S. Strabane car storage lot approved, but nothing’s final
W&W Realty Enterprises (Washington Ford) has the green light to develop a vehicle storage lot in South Strabane Township. However, the possibility that the dealership will lose the land in question by eminent domain still exists.
Representatives of W&W have come before the township board of supervisors several times in an attempt to develop a portion of 4.58 acres adjacent to township property at 570 Washington Road.
After the original application was denied Aug. 23, the dealership came back to supervisors and secured conditional-use approval for a sales lot Oct. 25. Then, Nov. 2, the business received a special exception from the zoning hearing board for vehicle storage, subject to several conditions, including hours of operation, lighting and noise restrictions.
On Jan. 24, supervisors unanimously approved final land development plans for a storage lot.
Discussion about taking that property through eminent domain has been suspended, but not closed, said supervisors Chairman Thomas Moore.
“We are negotiating with W&W,” Moore said Tuesday. “No decision has been made.”
On Nov. 21, supervisors directed their solicitor to investigate obtaining the property for municipal purposes, including possible expansion of the municipal and police buildings, a park or a recreation building.
The lot, zoned commercial, C-2, is owned by the Colussi family and is listed by Century 21 Frontier Realty for $850,000.
Thomas Lonich, an attorney representing W&W, said a sale to the dealership is pending.
“Obviously, we were pleased that the board granted final land development approval,” Lonich said. “We look forward to moving forward with the project.”
Washington Ford owns property on the other side of the municipal building. Moore has said that it makes sense for the township to look into obtaining the Colussi property for future development.
“There are numerous other uses that we’ll never have if that property is sold. Even if we wanted to expand later, we wouldn’t have the opportunity,” Moore has said.
Supervisors would have to adopt an ordinance in order to move forward with eminent domain procedures.