Developer, neighbors spar at zoning hearing for Altamont Dollar General

SHENANDOAH HEIGHTS – A Williamsport developer is seeking a zoning variance to build the eighth Dollar General store in the northern Schuylkill County area, including Humboldt and Mount Carmel.

LGN Management, LLC, appeared before the West Mahanoy Township Zoning Hearing Board Wednesday night to ask for that variance, allowing them to build a commercial structure in a high-density residential district, and, contingent on its approval, variances to allow a larger-than-allowed sign and wider-than-allowed driveway.

The property in question is at 620 South Lehigh Avenue in the Altamont section, at the corner of Lehigh and Vo-Tech Road across from the Speedway, formerly Hess, gas station. Currently an occupied home, situated atop a bluff and surrounded by trees, sits on the 1.35 acre lot, which is owned by Theodore Kaliher, Theodre Kaliher, Jr., Christine Gregory, and Angela Chuplis.

LGN has an agreement of sale signed to purchase the property, they said.

The Plan

Mark McGrecki, an engineer with Penn Terra, Columbia, provided an outline of the property, explaining that it will be a 10,640 square foot facility with two driveways — a primary entrance on Vo-Tech Road and another entrance for trucks on Route 61, which would be a right-turn in, right-turn out entrance.

McGrecki said about one third of the lot would be paved over.

He said that the request for a wider driveway is to allow for truck maneuvering, and the sign size is to account for the lot’s height above the highway.

In terms of possible uses, McGrecki said that, compared to other possible allowable uses for a high density residential district, like an apartment building or townhouses, the store would be “less impactful.”

McGrecki said the facility would not use South Penn Street at all.

In regards to impacts to South Penn Street via either privacy concerns or lighting impacts, McGrecki said that a six-foot privacy fence would be a good solution.

Township Supervisor Paul “Pepper” Martin raised concerns regarding the impact to traffic at an already dangerous Vo-Tech Road and Lehigh Avenue intersection.

McGrecki said that such issues will be sorted out later, when it comes time to apply to PennDOT.

Gabe Hutchinson, LGN Management, explained that his company has developed about 70 such stores, and that there would be one truck per week delivering good to the store, on Thursday or Friday between 6am and 8am.

He said the stores typically create between 12 and 15 jobs and average about 250 customers per day.

Asked if the company would set up screening between his property and neighboring properties, he said the company would be open to it.

“This [plan] is in its infancy,” Hutchinson said.

When cross-examined by Attorney Emeline Diener, representing the Salamak family, who lives on South Penn Street, across from the store, Hutchinson added that another truck could visit the store to deliver food items, as well as a garbage truck to empty dumpsters.

Neighbors in Opposition

Ted Salamak, a neighbor, testified regarding the current status of the 620 property, and his experience living in the neighborhood for 33 years.

Asked about the status of the neighborhood, he said that there have been no major changes on Penn Street in the past 20 years, and that Route 61, Interstate 81, its ramp, and the Schuylkill Technology Center – North campus all predate his residence there.

Diener asked him if he’d been inside the home at 620 South Lehigh and, having worked as a modular home salesman for three decades, how much he’d appraise it for, to which he said $300,000.

“I don’t need an engineering study to know what lights are,”

Theordore J. Salamak, neighbor

Asked about the neighborhood, he said “it’s just a nice, quiet, dead-end street.”

He said that 620 South Lehigh has been a home since he’s lived there, and that, as of Wednesday night, it was still occupied.

Asked what impact he anticipates if the store is built, he said “a mess.”

“It’s right across the street. The building they’re showing is directly across from me,” Salamak told the board.

Asked about if the lights would impact his residence, he said “absolutely.”

Cross-examined by Attorney Denise Dieter, counsel for LGN Management, Salamak was asked about if certain businesses were open when he moved in, including the Speedway, Subway, and Anthony’s Pizza, a quarter mile away in Frackville borough.

Dieter contended that the “neighborhood” extended that far, while Salamak considered the neighborhood as the alcove of homes on South Penn Street, Vo-Tech Road, and Maple Street.

“Your neighborhood means your three houses?”

“Four houses. That’s been the neighborhood,” Salamak said.

“When you answered the question that there were no changes to the neighborhood in the last 20 years, you were talking specifically about your grouping of homes,” Dieter asked.

“Our neighborhood,” Salamak responded.

Dieter also asked Salamak about his response regarding the impact of lighting on his property.

“How do you know that?” Dieter asked about the impacts.

“Why wouldn’t it?” Salamak added.

“So you’re assuming that, you don’t have anything,” Dieter asked.

“What, are they going to put up a 30-foot fence to block it?”

“Did you have some kind of engineering study done or anything?”

“I don’t need an engineering study to know what lights are,” Salamak said.

Another neighbor, Kim Gonzalez, moved in about a year ago.

“I’m going to move,” Gonzalez said if the Dollar General is built.

She moved to the neighborhood after her husband passed away, seeking a quiet, safe neighborhood for her daughter.

Andrew Salamak, Ted’s son, researched the property, finding that another similar variance request was made in 2001 which failed, and was followed by a zoning map challenge in 2002, which also failed. Both of which were seeking the allowance of a commercial use at the 620 property.

Moving Forward

In closing, Dieter said the company would be willing to consider accommodations regarding screening and lighting.

Diener, in closing, cited the Municipal Planning Code, noting that the law required that a zoning board only grand a use variance “where there are unique physical circumstances or conditions of the lot in question that create a special unnecessary hardship pertaining only to that lot and not due to conditions created by the zoning ordinance and the neighborhood.”

“The applicant cites the proximity of Route 61 and [Interstate] 81, that’s not unique to the subject premises, and additionally, it is a circumstance that has remained unchanged for over 40 years, well before the last variance request,” Diener said.

“Also, you have to find that there’s no possibility that the property can be developed in conformity with the provisions of the ordinance,” Diener added. “Here, we have had explicit testimony that it can be, and furthermore, it is being used right now in compliance with the ordinance as a single family home, and their own expert witness testified that it can be used for row homes and garden houses as well.”

The zoning board did not make a decision Wednesday night, and will reconvene at a later date to do so.

If approved by the zoning board and at each additional step of the development process, the Dollar General would be the eighth in the northern Schuylkill County area, joining stores in the Turkey Run section of Shenandoah, Ashland, Mahanoy City, Ringtown, Barnesville, Humboldt, and Mount Carmel.

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