You might say that this is the story of a “sweet” legal victory for Benner and Wild.
One of our clients is Moo Hope Ice Cream in New Hope. Owners Marlene and Larry Panzica purchased the property at 22 S. Main St. – formerly the home of Gerenser’s Exotic Ice Cream – and fixed it up.
At a recent meeting, William Benner convinced New Hope Borough Council to allow the Panzicas to expand the ice cream shop and add a second and third story dwelling to the property.
In doing so, Mr. Benner was successful in getting council to overturn an April 5 decision by the borough’s Historic and Architectural Review Board (HARB) which denied a certificate of appropriateness that would have allowed Moo Hope to expand.
At an April 19 hearing before borough council, Mr. Benner was able to demonstrate that the ice cream shop’s plans satisfied the community’s guidelines.
Our case before council included testimony from project architect Michael Burns, an expert in historic rehabilitation. When testimony concluded, council unanimously approved the certificate of appropriateness, subject to two minor design changes that do not alter any essential feature of the ice cream shop’s plans.
If you are preparing to go before a historic/architectural review board, zoning board or planning commission, it is not a good idea to go alone.
The attorneys at Benner and Wild have successfully litigated and argued land use and zoning cases before the courts of common pleas the Commonwealth Court.
We have represented major development companies building large shopping centers, apartment complexes, housing developments and industrial sites. We also represent small businesses seeking to expand and homeowners who need zoning relief to make minor changes to their properties.
Contact us today and we can make sure your interests are represented when it comes time to build.