Swissvale Council Gives Hungarian Club Go-Ahead

Hungarian Social Club

Swissvale Borough Council voted to approve the liquor license transfer of the Hungarian Social Club, after a public hearing to meet with the club’s operators.

Previously located in Hazelwood, the club has 35 existing members, the oldest of whom is 92. New members have to have a recommendation from a current member, pay $10 and pass a background check to be inducted.

Sewer Improvement

Council voted to approve a project that will update the sewer infrastructure in Swissvale, although there was some opposition.

Councilman Darrell Rapp read a statement to the council saying he was disappointed in the last minute timing of the vote, having received the document that they were voting to approve just that morning.

Rapp was concerned that the council members and residents were not adequately informed about the decision which he said would be a 20 to 30 year financial commitment for the borough.

President David Petrarca said he had faith in solicitor Robert McTiernan’s wording of the document to not be too binding.

“I have confidence on most of these resolutions because they’re gone over legally,” Petrarca said.

Ultimately, Rapp voted to approve the plan for the infrastructure update along with the rest of the council members.

Resident Complaints

Chuck Ettensohn from Milton Ave. came forward during the scheduled public comment to discuss his complaints about the businesses on South Braddock Ave. adjacent to his home, particularly The Loft.

Ettensohn’s main complaint was about a covered porch outside of The Loft where loud noises emanated as late as 1 a.m. Ettensohn said that there was a television with speakers on the porch, and that instead of going out for a quick smoke, patrons were hanging out on the porch all night and on one occasion did karaoke.

Ettensohn and his wife have to sleep with earplugs in, windows shut and fans on.

“To me that seems like moving the business outside. We’d like to keep the business inside the building and not in our backyard,” Ettensohn said.

Zoning officer and Fire Chief Clyde Wilhelm said that when the covered porch was built he was only aware that it would be use to protect smokers from inclement weather, not be used as a separate bar space. Wilhelm said there may be a possible zoning issue with this alternate use.

Kerry Reynolds from Hudson Street approached the microphone to ask the borough to tear down a dilapidated home in her neighborhood. Reynolds feared the decaying porch on the home would be the site of safety issues for some of the neighborhood children.

Wilhelm said that completely demolishing the vacant home would be a sticky legal issue, but the borough could demolish the porch and clean up the overgrown front yard at virtually no cost.

Princess Craighead from Delmar Way and her neighbors have been having problems with raccoons and other pests. Borough Secretary Amanda Ford referred Craighead to put her name on a waiting list for a trap from Public Works Director Carmine Russo.