South Strabane rescinds apartment decision
South Strabane Township supervisors rescinded a previous decision Tuesday to allow development of a mid-rise apartment complex to proceed.
Supervisors Ed Mazur, Bob Weber and Tom Moore voted to repeal a settlement made Aug. 23 with HCB Foundry for the development on the Old Mill retail site. Supervisors previously voted to approve a waiver request, enabling the St. Louis-based owner to proceed without the condition of placing retail or office space on the first floor.
“I admit I voted for it and I was wrong,” Mazur said Tuesday.
HCB filed a land-use appeal Aug. 15 in Washington County Court in response to supervisors denying the application in June. On Aug. 23, Jonathan Kamin, attorney for HCB, agreed to a traffic mitigation fee of $100,000 to make improvements at the intersection of Berry and Manifold roads, an access point for the complex that supervisors said is an already-troublesome intersection. HCB also agreed to dedicate a portion of the first floor to a community space and to develop green space adjacent to the building for residents. Supervisors agreed, and litigation against the township was to cease.
A traffic engineer for HCB, Michael Haberman, suggested that 230 feet of Berry Road be built up to make it level with Manifold.
After deliberation, though, some supervisors decided $100,000 would not be nearly enough to fix the intersection.
“We consider it a drop in the bucket,” Moore said Thursday. “The $100,000 figure was pulled out of a hat by attorney Kamin. I don’t actually know where that figure came from.”
Moore said the township’s roadmaster estimates the cost to be around $500,000.
Supervisor Jack Keisling voted against the repeal, and Supervisor Laynee Zipko abstained.
HCB was originally denied a variance from the townshsip zoning hearing board and later secured a recommendation from the planning commission.
Kamin did not return a phone call seeking comment.