Oct 7, 2013 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – Waynesburg Zoning Hearing Board approved a variance and special exception Monday that will allow a developer to renovate the old county office building on High Street into an apartment building.

John McNay, the building’s owner, and Martin Padezanin, a contractor, propose converting the long vacant, six-story building into 28 apartments. The property is zoned B-1 and an apartment building is a permitted use in the district.

The developers, however, needed a variance for parking. The zoning ordinance requires an apartment building with 28 units to have at least 42 parking spaces.

The site has space for only five parking spaces and for the remaining 37 spaces the developers proposed subleasing spaces in the borough parking lot on Strawberry Alley, which is now leased to the county.

A variance was needed because, according to the ordinance, the parking spaces must be within 50 feet of the building; the borough lot is 429 feet away.

Plans for the project were presented to the board at last month’s meeting. The board at that time agreed to continue the hearing until Monday and asked the developers to provide a sublease agreement with the county and details on improvements the developers said they would make to the parking lot.

Padezanin presented detailed plans for the parking lot Monday showing the landscaping, storm water management system, fencing and lighting.

He also introduced an agreement with the county for subleasing the parking lot.

The county agreed to sublease the lot with the conditions the renovations to the building are completed and an occupancy permit is issued. The county also required the parking spaces be made available to the county for jurors called for jury duty, which occurs at least four times a year.

The developers proposed installing a card swipe system to control vehicles using the lot, deactivating tenants’ cards when the lot is used by jurors. On those days, tenants would be able to park in a lot on Route 19 and a shuttle would be used to transport them to and from the building, Padezanin said.

The board approved the variance for providing parking at a distance greater than 50 feet from the building with the condition a long-term lease for the lot is approved between the borough and county. The county’s current lease is for one year.

The board also granted a special exception to develop a parking area in a U-1 university zone. The borough lot is in a U-1 zone.

Three board members were present. Board members Susan Poole and Jeanne Songer voted in favor of the motion; board chairman Adam Chapman abstained; board members Jeannette Perry and Carol English were absent.

The project has been opposed by Waynesburg University. Its attorney Raymond J. Hoehler, asked the board to consider the special exception for parking in a U-1 zone. Padezanin earlier argued the special exception was unnecessary because the ordinance lists “customary business accessory uses, such as parking” as a permitted use in a U-1 zone.

Hoehler said Monday that the university’s interest was to ensure the project was completed in a professional manner and in compliance with the zoning ordinance as well as with all building codes and Americans with Disability Act requirements.

Following the hearing, Padezanin said he and McNay would like to begin the project as soon as the county obtains a long-term lease for the lot from the borough. The county commissioners have supported the project.

“We want to begin by the end of the year; that’s what we’re hoping,” he said.