The Nazareth Zoning Hearing Board on May 10 gave the green light for a man to operate a boarding house in the borough.
The approval of a new boarding home in Nazareth isn't helping with already growing parking frustrations, neighbors say.
The zoning hearing board last month granted Mehmedali Kondouz a variance to operate a single-family home at 133 S. Broad St. as a boarding house. Kondouz bought the abandoned home, next to Rios Brazilian Steak House, in 2012.
Kondouz in January 2013 initially was granted a zoning permit to operate the structure as a bed and breakfast. He worked on gutting and renovating the structure; installed new windows and a sprinkler system; and brought the building up to code, said Dennis Huth, borough zoning officer.
"Before, it was pretty run down," Huth said.
But following complaints and inquiries from neighbors about what was going on inside the home, Huth said he later realized Kondouz was not using the home as a bed and breakfast.
"It turns out he never used it as a bed and breakfast," Huth said. "It's been defined in the zoning ordinance as a boarding or lodging house."
A phone number listed for Kondouz was the wrong number and a man who answered the door at the boarding house said Kondouz wasn't there and lived in the Easton area.
Attorney Kate Durso, representing Kondouz, did not return two messages seeking information.
Key differences
Some key differences set the home apart from what would be classified as a bed and breakfast, under the zoning ordinance.
For starters, Kondouz never lived at the two-story home -- something typical of those who own a B&B, Huth said. And, Kondouz also was not serving breakfast, he said.
Wal-Mart on security: 'We can do better'
The home consists of six units, including three apartments on the first floor and three apartments on the second floor. A main apartment on the first floor has a kitchen and the others have bathrooms, according to Huth.
A boarding house must have at least two rooms, but no more than six rooms and no "transients" are accommodated, according to Huth. He described "transient," as defined by the borough's ordinance, as someone who obtains occupancy for no more than three months in any 12-month period.
"It's clear in the ordinance how it's supposed to be," Huth said, noting boarding houses also are not an allowed use in the the general commercial zone. "I didn't see any sign of a bed and breakfast."
Zoners set variance conditions that Kondouz must obtain a signed lease for a minimum of three months from renters and Huth will be able to periodically verify the lease agreements. Konfouz also was granted a variance from on-site parking requirements.
Huth said he has no strong opinions on either side following the variance approval.
"I feel OK; now he's legal," he said.
Parking woes
Neighbors say parking along bustling South Broad Street already is a nightmare and will grow once six more tenants move in.
Those who live along the strip either pay the meter or park for free in a nearby alley, said Jamie McFarland, who lives next door to the boarding home.
"Parking is a problem in this town," McFarland said. "The more people live here, the more cars."
Randy Huth, who lives across the street from the boarding house, agreed.
"The only problem is going to be parking," Huth said. "The people are fine."
Adding to the issue, Huth said, was the removal of parking spaces about five years ago by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation on one side of South Broad Street in the 100 block.
Huth said he had one foot on the sidewalk and one in the street when he was hit by a car in front of his home in September 2012. The impact broke his leg.
McFarland said he also had close call getting struck by a vehicle after PennDOT removed the spaces.
"They changed it to a race track. It's a nightmare," Huth said.
Reporter Rudy Miller contributed to this report.
Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.