May 14, 2013 3 min read

McMURRAY – Peters Township Council on Monday unanimously approved a conditional use application by Fiorentino Moscatello for a new Italian restaurant at 3801 Washington Road, at the site of the former Parkvale Bank.

Moscatello is the owner of Fiore’s Pizza, off West Liberty Avenue in the South Hills.

Township manager Michael Silvestri said during a public hearing that sit-down restaurants are permitted as a conditional use in the C-4 transitional commercial zoning district, which is what the site is zoned. Township planning director Ed Zuk outlined several conditions that must be met by the developer, including a six-foot high privacy fence along the portion of the property that abuts the residential portion and a beefed-up tree buffer along that same area.

Other conditions that must be met are replacement of a pole sign with a monument sign, and relocation and screening of a trash receptacle. Also, Zuk said the hours of operation must be from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

Richard Hamil, the architect for the project, said the applicant has addressed everything required, including the buffer, privacy fence and monument sign. “It will be more in tune to what you see in Peters Township along the Donaldson’s Crossroads border,” Hamil said.

He said two of the former bank’s drive-through lanes will be enclosed, but the existing roof structure will remain. He explained the restaurant as a low-turnover, sit-down restaurant and said there will be no bar in the eatery. Hamil said no additional paved surface will be needed for parking. The establishment will hold no more than 100 people at a time, including workers.

Moscatello described the restaurant as an Italian restaurant with pizza, pasta and salads. He has been at his other location for 33 years.

Brian Sepelak, who lives on Pleasant Avenue just behind the former bank, presented a petition with 16 signatures of nearby residents opposing the development of the restaurant.

Sepelak cited concerns over lighting and traffic. He added that the existing buffer zone of 18 feet is not in compliance with the 25-foot buffer zone now required by the township. Township officials said the 18-foot buffer zone was grandfathered in because when the bank was developed, the township required a minimum of a 15-foot buffer.

Sepelak said the restaurant will “add additional traffic in the evening that’s not normally there.” He also proposed that township officials eliminate the entrance to the restaurant off of Pleasant Drive and have patrons enter from Route 19. Sepelak was also concerned about noise. “It’s definitely going to make more noise and be disruptive to the neighborhood,” he said, adding that the fence would not make much difference.

Zuk added that even if the entrance off of Pleasant Avenue were eliminated, people would still use the road as a cut-through to avoid traffic on Route 19 to get to the restaurant.

Site plans for the restaurant will have to be approved separately by council.