Sale of former South Strabane medical practice hits snag over zoning
Whether a psychology practice constitutes a medical “office” or a “clinic” is delaying the sale of a building in South Strabane Township.
Maria Donohue started Berry Professional Association at 50 Berry Road with her husband, Dr. Bryan Donohue. They own the building and have been trying to sell the property for about three years. Bryan Donohue ran his cardiology practice at that location. The Donohues have since moved to Sewickley.
Donohue appeared before the South Strabane planning commission at its monthly meeting Thursday asking the board to consider a text amendment application to both reclassify Berry Road as a collector road and allow “medical clinics” to operate as a conditional use in the I-1 zoning district.
She explained to the commission that they are in the process of selling the building to a group of six psychologists.
At a zoning hearing board meeting in August, township Manager Brandon Stanick said the psychology practice would be considered a clinic, as it would house multiple medical professionals, while an office would be one doctor with a support staff, according to the meeting minutes.
At Thursday’s meeting, Maria Donohue said she had raised the issue of the definition to Stanick.
“I looked into the definitions, and I’ve tried to explain my side, thinking that would be a simpler route,” Donohue said. “But he disagreed with me.”
She added that the closing on the building sale was to have occurred Aug. 1.
Planning commission Chair Fred Pozzuto was not inclined to amend the zoning code, as he believes the psychology practice already fits the definition of a medical office.
The issue will have to be returned to the zoning hearing board for approval to allow the practice to operate as an office, not a clinic. Meanwhile, the planning commission voted 4-0 to recommend to the zoning hearing board that they do just that.
Stanick was not present at Thursday’s meeting. When reached for comment Friday, he said he did not have an issue with the planning commission taking a different view of the municipal code.
“If that’s what the planning commission wants to do, we’ll re-explore it,” Stanick said.
In other business, the planning commission had on the agenda a planned public hearing to allow Champion Christian Center to operate a church as a conditional use at 65 Fischer Road, currently zoned as a commercial area. The agenda item was removed after the group withdrew its application.
Champion Christian Center has churches in Washington and Canonsburg.