Eldercare business, day care, digital sign and other projects approved for Easton's West Ward

Aug. 21--A former long-time funeral home in Easton's West Ward has been proposed to be converted to a business that provides in-home care for senior citizens.

Seniors Helping Seniors, a franchise with a location in Wilson Borough, would move to 801 Lehigh St. by the end of the year, said owner Lynn Houghton.

According to Northampton County property records, Houghton purchased the property, which had been vacant, for $320,000 in April.

She has been living there since May and plans to continue residing on the upper floor of the property. The business will be located on the first floor.

The city's Zoning Hearing Board unanimously approved a use variance for the project on Monday.

Seniors Helping Seniors utilizes caregivers who are older to provide non-medical care for other senior citizens.

Houghton has operated the Wilson Borough business for 11 years. She said clients receiving care seem to relate better to caregivers who are 50 years of age or older. The oldest caregiver is 84, Houghton said.

A caregiver can act as a companion for the client, prepare meals, take the client to doctor's appointments and do cleaning and shopping for them, Houghton said.

Seniors Helping Seniors employs hundreds of caregivers, but they work in clients' homes.

There will likely be only eight employees in the 801 Lehigh St. office on a regular basis, Houghton said. The site does offer 12 parking spaces, so parking should not be an issue.

Houghton said the business will be open from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m .Monday through Friday.

In November, Stephen Reichel, son of the late Northampton County coroner Joseph Reichel, proposed a funeral home for the building.

The building housed Schillinger's funeral home from 1935 to 2007. That business closed and the building became a lawyer's office. The property eventually went into foreclosure and was listed on the market last year.

In other news, the board approved a special exception to establish a day care center for 15-20 children at 1229 Butler St. in the city's West Ward.

The facility would be run by Lilliam Jacobo and her husband, Andy Pineda. The project was earlier recommended for approval by the Easton Planning Commission.

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Jacobo said the facility would be open Monday through Friday and would serve children age 6 weeks through 12 years.

A garage behind the building, which once housed a dry cleaning business, would be demolished to make way for four parking spots and an outdoor play area for the children.

The board on Monday also approved a variance for a free-standing digital sign at Paxinosa Elementary School at 1221 Northampton St.

The school currently uses a non-lighted 3-by-5-foot sign, said Thomas Case, director of facilities and maintenance for the Easton Area School District.

The district plans to replace the sign with a four-foot-by-eight-foot digital sign that can be programmed remotely.

There was some concern about allowing an animated sign on Northampton Street, a busy corridor in the city.

"I'm afraid the precedent will be set for other animated signs on Northampton Street," said Zoning Attorney Robert Nithkey. "My suggestion for the board is if you are going to approve a sign like that, it not be animated."

Nitchkey proposed that the messages be stagnated for six to eight minutes at a time and Case agreed to the stipulation.

Other projects approved by the board on Monday include: a special exception to establish a commercial laundry facility at 661 Pearl St.

The board also approved a variance to convert a mixed-use building to a multifamily dwelling with four units at 1108-1110 Butler St., and a variance to convert a mixed-use building to a multifamily with three units at 1112 Butler St.

ctatu@mcall.com

610-820-6583

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