Has Stofanak Custom Cabinetry Outgrown Lower Nazareth?

Representatives from Stofanak Custom Cabinetry went before the Lower Nazareth Zoning Hearing Board Tuesday night, seeking approval to expand its 60-year-old business. However, representatives left disappointed when technicalities stalled the company from moving forward. 

They went in pursuing three variances, and left being told they would need a fourth.

If the company located at 176 Nazareth Pike doesn’t receive approval of these variances, which involve zoning use, maximum building coverage and maximum impervious coverage -- and now setbacks -- the company president believes the township may no longer be the right location for his business.

“We are interested in staying in Lower Nazareth and we’re interested in continuing to be good neighbors,” said Phillip J. Stofanak, Jr., president of Stofanak Custom Cabinetry.  “If we can’t expand where we are – and we have to expand – we will have to look at other places. Nothing is off the table.”

The company currently operates a showroom on Route 191, just north of the Monocacy Creek. A small manufacturing facility sits beside the showroom on a 3.5-acre lot with a larger manufacturing facility across the street on Old Nazareth Pike, according to Stofanak.

In recent years, Stofanak acquired a lot adjacent to his company where he would like to build a 19,600-square-foot addition that would be connected to his larger, 20,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. In order to do this, he needs the board to permit a variance on the land, which is labeled as low-density residential. Stofanak would also like to combine the two properties into one lot, which would require a variance, according to Joe Piperato, Stofanak’s attorney.

Stofanak explained that the addition is needed in order to accommodate large equipment. For example, a piece of equipment, called a moulder, is 12-feet wide and 50-feet long. These machines have been created as part of the “evolution of the woodworking business," he said.

“Competition is fierce,” Stofanak said. “We need to update our processes to compete in the world today.”

Lori Seese, the township planning and zoning administrator, told the company it needs a fourth variance because the proposed addition would require a 75-foot setback from nearby houses. The 75-foot setback is a requirement for commercial zoning.

Stofanak's plan was designed with a 15-foot setback required for LDR zoning. In fact, the company's pursuit of the three variances was based on the property's current LDR zoning. This proposed fourth variance was the major hiccup representatives experienced during its presentation. 

The three original variances are for zoning use, maximum building coverage and maximum impervious coverage.

With the issue of maximum impervious coverage, the new addition is 17.15 percent over the limit in the LDR zoning, Piperato said. The new addition would have an impervious cover of 62.15 percent. The maximum is 45 percent. But if the property was zoned commercial, then the addition falls well within the maximum impervious coverage of 70 percent, he said.

Similarly, zoning affects the maximum building coverage. For LDR, the maximum is 30 percent. For commercial, this coverage limit is 40 percent. The new addition’s coverage is expected to be about 41.2 percent, according to Darren Heckman, senior project manager at Lehigh Engineering Associates Inc. in Walnutport.

Board members also asked Stofanak and his representation various questions concerning sewage disposal, placement of dust collectors, parking availability, and future employment growth. Stofanak testified that his company has 38 employees and believes he will be able to expand his employee base by 10 to 12 people.

The increased employment would return his staff to about 50 people, which is the maximum number of people he has ever employed. The sewage system handled the needs of the company then without issue, Stofanak said.

Although he has had enough parking available in the past, Stofanak said he plans to increase parking with 21 new spots, but intends to eliminate some current parking in order to provide easier tractor-trailer deliveries.

Stofanak said he does not know how many spots there currently are, so a figure could not be provided to the board.

Piperato noted that drivers are currently forced to park on Old Nazareth Pike while tractor-trailers are unloaded. With the proposed plan, all manufacturing would take place in one spot, and trucks would no longer sit on the road during deliveries.

Richard Repash, who lives on Old Nazareth Pike, supports the addition because it will keep the tractor-trailers off the road.

“It’s going to increase the accessibility to the road,” Repash said. “It’s going to help us out back there.”

The zoning board told Stofanak and Piperato they could submit a new zoning application to include the fourth variance on the setback issue. This option requires another round of advertising and additional fees. Stofanak agreed to pursue that route. No vote was taken on the initial three variances.