Council rejects 528 N. Sixth St rooming units and carriage-house apartment, 0–3

DLP/Penn State ground-floor business training variance

3 yes, 0 no

Walnut Street apartment conversion special exception

3 yes, 0 no

528 N. Sixth St rooming units and carriage-house apartment

0 yes, 3 no

1402 W. Linden St two-apartment conversion variance

0 yes, 3 no

501-503 N. Fourth St social club to 33-room house

3 yes, 0 no

528 N 6th St Multi-Unit Addition

528 N 6th St

Establish three additional rooming units and one additional dwelling unit, totaling 4 dwelling units and 3 rooming units.

still pending

Penn State Hamilton Street Training Center

829 845 W Hamilton St

Establish a street-facing ground-story business training use where such uses are restricted.

still pending

926-928 W Walnut St Apartment Conversion

926 928 W Walnut St

Convert commercial space into one apartment as an expansion of a nonconforming use.

still pending

501-503 N 4th St Rooming House

501-503 N 4th St

Vacant social club with bowling alleys and a mismatched ballroom addition becomes a 33-room single-room-occupancy house — 21 rooms under 250 square feet and far past the six-unit lot cap — with two on-site caretakers and a 14-space lot across Liberty Street.

approved (3-0) · still approved

1402 W Linden St Apartment Conversion

1402 W Linden St

Owner of 250+ city units wanted to convert a long-empty studio (formerly a dance school and recording studio) into two apartments, arguing 14th Street should count as the front facade.

denied (0-3) · still denied

DLP/Penn State ground-floor business training use

829-845 W. Hamilton St, Allentown, PA

Variance to put Penn State's business-training space (LaunchBox, AI lab, veterans outreach) at the street-facing front of the ground floor rather than 20 feet back — granted because the building sits 80 feet off the sidewalk.

approved (3-0) · still approved

528 N. Sixth St rooming units and carriage-house unit

528 N. Sixth St, Allentown, PA

Owners wanted to legalize three third-floor single-occupancy rooms (two under 250 sq ft), add a carriage-house apartment, and skip the required resident manager.

denied (0-3) · still denied

926-928 W. Walnut St commercial-to-apartment conversion

926-928 W. Walnut St, Allentown, PA

Special exception granted to turn a step-up, windowless former massage parlor/tattoo storefront into a tenth apartment in a renovated nine-unit building.

approved (3-0) · still approved

Penn State Ground-Floor Business Training Use on Hamilton Street

Penn State is leasing 9,000 square feet of long-vacant ground-floor space at 829-845 W. Hamilton St for a business accelerator, AI innovation lab and veterans business outreach center — right at the street, a variance the board granted to revive a stubbornly empty building.

What it means: Downtown businesses, entrepreneurs, Penn State students and Allentown School District students.

High-Density Rooming House Proposal at 501-503 N 4th St

Two cases tested how far the board will go for low-cost rooming housing. A 33-room SRO at N.

What it means: Puts roughly 33 affordable rooms on the market at N.

Climate Action Plan Implementation

The council is reviewing implementation of Allentown's Climate Action Plan, alongside an upcoming public draft of the Urban Forestry Master Plan to expand the city's tree canopy.

What it means: All Allentown residents will benefit from improved air quality, reduced urban heat island effects, and enhanced public green spaces.

Litter Reduction and Containerization Strategies

The council is pushing forward with litter reduction efforts, utilizing community surveys to evaluate waste containerization strategies across the city.

What it means: All residents and local businesses will experience cleaner neighborhoods and improved public cleanliness.

Residential Conversion of Vacant Hamilton Street Office Building

Two appeals sought to turn dead commercial space into apartments. The Walnut Street conversion passed easily; the Linden Street two-unit conversion failed on density and minimum-relief grounds, with a neighbor citing brutal street parking.

What it means: Landlords converting space and future tenants of new units.

Police Department Staffing and DROP Pension Reform

The police chief urged council to adopt a DROP retirement program to keep veteran officers, with 15 retirements expected in December. The auditors pegged its cost at $1.1–$3.9 million a year starting 2028.

What it means: Estimated $1.1–$3.9 million annual pension cost if adopted, weighed against overtime savings.

Public Safety and Departmental Personnel Review

Council members are examining proposed personnel summaries and budget allocations for police, fire, and emergency medical services. This review ensures public safety departments have the necessary staffing and resources for the upcoming year.

What it means: All community members relying on police, fire, and emergency medical response.

Police station and fire/health building right-sizing

The city scrapped the $40 million police station expansion for a renovation approach under energy-savings legislation and cut the fire/health building from $65 million to about $45 million, cutting next year's borrowing to $30 million.

What it means: Saves roughly $20 million on the fire/health building and cuts 2027 debt service from ~$12 million to under $8 million.

EMS staffing crisis and mandated overtime

EMS runs with 44 full-timers, mandated overtime has doubled, and ambulances are browned out twice as often as last year. The budget adds two paramedics, but the chief says seven more are really needed.

What it means: Two new paramedic positions funded; EMS remains revenue-neutral, recovering over 100% of operating costs.

Elimination of GLP-1 weight-loss drug coverage

The city stopped covering GLP-1 medications for weight loss starting 2027 after spending ballooned from $470,000 to nearly $3 million in two years. Coverage remains for medical conditions.

What it means: Avoids a projected $4–5 million annual cost.

2027 City Budget and Property Tax Increase

The proposed $257.3 million budget includes a $153 million general fund and a millage rate of 7.67, costing most residents about $1.75 a month more. Cuts to parks, health, and other departments offset expiring police and fire grants and inflation.

What it means: About $1.75 per month more in property tax for most homeowners.

Independent Five-Year Financial Analysis

Auditors found Allentown's plan is balanced only in 2027; after that, deficits of $3.1–$3.8 million a year accumulate and cash reserves fall below the 17% minimum by 2030. Council will need new revenue or spending action to stabilize finances.

What it means: Projected deficits of $3.1–$3.8 million annually starting in 2028 could force tax increases or service cuts.

Stormwater Fee Financial Risk Assessment

If the $20 stormwater fee is ruled a tax under the city charter, the city could lose $5.4 million a year — a scenario that would nearly drain reserves by 2031.

What it means: $5.4 million a year in revenue at risk.