Palmerton residents who live and work near the St. Luke’s Health Center on Delaware Avenue say it has made it difficult to park in their neighborhood.

St. Luke’s parking lot doesn’t have the number of spaces required under the borough’s zoning ordinance. But the health network’s lawyers argue that the lack of parking is grandfathered because they replaced two businesses with similar parking issues.

“An incoming use gets the benefit of the grandfathered parking deficit of the prior use on that property,” said Steven Boell, attorney for St. Luke’s.

On Tuesday, the borough’s zoning hearing board agreed with them, voting 3-0 to grant St. Luke’s appeal of a violation notice issued by the borough zoning officer earlier this year.

The borough said that the 36 parking spaces on site weren’t enough to serve the doctors, staff and patients who use the facility. The borough’s ordinances require the site to have 50 parking spaces.

St. Luke’s made the case that the two businesses it replaced - a bowling alley and a car lot - didn’t meet the requirements. Therefore, the medical offices’ lack of parking is legally allowed.

The borough zoning ordinance says, “If an existing lawful use includes less parking than would be required, then that deficit of parking shall be grandfathered for new uses.”

The health network says it cannot add more parking spaces to its property, which has other existing businesses on both sides.

Neighbors say that since St. Luke’s opened in 2020, and expanded last year, parking in the area has been more difficult to find.

Sherry Dickerson said more cars park on the streets surrounding St. Luke’s since the facility opened.

She said it makes it difficult to park and pull out at intersections as early as 8 a.m.

“If you have enough parking, that should not be happening,” she said.

Jana Boyer said that since St. Luke’s opened, she can no longer park in front of her home.

“You eliminated parking and created a problem,” she said.

Chip Solt, owner of Joey B’s, said that the lack of parking during the day contributed to his decision to end lunch service at his restaurant.

“I’m not against St. Luke’s, but I’m against what this has caused,” he said.

St. Luke’s also presented a parking study which looked at the number of cars in the lot the day before the hearing. Solt questioned the accuracy because he said other businesses in the neighborhood including Joey B’s were closed that day.

Traffic Engineer John Wichner of McMahon Associates, who conducted the study, said the number of cars in the parking lot maxed out at 26 cars, and only four spaces on Delaware Avenue were occupied.