When Wilkinsburg council members tried to voice concerns about a proposed auto salvage yard just across its border with Penn Hills, officials at a February planning commission meeting said they could not speak because they didn’t live in Penn Hills.
“(Councilman) Mark Tiani, who’s also an attorney, said, “show me the ordinance, but the solicitor couldn’t find it,” said Wilkinsburg councilman Michael Rose. “So, the commission voted on the spot to silence us.”
On March 21, the Wilkinsburg contingent will again try to be heard when the full Penn Hills Council votes on the proposal to allow Cincinnati-based U-Pull-&-Pay to build a 24,000 square-foot building and store up to 1,800 cars on the 31.7-acre site of the former East Hills Shopping Center.
Penn Hills stands to gain $300,000 in property taxes from the $7 million U-Pull-&-Pay representatives say they will invest in the project, which they said would create 25 jobs.
The planning commission recommended the project, but in doing so, it had to recommend a zoning change for the 23-acre portion of the site the business would occupy. This, said Wilkinsburg council President Patrick Shattuck, is “spot zoning,” and it’s illegal in Pennsylvania.
“It’s the epitome of spot zoning—changing it for a specific purpose. The current zoning specifically prohibits junkyards or recycling facilities,” he said.
“I understand Penn Hills has financial problems, so do we. But the property taxes, business and payroll taxes won’t put a dent in that. For 23 acres, they ought to look at more benefits than toxic water and 25 jobs.
Michael Hiller from the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association said the project could create pollution that could leach into the watershed. Brake fluid, oil, grease from more than 1,000 cars could leak into the site, which sits above predominantly poor Black neighborhoods in Wilkinsburg and East Hills, and the watershed.
“We are committed to stopping this project from developing,” he said. “We want to see the best use possible for such an important parcel of land in our watershed.”
But officials with U-Pull-&-Pay, which operates multiple facilities in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, New Mexico and Ohio, said the concerns about the project are overblown.
Company Director of Business Development Dan Muchmore told the planning commission the business would not be a “junkyard.” He said there would be no scrapping on site, the cars would be placed in neat organized rows, and all fluids would be drained beforehand.
In December 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded its facilities in Phoenix and in Albuquerque, NM. The Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program designation.
Tiani said he doesn’t care what they call it—it’s still a junkyard, and Wilkinsburg council is unanimously opposed to having it on their boarder.
“Any way you look at it, it’s a junkyard. We will do everything in our power, including filing legal action, to prevent this from going forward on that property,” he said. “Our primary concern is welfare of our residents, our children and our community. We’re finally overcoming 30 years of blight and tax issues, and our neighbors plan this? No, we’re not going away anytime soon.”
Tiani may not be alone in filing legal action. He said Penn Hills resident and attorney Warner Mariani contacted him saying, if Penn Hills council approves the project, he planned legal action on behalf of residents opposed to the plan—and apparently there are many.
“What was interesting is that one of the people at the planning commission is the owner of an existing auto salvage yard in Penn Hills,” said Tiani.
“She said she had tried to buy the site 15 years ago but was denied because salvage yards weren’t permitted there. The only thing that has changed is now they think it could be a cash cow.”
Though more may speak at the March 21 council meeting, the only parties speaking in favor of the U-Pull-&-Pay project were representatives from Petra International Ministries, which is housed in the only remaining structure on the former mall property.
The council meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the municipal building, 12245 Frankstown Road, Penn Hills, PA 15235.
(Send comments to cmorrow@newpittsburghcourier.com.)
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