Altoona zoning board approves 3 variances

Landscaping firm plans to use vacant lot as storage yard

The city zoning hearing board approved three variances Wednesday afternoon for a small landscaping company to use a vacant lot as a storage yard in an area zoned as residential neighborhood.

Franklin Reed Jr., owner and operator of Frank's Down to Earth Landscaping, applied for the variances that would allow him to have a contractor/storage yard in a residential zone, allow a reduced buffer area and provide only landscaped screening, as well as allow less than a 50-foot setback from the street right-of-way, online documents state.

Reed purchased the parcels of 1320 and 1322 N. Fourth Ave. after the city razed a "drug-infested apartment building" sitting on one of the lots. He told the zoning hearing board that he intended to use the lots for storage.

"I plan on investing a lot more into cleaning up the lot and screening it if I get this variance," Reed said. "I'm a landscaper, so appearance is a big thing for me because my name's attached to it."

Through questioning by board solicitor William Stokan, Reed said the lot would not be open to the public and that he intended on building a tall fence after having a land survey completed. He told the board that his hours of operation were usually Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

While Reed would keep a skid steer and excavator on site with diesel in the tanks, he said there would be no "stockpile" of diesel fuel.

"I just pray that this can work," Reed said. "I plan on continuing to invest in the Altoona area. I'm a small business that's building."

Following his questioning, Stoken told Reed it would "behoove" him to apply for a lot merger so he could utilize both lots without issue.

After a brief executive session to discuss Reed's requests, the board unanimously approved his variance applications. The board also halved the required 50-foot setback from the street right-of-way to 25 feet.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.