Mar 1, 2018 5 min read

South Strabane Township supervisors tabled a decision Tuesday on approving an amendment to a zoning ordinance that would remove light manufacturing from the C-3 district.

Supervisor Bracken Burns motioned to table the move – which has been a point of debate in the township since 2015 – due to “ongoing negotiations” with Chapman Properties.

During a January public hearing on the amendment, Cliff Levin, an attorney for Chapman, advised the supervisors to “defer this matter as to not escalate the damages currently being sought,” the meeting minutes said.

Chapman, which owns a section of undeveloped land near Tanger Outlets, filed a petition against the township last month in Washington County Court. The company claimed the township blocked plastics manufacturer Ensinger Inc. from developing on part of the site when it refused to take over Tanger Boulevard as a township road.

Ensinger decided to remain in North Strabane Township and terminated its deal with Chapman. Chapman’s petition seeks compensation for losses in that deal and for the township’s rejection of Chapman’s conditional-use application to build a light-manufacturing and office facility that would have become Ensinger’s North American headquarters.

At the public hearing, Tony Rosenberger, president of Chapman, mentioned that in 2015, supervisors approved an amendment to add light manufacturing to the C-3 commercial district because it was “underutilized,” according to his written statement. He told the board light manufacturing is “critical” to the development of the site.

“Opponents of the light manufacturing use have been misled into thinking that allowing it would introduce heavy industrial buildings adjacent to residential areas,” Rosenberger said at the hearing. “However, nothing could be further from the truth.”

He quoted the township’s zoning code for light manufacturing, saying “no process involved will produce noise, vibration, fire hazard or noxious emissions” that would harm neighboring properties. He also argued that including light manufacturing would increase the township’s jobs and tax base.

Rosenberger told the board at the hearing the company is discussing the property with operators of other potential light-manufacturing facilities, but isn’t actively marketing the site due to the lack of public access.

In December, it was announced Chapman Properties received a $1 million state grant to develop the Chapman Southport Business Park on the property. The grant will be used to develop sewer, water and electric service at the site. Rosenberger said the company filed for the grant a year ago, long before it filed the lawsuit against the township over the property. During the public hearing, Rosenberger told the board, in order to develop the infrastructure with the grant money, Tanger Boulevard would need to be a public road.

Several residents spoke against allowing light manufacturing in the area, many of them residents of Strabane Manor, a nearby neighborhood. One of them, James Stewart, spoke again at Tuesday’s meeting and asked the board to make a decision.

“We’ve been facing this issue for the past four years,” he said. “Please, let’s get this done and over with – put it back the way it should be.”

The board briefly discussed having a survey done to gain a better understanding of the boundary between South Strabane and North Strabane townships near Racetrack Road and Tanger Boulevard. Township manager Brandon Stanick said while many people assume Racetrack Road is the boundary, “the creek is the true boundary.”

Also Tuesday, supervisors discussed how to fix two landslides that happened over the past few days because of heavy rain – one on Clare Drive and one on Garber Road. The township engineer, Michael Sherrieb, recommended the board have a soil analysis done in order to determine the best repair options.

Sherrieb said the slide on Garber could cost as much as $110,000 to repair because it needs to be removed and the slope built up again. He said the township would most likely be able to use money from its liquid fuels budget to pay for the work.

In other action Tuesday, supervisors thanked township police Chief Donald Zofchak for his more than four decades of service on the township’s police force. After delivering his final annual report, Zofchak, who retired Wednesday, received a standing ovation from the audience, a plaque of recognition, and many “thanks” from each of the supervisors and township department heads.

“I think we have one of the safest townships, and I think it’s because of you,” Supervisor Richard Luketich said.

Zofchak thanked the township for the “privilege and honor” of being police chief for so many years. He promised the supervisors he was leaving the position in good hands, as an 11-year sergeant with the department, Drew Hilk, will be taking over as chief. Supervisor Bob Weber also promised Zofchak the township supervisors will “take care of the police department.”

“It’s going to be like losing a good friend around here,” Weber said.