Jun 27, 2002 By Amy Karpinsky 3 min read

Fayette County Zoning Hearing Board Wednesday voted to grant variances from setback requirements for two separate properties in Fairchance Borough and Redstone Township. The action was taken at the conclusion of two separate public hearings, one for construction of a storage building and the other for a variance on a lot size.

The borough of Fairchance plans to construct a storage building on property it owns along Railroad Street that is zoned B-1, general business. Although the borough also owns the adjoining property, the variance is needed because the adjoining property is zoned R-1, residential. Engineer Jack Wolverton said the current setback of 80 feet needs to be reduced to 25 feet to allow for construction of the building.

Although solicitor Gretchen Mundorff pointed out that building a storage building within 25 feet of the R-1 property would devalue the R-1 property, borough council president Herbert Myers said the building is needed. Myers said it is unlikely that a home would be constructed on the other property anyway.

ZHB members Pete Broskey and Charles Cieszynski voted in favor of granting the 55-foot variance to the setback requirement.

In the second hearing, Frances J. Zafereo was seeking a variance from a lot size requirement to subdivide a piece of property she owns in Redstone Township.

Zafereo said she allowed her brother to place a modular home of a section of her property, but since that time her sister-in-law died and her brother suffered a stroke and heart attack and is living in a nursing home and the home is now vacant. Zafereo said her brother’s children live in New York and Doylestown and she wants them to be able to see the property if they choose. However, she still owns the property.

Before it can be sold to them, it has to be subdivided. Zafereo said the property will not likely be sold as long as her brother is living.

Since the property is zoned A-1, agricultural rural, a minimum lot size of a half of an acre is required. However, Zafereo owns a garage on part of the property and another house is on another part so the size of the property on which the modular home is located is less than a half and acre. Surveyor Charles F. Grimm said it is about four-tenths of an acre.

Zoning officer David Bukovan said the property is located in an old mining community and most of the property is zoned R-2, which has less stringent lot size requirements. Mundorff said there has been no agricultural use for the property for the past 50 years.

Cieszynski and Broskey voted to grant a variance to Zafereo for minimum lot size, width and setback requirements.