, telling zoning hearing board members the building's exterior will not be altered, and that plans include the application for historic preservation tax credits. She added that the group intends to restore the Penny Arch, currently in serious disrepair, and also the former school's bell tower.

Other features of the Governor Wolf building, including an interior spiral staircase and ornamental doors, will also be preserved, she added.

Neighboring property owner Charles Klabunde said he supports the preservation of the building, though he had some questions about the project.

"I think it's a good use," he told zoning board members. "It's not my first choice...(but) I appreaciate the consideration these people are giving this old building."

He added that he was concerned that construction vehicles might cause congestion on the street and inconvenience current residents during the renovation work.

Klabunde also suggested that the clock tower's bell be operated manually after its restoration, saying that the building's residents might not appreciate it ringing every hour through the night. He added the bell could be rung for special occasions, such as on Independence Day.

"It's really worth saving," Klabunde said. "It's the only really big bell we have left, and we ought to maintain it."

Dooley said that construction vehicles will mostly access the building from the rear through the parking lot on Larry Holmes Drive and that traffic along North Second Street won't be affected by the project.

"Historic renovation is what we specialize in," said Vogt. "We're sensitive to the neighborhood. We've done projects like this before. We're looking forward to bringing this building back."

Zoning hearing board members, along with city staff, said they support the project, and noted the variances it requires--including relief from a requirement that the first floor be used for commercial space--largely stem from the nature of the historic building's situation.

"I really think this is a good reuse of an existing building," Cawley said. "They're providing all the parking that's required, and I recommend it."

"Regarding the retail space, they're right. It's too far back," said board chairman Michael Civitella.

Vogt said the board's approval is the last step in ensuring the project will go ahead, and that he expects the agreement of sale with Northampton County to be executed and the property officially transferred to VM Management ownership soon.

It has been previously estimated the project will be complete and the apartments occupied by new residents by the end of 2015.

'We're making a big investment here," Vogt said. "We want everything to work for everyone in the city."

City Planning Commission Okays Gov. Wolf Apartment Plans

By Christina Georgiou

VM Development principal Mark Mulligan talks about the plans
for the Governor Wolf Building on North Second Street Wednesday
evening in front of Easton's Planning Commission

A plan for a mix of about 50 one- and two-bedroom apartments to occupy the Governor Wolf Building on North Second Street was unanimously approved by members of Easton's Planning Commission Wednesday evening.

While the interior of the building will undergo renovation, the exterior will look the same after the  modifications, though a small cooling tower on the south side of the structure will be removed, Mulligan said.

"Basically nothing is changing on the exterior of the building," he said. "We're going to get rid of this really ugly tower and replace it with a small park for the residents."

At the sidewalk level, the "Penny Arch", so named because it was erected with penny contributions from local school children as a tribute to former Pennsylvania Governor George Wolf's dedication to public school education, will be restored, along with the building's bell tower, Mulligan promised.

"The deed restriction will prevent us--actually anyone--from every doing anything other than restoring (the Penny Arch)," Mulligan said. "And we're going to do that."

The entire plan to renovate the building will follow national historic preservation guidelines, Mulligan said.

"We're actually going for historic tax credits on this project," he said, adding, "The (national) park service is actually pretty thrilled with this project."

The building has been granted a Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) designation, which exempts the property from taxes. After a 10-year abatement period, the redevelopment will generate an estimated $17,400 in income taxes and about $100,000 in property taxes annually.

The rehab of the 55,000 square foot space into a residential use will add an estimated 7.6 new students into the local school system.

The planning commission's go-ahead on the project Wednesday night included a variance from the city's requirement for the Downtown district that the ground floor space be used for a commercial purpose.

While the building had been used by Northampton County for offices, Mulligan said putting the first floor to a commercial use didn't fit with the project.

"It just never worked as an office building...we just didn't see commercial in it," he said, adding that to change that to comply with the standard zoning requirement would require a lot of interior demolition, and "that would ruin the building."


The former site of Easton High School will house three one-bedroom and two two-bedroom apartments on the first floor, five one-bedroom and three two-bedroom units on the second floor, 12 one-bedroom and three two-bedroom apartments on the third floor, 12 one-bedroom and one two-bedroom apartments on the fourth floor, and one one-bedroom and 11 two bedroom units on the fifth floor, VM Development principal Mark Mulligan told the board.

Mulligan said he's already received some inquiries from potential tenants interested in occupying the building. Most of the building's residents are likely to come from outside of the City of Easton, he said.

"We find they're more likely to be 'move in' rather than 'move up'," he said. "You've got people in the (Lehigh) Valley that are beginning to look at Easton as a place to live."

All of the units will be rentals, Mulligan said.

"But we're going to condo everything when the condo market recovers. Ownership is the gateway to a stable community," he told planning board members.

Mulligan estimated the project will be complete and ready for tenants sometime in 2015.

Mulligan and VM Development have invested in a number of significant properties in Easton in the last few years, including the the former Pomeroy department store building, which has since been renovated and houses more than 40 apartments, two restaurants and medical office space, the National Building on the corner of South Fourth and Northampton streets, the Alpha Building which is planned to be redeveloped into a mix of residential and commercial space when the new city hall is completed, and the former Simon Silk Mill complex on North 13th Street.