Dec 8, 2004 By Patty Yauger 4 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – The city’s director of accounts and finance and the legal counsel for a New York development firm are breathing a collective sigh of relieve following action by the city planning commission Tuesday to approve a requested building permit for a proposed grocery store. The construction project was on the verge of being scrapped earlier, but was given new life when the commission authorized a provisional building permit be issued to Widewaters Development Group which is overseeing the Route 119/201 development.

“We all knew the Jan. 2 deadline was approaching,” said Councilman Bruce Jaynes following the commission meeting. “Everyone was aware we were a critical point.”

At issue was the procurement of the building permit for the construction of Giant Food Store – the anchor tenant for the strip mall site.

The commission declined to take action on the matter during a Nov. 26 special meeting, citing that Widewater had failed to meet certain criteria established by the state Municipalities Planning Code.

The code, according to commission solicitor Gretchen Mundorff, requires the county planning commission to review the site and development plans and that a state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) highway occupancy permit be executed for the project. Additionally, the developer must have ownership of the property.

The combined 15.6-acre tract at the intersection is owned in part by the city, Traft Construction Co. and Crane Rental owners Richard V. Martin and John R. Ketchum and Brown-Kellogg Inc. The trio of entities has agreed to sell the individual parcels to the New York firm.

During the Tuesday meeting, Marco Marzocchi, Widewaters Development Group real estate development general counsel produced documents indicating that the plans had been reviewed at the county level with requested modifications and revisions being completed by the firm’s designers.

The documents included obtained utility, sewerage and storm water management and erosion and sedimentation control permits and maps that clarified zoning requirements and location of building setback lines.

Although Mundorff had initially requested the firm obtain a county Uniform Construction Code (UCC) permit, she deferred to county UCC code officer Mark Yauger, who advised the commission that the city and state Department of Labor and Industry would oversee the construction of the grocery store due to the timing of the submission of the plans.

Future construction at the site will be reviewed at the county level, noted Yauger.

Marzocchi also produced the state highway occupancy permit that had recently been issued by PennDOT.

He informed the commission that a Thursday scheduled meeting with the current property owners and lenders would complete the transfer of the three tracts to Widewaters.

“We will be doing several things simultaneously,” said Marzocchi, noting the exchange of property title, payment to the sellers and recording of the appropriate plans at the county Recorder of Deeds Office. The completion of the deal for the city, said Jaynes, allows for significant improvements to take place, not only at the Route 119/201 intersection, but also throughout the city.

“The grocery store will lead to the (construction of) the other stores and then the restaurant, gas station and ultimately a hotel,” he said. “I see it having a domino affect. Once these stores are in place, new businesses will begin filling up our empty storefronts.”

Jaynes, who has supported the project throughout his tenure on council, praised the various city officials who had worked with Widewaters to move the project from the planning stage to construction.

“The people who worked for this are good, decent people who wanted to do what was best for this community,” he said. The city will receive $350,000 for the seven-acre tract it will deed over to Widewaters.

Marzocchi, meanwhile, said that contractors could begin moving in construction equipment by the end of the week.

“We have a lease agreement with Giant that states we have to be started by Jan. 2,” he said. “Once the paperwork is signed Thursday, we’ll be ready to go.” Marzocchi also lauded the planning commission for its diligence.

throughout the process.

“I’m very grateful to the planning commission,” he said. “They’ve done a tremendous job.”