Whether a former textile manufacturing facility in Palmerton may be transformed to a warehousing use could soon be decided.

Jeff Hager, owner of Hager Furniture Company Inc., 242-48 Delaware Avenue, Palmerton, will go before the borough's Zoning Hearing Board at 7 p.m. Jan. 28, in search of a special exception.Hager wants to change the former textile manufacturing facility, OTD Manufacturing, at the corner of Fifth and Franklin, to a warehousing use. The property, located at 620 Fifth Street, is in an R-2 (Residential-Medium Density) zoning district.In his rejection letter, dated Dec. 14, borough zoning officer Duane Dellecker notes the former textile manufacturing facility, not being a permitted use in the R-2 zoning district (Section

306.B.6 of the borough zoning ordinance) is a nonconforming use.However, Section

306.B.6 of the zoning ordinance does not allow warehousing as a permitted use; making warehousing a conforming use also, Dellecker states in his letter.Dellecker also states that Section

808.H.2 of the zoning ordinance deals with changing from one nonconforming use to another by requiring special exception action of the zoners."Sections 113.C and

808.H.2 of the zoning ordinance list the criteria to be used in evaluating the proposal by the zoning hearing board," Dellecker said. "You should become familiar with the conditions found in these sections of the zoning ordinance should you file an appeal to the zoning hearing board."Hager took his plan before the borough's Planning Commission last week, which agreed to make a recommendation to the zoners to grant the special exception.