May 21, 2021 3 min read

The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh would like to move to South Strabane Township by building a new administrative building off Enterprise Road.

The organization had acquired two parcels there more than a year ago, and recently applied for a land-use exception from the township for the 18-acre property that’s zoned residential.

The township held a public hearing last week to hear preliminary plans for the proposed building, which would sit on the first parcel between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and Interstate 79. The second parcel, which according to the application would be used for parking spaces, sits just south of the first one, on land once used for mine refuse.

During the virtual hearing, the Rev. George Callos, chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh, explained why they want to move out of Pittsburgh and the purpose of the building. He said the diocese has been headquartered in Pittsburgh the last 66 years, but serves congregations in West Virginia and Ohio as well.

“We’ve outgrown that facility,” he said.

Callos said they searched unsuccessfully for a larger building in the city, since the current building didn’t have a space large enough for their 35-member council to meet. They wanted a place easier to congregate for administrative meetings without the hassle of city parking. One of their parishioners donated the two South Strabane parcels to the diocese, Callos said.

“Occasionally, there will be church services, but this facility won’t be replacing a parish community,” Callos said. “Our primary purpose is administrative and supporting the work of our parish communities.”

The building would most often be used as an office space for six to 10 people, he said, with regular meetings of between 10 to 15 people. When the full council meets, he said there are about 35 people in attendance.

Neighbors would see a large crowd at the facility only once or twice a year, he said, on certain holidays or feast days, during which they would have between 100 and 200 people.

Included in the preliminary building plan is a parsonage, which, according to Callos, is traditionally provided to every bishop within the religion.

One of the main concerns expressed by the zoning board was the potential hazards and pollution that could be caused should the parcel with the mine refuse be disturbed.

Dan Sharek, a civil engineer with Red Swing Group who represented the project, said during the hearing that while they haven’t done metal testing of the materials that once covered the approximate 9-acre parcel, they did have a geotechnical study done. Sharek said the material consists of “a lot of stone, gravel and iron-ore mixed in there.”

“My understanding is that this is material that was pulled out of the mine and determined to not be useful,” he said. “Our intent would be to encapsulate it.”

Sharek suggested that if they put a storm water management system on the first parcel where the building is proposed, there could be less potential for pollution from the mine refuse.

The zoning hearing board is expected to make a decision on the land use June 2. From there, the applicant would go before the township’s planning commission for land development plans.