Mar 15, 2016 4 min read

WAYNESBURG – Borough Council adopted an amendment to the borough zoning ordinance Monday night that will make it easier for the Waynesburg Veterans of Foreign Wars to build a new post home on East Lincoln Street.

The amendment will change the zoning designation for the VFW’s two lots and several contiguous lots from R-1 residential to B-1 business.

The VFW’s existing building was constructed in 1950, prior to the borough’s adoption of the zoning ordinance.

The post could build its proposed building without the zoning change; however, that would require it to seek numerous variances from the zoning hearing board, assistant borough manager Bryan Cumberledge said. It made sense to change the zoning to make it easier for the project to go forward but also so the zoning designation reflects the actual use of properties in that area, he said.

Other properties included in the zoning change are a lot on Lincoln Street, owned by Patti Jo Duda, where there is a dog grooming business; a lot at 470 E. Greene St., owned by Charles Funk, which is used for the Lions Club Christmas tree sales; and five other small vacant lots also owned by Funk.

All surrounding property owners had been notified of the zoning amendment and no one objected to it, Cumberledge said.

The VFW had come to council requesting the change in December.

A VFW spokesman said then that the post hoped to construct a building to replace the existing home, which is in poor condition and is in the flood plain.

The new post home would be 9,900 square feet in size, slightly bigger than the existing building, and will be raised about five feet above the flood plain.

The VFW had been planning the new home for about a year and was seeking contributions and grant money to get the project moving.

In other business, Cumberledge reported the borough has received a $33,000 grant through the conservation district under the state’s dirt and gravel road program to replace a small bridge on Meadowlark Park Road. The borough plans to replace the bridge with a culvert, using the grant for materials and having the work completed by borough work crews.

Borough engineer Mike Dufalla, who has been working on the bridge project, said he will seek the required permits for the work, which probably won’t be completed until the fall.

Cumberledge also talked about replacing the borough street sweeper. The existing sweeper was used recently to sweep cinders off several streets but is in very poor condition. A new sweeper, one that also will allow the borough to clean storm drains, will cost $160,000 to $180,000. Cumberledge said he will be looking for grants to purchase a sweeper and talking to other municipalities that may want to share in its cost and use.

Council approved a bid submitted by Slagle Roofing for $17,000 to replace the roof on the Midtown Auto lot building. Council has talked about what to do with the building at numerous meetings. Its last motion was to move forward and replace the roof.

Some council members say the building can be used for offices or for other purposes while others maintain it should be demolished to make room for additional parking in the borough’s permitted Midtown parking lot.

Council agreed to donate a 15-year-old Jeep, which was used when the borough had a canine officer, to the Morris Township Police Department. The vehicle had been donated to the borough police by the Masontown Police Department.

Council hired the law firm Meyer Darragh to negotiate a contract with the Teamsters union which represented five employees in the street and sewer departments.