The former LAG Towning, located at 305-307 Carey Ave., Wilkes-Barre, will soon be converted into an auto repair and auto body shop, banquet hall and personal storage space.
                                 Margaret Roarty | Times Leader

The former LAG Towning, located at 305-307 Carey Ave., Wilkes-Barre, will soon be converted into an auto repair and auto body shop, banquet hall and personal storage space.

Margaret Roarty | Times Leader

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<p>The former Wallco Electronics building at 53 E. Jackson St. will be converted into a five unit apartment building.</p>
                                 <p>Margaret Roarty | Times Leader</p>

The former Wallco Electronics building at 53 E. Jackson St. will be converted into a five unit apartment building.

Margaret Roarty | Times Leader

<p>Patte’s Sports Bar and Restaurant, located at 65 W. Hollenback Ave., will soon have outdoor seating available with the addition of a covered rear deck.</p>
                                 <p>Margaret Roarty | Times Leader</p>

Patte’s Sports Bar and Restaurant, located at 65 W. Hollenback Ave., will soon have outdoor seating available with the addition of a covered rear deck.

Margaret Roarty | Times Leader

WILKES-BARRE — The city’s Zoning Hearing Board approved a special exception to convert a vacant building into an auto repair and auto body shop, personal storage space and banquet room, but denied a variance for BYOB use at Wednesday’s regular meeting, at which several items were considered.

The former LAG Towing building, located at 305-307 Carey Ave., has been unoccupied since 2016, when LAG owner Leo Glodzik was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to charges of filing false tax returns, mail fraud and possessing a firearm as a felon.

The proposed banquet hall, which can hold 80 people, would be open Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m to 9 p.m. and Friday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Property owner Henry Mendoza said renovations on the building are already underway and all of the windows were recently replaced, with the total cost of improvements estimated at $42,000. When questioned by the board how he plans to control noise from the banquet room and the auto shop, Mendoza said that they will install insulation in the walls to reduce noise.

The board’s approval was contingent upon: there being no outside storage on the property used for junk vehicles or parts, the parking lot being designed and developed according to the submitted building plans, no traffic entering or exiting the building onto Carey Avenue, primary access to the business limited to Correale Street, and that the fencing surrounding the building would remain in place and repaired if need be.

The board denied Mendoza’s request to allow those renting the banquet room for events to bring their own alcohol due to a city ordinance prohibiting bottle shops or BYOB’s within 1,000 feet of residential dwellings.

In a separate application, Mendoza was granted a special exception for his business, Carey Auto Repair, located at 282 Carey Ave., to include a delicatessen along with the existing automobile sales and auto service repair use.

Mendoza said his shop will now sell breakfast, sandwiches and coffee to customers from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Patte’s Sports Bar, Wallco

Also at the meeting:

• The zoning board approved a request by Patte’s Sports Bar and Restaurant, located at 65 W. Hollenback Ave., to add a rear deck addition with a roof to the existing building.

The proposed deck would measure 16-by-26 feet and have 25 seats. Owner Patrick Patte Jr. said the deck will have doors on each side so that it will be secured at the end of the night.

“This will give us some outdoor dining to help us out a little bit with our business because ever since COVID happened everyone wants the freedom of outdoor dining,” Patte said.

• The zoning board also approved Vito Malacari’s application for a variance to convert a 5,000-square-foot commercial building at 53 E. Jackson St. into a five unit apartment complex.

The three-story building previously housed Wallco Electronics, and was acquired by the Malacari family in January of this year.

“We have a bunch of buildings in the area and we try to convert older buildings that have good structures into housing,” said Frank Malacari.

Though renovations on the property have not yet begun, Frank said they will have a lot of work to do to “clean it up,” andnew plumbing and wiring will be installed.