ZELIENOPLE — Borough council on Monday, Jan. 8 unanimously gave final approval to the land development plan for the Western Butler County Authority’s new administrative building.
Zelienople renewed its 50-year charter with the authority, which provides water and sewer service for the borough, last June. It also serves Harmony, Jackson Township and Lancaster Township.
The authority’s new administrative building, which would be built at 607 Market St. in Zelienople, had its conditional use permit approved at a council meeting on Oct. 30, following a public hearing on the matter.
The new facility would be located just south of the authority’s existing facility on Market Street. According to plans for the new building, which have been posted online, the facility would total 11,000 square feet, including a 3,000-square-foot garage which would store the authority’s field equipment.
Pittsburgh-based architecture firm Hayes Design Group have provided architectural and interior design services for the planned building.
Authority representatives previously said the new building was necessary because they had “outgrown” the current one.
As part of the process, the authority has purchased adjoining property from nearby Zelienople Mini Storage and secured an access agreement with the Zelienople Harmony Sportsmen’s Club.
According to Zelienople borough manager Andrew Spencer, the new administrative building is the first piece of the upgrades the authority has planned.
“There’s going to be multiple pieces to this,” Spencer said.
Prior to the vote on the land development plan, the council also voted to advertise an ordinance for vacating the area around the site of the proposed new administrative building. According to members of the borough council, the area mainly consists of “paper streets” — streets that exist on maps, but not in reality.
A similar ordinance was on the agenda for the Oct. 30 council meeting but was tabled due to complaints from adjoining property owners.
“Under the Pennsylvania borough code, anytime a municipality chooses to vacate a street ... they have a right to object,” Spencer said. “So that’s what they did.”
