YORK, Pa. — A 40-year old zoning law: that's what's in the way of the owners of Mr. Q's Family Skate Center in York County as they look to rebuild their business.
"When the current zoning law was passed in 1987, there was a bowling alley at that location, and it's grandfathered so it's allowed to stay there," said Ron Ruman, a West Manchester Township supervisor. "A bowling alley was converted to a skating rink, which was permitted a number of years ago."
Ruman said Mr. Q's is located in a commercial zone, and it's considered a non-conforming building.
Under the current zoning law, if a non-conforming building is destroyed by a fire or something out of the owner's control, a variance is required.
"They're hard to get," Ruman said. "They cost money: $550 just to file that. Most folks get an attorney to help them with that."
Ruman noted this is a long process, and there's no guarantee the owners will get approved for it.
To move things forward for Mr. Q's, he's proposing an amendment to this ordinance.
"If you've got a non-conforming use and it's destroyed by fire, storm [or] something outside of your control, you have three years to rebuild that same building on the same site," he proposed.
Ruman says it's important that this proposal goes through since Mr. Q's was a vital part of the York County community.
"It provides a safe place for young folks to go and have an evening with their friends, and parents can know that their children are at a place where they're safe," he explained.
On March 24, the West Manchester Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on this proposed zoning amendment. If the board votes to approve this, Mr. Q's could be ready to rebuild as early as next month.