Open Letter: Local Government & the Regent Square GetGo Possibility
Edgewood Council President Pat Schaefer shares her thoughts on the possible sale of Dave Gerenyi's Sunoco to Giant Eagle's GetGo gas station.
Dear Neighbors,
As a local governing body, Edgewood Council has to work within Edgewood ordinances, the borough code, and state and federal laws.
The business transaction between Dave Gerenyi and Giant Eagle—or any other company—is a private business transaction. The provisions regarding the sale will not come before Edgewood Council. The property is in the D-6 zoning district within Edgewood. Any changes in structure or use after the sale will be reviewed by the Edgewood borough code enforcement officer to ascertain compliance with the borough ordinances. Edgewood ordinances can be found on the borough’s website.
If the changes and modifications are not compliant with the ordinance, the code enforcement officer will deny issuance of a building or occupancy permit. The new owner could then appeal the code enforcement officer’s decision or request a variance before the zoning hearing board. The zoning hearing board would examine the plans, looking at safety and whether the specifications meet the standards within the ordinance for Zoning District D-6. The zoning hearings are advertised.
The zoning hearing board will then issue a decision to either grant or deny the appeal or the variance. If council doesn’t agree with the zoning hearing board decision, an appeal would go before the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County.
The zoning hearing board is independent from council. Members are Edgewood residents who are appointed by council to serve. Council is very thoughtful in appointments to the Edgewood commissions and boards because council members rely on their advice and recommendations as part of their discernment on an issue.
We are fortunate to have resident volunteers who work in the areas of planning, architecture, real estate and the law. All offer up their time and talents through dedicated service to the community of Edgewood.
Edgewood borough council meets beginning at 7:30 p.m. the first and third Monday of the month. Council committees meet the second and fourth Mondays as needed and are posted on the website and advertised if there is a meeting as the committee of the whole. Board and commission vacancies are posted on the borough website.
Patricia Schaefer
Edgewood Council President
nh5
4:30 pm on Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Certainly the sale of of the business and/or property is up to the parties involved. But the responsibility of maintaining a safe and efficient flow of traffic, particularly during the AM and PM rush hours, falls upon Edgewood. A traffic plan for the length of Braddock Avenue- not just this intersection-should be in the development stage now. Traffic is a growing problem and will only continue to get worse. If this doesn't prompt some action I'm afraid to wonder what will.
Justin
8:41 am on Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Well said. Relying strictly on borough ordinances on building code will not take into account the well-being of the citizens of this neighborhood. Of course, those ordinances were made with the well-being of the citizens in mind, but this is a much bigger issue than the application of rules concerning zoning ordinances. And on the ordinances, perhaps they could be distilled into a more accessible format for citizens who are interested in reading them. If Ms. Schaefer could point us to applicable sections of the code and what designations that property has, we would all be better informed about this issue. For example, what zoning district applies to the space under consideration? Though, perhaps it's easier for them if these decisions are kept in the language of legalese and behind a wall of expertise.
I think nh5's comment about thinking about this in terms of traffic flow is the right idea. We need to think about the larger implications of this development considering the current stresses on that intersection right now. We also need to think of the neighborhood's success as being at least partly dependent on the overall identity of our neighborhood. Do we want to be indexed by Pittsburghers who ask, "Where's Regent Square?" and the reply is, "Oh, it's where that GetGo is on South Braddock." Or, would we prefer the response to be, "That nice neighborhood with the independent movie theater and all of those great locally owned restaurants"?
William McCloskey
5:18 pm on Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The issues are not simple and emotions are running high, but Ms. Schaefer provides a very useful service by posting this informative message.