A Palmerton man may construct a garage on his vacant property.

By a unanimous vote, the borough's Zoning Hearing Board agreed on Wednesday to grant Stephen Takacs a variance to add the structure on his property at 1121 Mauch Chunk Road.Several neighbors voiced concerns, not about the actual construction of the garage, but with the current parking situation at the West End Saloon, according to board solicitor Jenny Serfass.Serfass noted that the Saloon is located on a separate parcel from where the garage will be built, and said that their concerns were not related to the specific matter brought before the zoners.The variance was necessary to allow the construction of an accessory structure without a principal building; with regard to setbacks from the street right-of-way; and front yard setbacks.In his rejection letter, dated March 18, borough zoning officer Duane Dellecker stated that Takacs' property is located in a Commercial Fringe zoning district.There are no other structures located on the property, and there is no principal use, Dellecker stated in his letter.The proposed accessory structure (garage) would be 24-by-48-feet, or 1,152-square-feet in size.However, Dellecker noted in his letter that a section of the borough's zoning ordinance limits the size of all accessory buildings to 60-percent of the floor area of the principal buildings.In addition, he said another section of the borough's zoning ordinance requires a 25-foot minimum front yard setback be provided from the right-of-way of all streets. The right-of-way of Mauch Chunk Road is 40-feet (20-feet from center line of roadway), Dellecker stated. There is no right-of-way listed for Old Mauch Chunk Road, he said.Finally, Dellecker stated in his letter that another section of the borough's zoning ordinance requires front yard setbacks be provided along all portions of a through lot abutting any street.