Old Mill moving forward
Developers for the Old Mill plaza on the site of the former Foundry stopped short of revealing the names of the retail stores they are hoping to attract but promised they are “very close” to releasing that information.
The specific retailers who would lease specific storefront spaces are “unknown at this time,” said Andrew Boyd, senior asset manager for the Staenberg Group, the main developer of the center. “But you will be seeing a lot of us in the next five or six months as we come in and get these leases approved.”
Developers for the Route 19 project spoke to South Strabane supervisors during Tuesday’s public hearing for the project. Supervisors voted to approve an amended conditional-use permit for the site that was revised from original Foundry drawings.
Pat Cooper, representative for the site architect, said the biggest difference between the original Foundry plan and the revised Old Mill drawings revolved around an alteration of the stepped geo-grid retaining wall that is currently located on the site. Crews will move 600,000 cubic yards of earth and replace the wall with a gradual slope – a design developers argued would be more stable in the long run. The soil will not be removed, but redistributed within the site. Cooper said the state Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had approved the plan.
“These guys know they do not want to make the news as the prior guys did,” said Jonathan Komin, legal counsel for the development group, in reference to subsidence problems that led to the departure of the original tenants of the site, including J.C. Penney, and demolition of the buildings those stores occupied.
Komin said the group had been in communication with township officials throughout the process of reclaiming the site.
“Nothing has changed as far as the use of the site,” Komin said. “This is just the crossing of t’s and dotting of i’s.”
Supervisors passed motions to approve amended conditional and land-use permits with unanimous 4-0 votes. Supervisor Robert Koman was absent.
Representatives of a proposed residential development on Country Club Road did not fare as well. Motions for revised master, land development and subdivision plan approvals for the Bradford Run site were tabled until the zoning hearing board could grant a variance or plans were modified to address several concerns. Supervisors had reservations about a lack of a cul-de-sac, lot sizes and storm drainage for the Bradford Run stream.
Supervisors approved entering into an agreement with Kathryn Hess of 585 Zediker Station Road, allowing her to stay in her current home while a new home is being constructed on her property. A South Strabane ordinance mandates that there be only one home per lot, but supervisors allowed the move on the condition that the old structure be demolished 30 days after the change of residency.
Supervisors denied a request by John Sisson to allow his auto dealership to use township land near the site of the new police department building in order to access a vehicle lot. Sisson requested a discussion of various options during the May 14 meeting. A motion to send a letter saying the township would not allow an easement passed on a 3-1 vote, with Supervisor Dan Piatt opposed.