May 12, 2015 4 min read

WAYNESBURG – Waynesburg Borough Council voted Monday to table action on a proposed demolition ordinance prepared by a group of property owners that formed to address historic preservation after the former People’s National Bank Building was razed last summer.

Councilman Miles Davin, who has attended the group’s meetings, presented the ordinance and suggested a public hearing be held on it at next month’s council meeting so adoption of the ordinance could be considered by council in July.

Several councilmen questioned why the ordinance was being introduced before the committee that is working on revising the borough’s comprehensive plan has had time to address the matter.

Councilman Larry Marshall said he has not heard anyone say he was favor of such an ordinance and he saw no reason to get property owners upset about it.

Councilman Mark Fischer made a motion to table action on the ordinance until those working on the comprehensive plan can address it. The borough is paying a consultant to work with it on revising the comprehensive plan, “let’s see what they produce,” he said.

Mary Beth Pastorius, a downtown property owner who spearheaded the group, reminded council the effort was started by people who were upset about the demolition of the bank, also known as the old county office building, and who recognize the economic and cultural importance of protecting the borough’s historic assets. She said the group has met about six times and believed it was important to have an ordinance in place now, rather than to wait until revision of the comprehensive plan was completed.

The ordinance does not even mention the word preservation, she said, but it does address concerns its members had regarding the demolition of the bank building last summer.

At the time, the public had received no notification the building was to be razed, it had no forum to express its objections and no time possibly to organize an alternative plan for the property, she said.

Pastorius said she had been asked to form the group by council President Chuck Berryhill and had made council aware of all of its workshop meetings.

Fischer said, however, council had never voted to support the group’s efforts or to authorize the expenditure of any money on its behalf.

The proposed ordinance requires a permit for the demolition of any building, or the removal of 50 percent or more of floor area of any building, in any residential or business district. Certain provisions are not applicable for buildings determined to present a threat to public safety.

The ordinance also requires council to hold a “public review” of the demolition application at a public meeting after property owners whose properties are within 500 feet of the building to be demolished are notified by mail and the property is posted with a sign indicating “proposed demolition.” The demolition permit will be issued 90 days after the public review if the property is within the business district and 60 days if it is outside the district, the ordinance said.

The motion to table the ordinance was approved 6-1. Davin was the only member to oppose it and Berryhill, as president, did not vote. Lynn Snyder was absent.