Click here to subscribe today or Login.
By JOLYN RESNICK [email protected]
Thursday, August 24, 2000 Page: 7A
WILKES-BARRE – The city is investigating some aspect of Wilkes University’s
ongoing development, city Zoning Administrator Leon Schuster said Wednesday.
Schuster, who is conducting the investigation, said he could not discuss it
until he determines the direction it will proceed.
Wilkes spokesman Vaughn Shinkus said he could not comment until he receives
more details about the investigation.
The announcement comes after the school began three projects without
receiving permission from either the city Planning Board or Zoning Hearing
Board. Two of the projects involves converting single homes into dormitories.
The other is to increase student parking in a vacant lot on South River
Street.
Because students are expected to arrive this week, the Zoning Hearing Board
last week allowed the school to proceed with work on the dormitories. The
parking lot project was put on hold until Wilkes can provide the city with
complete plans.
Charles McCormick, the solicitor for both boards, said that for the past 10
years the university has consistently started work on projects before
receiving city permission.
“The pattern is to push the limits of zoning,” McCormick said.
And, unlike many city residents who don’t realize they have to come before
the zoning hearing board on some issues, the university “is knowledgeable
about the process,” McCormick said.
McCormick said the school is entitled to get permits for the work before
coming to the Zoning Hearing Board, but they should not start work.
He also said the school also just “plopped 200 (parking) spaces into an
open area” without a master plan for cars to enter or exit the lot.
The Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board spent more than an hour in
separate hearings last week admonishing university representatives for
routinely modifying the campus without city consent.
Wilkes spokesman Shinkus said the work done on the dormitories was “minor
in nature and done only after the proper building permits were issued by the
city.”
He said the school believes it is operating within city regulations, even
though McCormick said otherwise. “How we use the building is indeed an
issue,” he said. “But before we began the minor revisions, we had the proper
permits from the city.”
Last week Shinkus said the dormitories would house 27 students. The
additional rooms were required because Wilkes officials did not know about a
90-student increase until July and the school did not have enough time to
apply for a special exception then.
Jolyn Resnick, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7210.