Council rejects idea of stopping redevelopment
BROWNSVILLE – A letter to the Fayette County Redevelopment Authority from the Greater Brownsville Area Chamber of Commerce has members of the borough council scratching their heads. The letter asked the authority to halt its redevelopment efforts in Brownsville until plans for a velodrome in Brownsville could be discussed with the authority members. The authority has been overseeing a targeted code enforcement program for downtown Brownsville for nearly two years.
“I truly don’t understand why they would want to stop the code enforcement in this town. These fines have been levied against these people in a court of law. The code enforcement will go on and the fines will go on. If we’re going to enforce it, it will be done equally to everybody,” said Councilman John Hosler.
“How can you cease code enforcement to further development?” asked Councilman Robert Pritts.
Council in September voted to form an ad hoc committee with the chamber of commerce to look into the Olympic-style bicycling facility.
“To date, there has been only one meeting with this governing body. There’s been a lot of information given out that we’ve never been part of,” said Jack Lawver, the council president.
A progress sheet for the velodrome master plan that was attached to the letter to the redevelopment authority shows that since council formed the committee, letters of support for the project have been received from Brownsville Mayor Lewis Hosler, Brownsville Area School District Superintendent Lawrence Golembiewski and California University of Pennsylvania President Angelo Armenti. In addition, it notes that a briefing was held Nov. 15 and offers of assistance were received from county commissioners Joe Hardy and Vince Vicites and that the Brownsville Chamber committee has completed a rezoning application for a BMX facility at Patsy Hillman Park, which is owned by the borough and Luzerne Township. A letter of support has also reportedly been received from the Mon Valley Progress Council.
“We’ll work with anyone on anything, but you’ve got to work with us, too. We’re the elected officials, like it or not. We did this in good faith and we’re being slapped in the face with all these meetings going on,” Lawver said.
John Hosler recommended that council write to USA Cycling, the agency that is reportedly considering Brownsville as its host community and which is responsible for identifying and training the Olympic cyclists from the United States.
“My recommendation is to send a letter to the cycling people asking if they are involved in any way and to come here and deal with us themselves instead of these backroom deals,” John Hosler said.
“Can’t we reconvene this committee and ask all parties involved to give us a report?” asked Councilwoman Tracy Sheehan Zivkovich.
A motion was made to contact Jack Norris of CB Richard Ellis, a commercial real estate management firm associated with the velodrome project, asking for anything involving the project to go through the borough office first and for all meetings on the project to involve the council committee.