Last week’s Zoning Hearing Board meeting in Pottsville lasted more than 3 hours. That’s a lot of zoning discussion in one night.
But the meeting could have gone on longer if not for an apparent error on the part of the local daily newspaper.
At the beginning of last Thursday’s meeting, Zoning Board President Charlie Taronis announced to a packed City Hall chamber that a hearing for Pottsville Area Little League would not be held that night.
The city’s Little League wants to build an indoor batting facility. Some neighbors in the area of the Rotary Little League field between Mahantongo and W. Norwegian streets aren’t too pleased with the idea.
An attempt to construct the building at the Rotary playground was deemed unfeasible.
So now, the Little League is looking to build it at the former Ivy Side swimming pool, which closed a few years ago and been on the market ever since.
There aren’t many interested buyers for Ivy Side but the Little League is apparently one party that is. Before they put down any money for it, they want to get a zoning variance to construct their indoor batting facility there. The league’s purchase is contingent on them getting a variance approval.
That hearing for the variance was to happen last week. However, Taronis told the crowd – about half of the packed house apparently were there to witness this hearing – that it couldn’t happen.
Taronis said the Zoning Hearing Board submitted a Legal Notice to the Republican Herald newspaper but the notice was never published. Notices for the other two hearings that night obviously were published.
Any government body is required by state law to publish a Legal Notice, typically in the Classifieds section of a newspaper-of-record, notifying the public of any public meetings.
Even though it never published, it clearly didn’t prevent people from knowing that a hearing was to take place that night. But the Zoning Hearing Board couldn’t legally have the hearing.
It’s now been rescheduled for mid-August.
PHOTO CAPTION: The public packs City Hall chambers last Thursday for a marathon session of the Pottsville Zoning Hearing Board. Many were not pleased when they learned that a hearing for Pottsville Area Little League and its desire to build an indoor batting facility at the site of the former Ivy Side pool had to be delayed.
Subscribe to Coal Region Canary
Get email updates from Coal Region Canary by becoming a subscriber today. Just enter your email address below to get started!Support Coal Region Canary
Like our reporting and want to support truly local news in Schuylkill County? Your small donations help. For as little as $5, your contribution will allow us to cover more news that directly affects you. Consider donating today by hitting the big yellow button below ...