Treatment center plans to relocate to Federal Building
An Adelphoi USA representative told Uniontown City Council Tuesday about the organization’s plans to relocate its Fayette Day Treatment Center from Connellsville to the Federal Building in downtown Uniontown. Theresa Matson of Adelphoi said the same educational and counseling program that is operating in its center in Connellsville will be moved to the Federal Building.
She said she is not involved with contract negotiations with Fayette County for space in the Federal Building and did not know when the move would be made.
The program will include education from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with state certified teachers. Counseling programs would begin afterwards and staff members could keep some students in the center until 8 p.m., Matson said, noting that nobody will stay overnight.
She said the center could accommodate 15 to 20 Fayette County students. They would be referred to Adelphoi from the county’s juvenile probation office or from schools where they were found to be truant or disruptive.
Each class will have up to 10 students and be supervised by two or three staff members, Matson said.
Adelphoi will transport the students to and from the building, she said
Fayette County Commissioner Ron Nehls said the center is an accepted use in the central business district.
According to the city’s zoning ordinance, a school is a permitted use in the central business district, but a treatment center is not.
After the council meeting, city solicitor Daniel Webster said he believes the educational program is a permitted use in the central business district, but the counseling program will have to be looked into.
Adelphoi will have to apply for an occupancy permit from the zoning office and the code enforcement officer will have to determine whether Adelphoi’s program is allowed under the ordinance, Webster said.
Richard Lee, chairman of the city’s zoning hearing board, advised council to make sure that there are enough parking spaces for Adelphoi employees.
Matson said Adelphoi will contract for staff parking somewhere in the city.
Adelphoi applied last summer for a special exception to the ordinance to operate a short-term group home or shelter in the same building for juveniles, but the zoning hearing board denied the request. Such a home is not a permitted use, according to the ordinance.
In unrelated business, Councilman Joe Giachetti said March 1 is the deadline for residents with delinquent garbage collection bills to settle their accounts or make payment arrangements.
After the deadline, the city will seek liens on the homes of those with delinquent bills, he said.
Mayor Jim Sileo concluded the meeting by reviewing the city’s accomplishments and plans.
During his presentation he said the Morgantown Street improvement project, which is similar to the Main Street project, was supposed to start this year, but will be delayed at least until 2004 because the city can’t afford it.
He said the city will change the timing of traffic lights in downtown to make it easier for pedestrian to cross streets, and praised the “ReVITALize” Downtown Uniontown group and the Downtown Uniontown Business District Authority for their efforts to improve the downtown area.
Sileo said he agreed with some suggestions on stimulating the city’s economy from Fay-Penn Economic Development Council, but not all of them.
A tourist train that would take visitors to different parts of the county “would be great,” Sileo said.
But the mayor said he does not support allowing parking on Main Street, which was also recommended by Fay-Penn.
“Someone told me, if you don’t allow parking on Main Street, you won’t get re-elected,” Sileo said. “Well I’m not going to get re-elected.”
He said more businesses have to move into town before Main Street parking can be considered. The cost of traffic studies and re-routing traffic would be too expensive, Sileo said.
Sileo said the city is in the midst of a $7 million sanitary-storm sewer separation project, the redevelopment authority provided loans for rehabilitating houses and new equipment and lights have been installed in city parks.
The city has been saving $3,000 a month on its electric bills because of the switch from mercury to sodium streetlights and needed painting and repairs were done on all city owned buildings, he said.
The YMCA building has been purchased and will be developed, Sileo said.
He also boasted about the city’s record of 25 years without a tax increase.
Sileo also praised the city’s department heads and most employees. He said some employees don’t do their jobs and asked residents to call his office at 724-430-2910 if they see employees loafing.