A public hearing drew a crowd to the Westmoreland County Courthouse on Thursday as community members gathered to discuss funding for a proposed asphalt plant in East Huntingdon Township.
Developer Sand Hill Materials Inc. is seeking a $10 million tax-exempt bond from the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Authority to assist in building the facility right off Route 119.
Residents filled the courthouse to voice strong concerns regarding the potential industrial neighbor. While land is already being cleared at the site, neighboring homeowners are seeking ways to address the development and prevent the financing request from moving forward.
Sarah Kern, a Mount Pleasant resident who attended the hearing, questioned the transparency of the financing request.
“He’s going for a tax-exempt bond for what, $10 million? We were just finding out about this. There is no chain of command, it seems and when we ask the questions, it seems laughed off,” Kern said.
A major point of contention for nearby homeowners is that neither Westmoreland County nor East Huntingdon Township has a zoning ordinance in place. Jason Rigone, director of county planning and community development for Westmoreland County, explained that municipal authority is limited when regulating land use on specific properties.
“Local government does not have the ability to regulate what use can come in on any parcel in the township,” Rigone said. “What they do have at the township level is a subdivision of land development ordinance and that ordinance really provides guidance and structure associated with land development design.”
Rigone noted that Sand Hill Materials Inc. has already been approved for development and is currently working with the Department of Environmental Protection on its remaining construction applications.
Becca Huff, another Mt. Pleasant resident whose home is near the proposed site, voiced frustration over the lack of public control regarding the project.
“We bought our homes here. We raise our families here. We lay our roots here and none of us chose this life. Why are you imposing it on us?” Huff said.
She described feeling powerless against the ongoing developments.
“I bought my home in a place where there was not an asphalt plant and now I’m charged with, ‘what do I do as a result of this happening beyond my control because someone else in the bureaucracy is making that decision,’” Huff said.
No official action was taken at the public hearing on Thursday. Opposing residents stated they will continue to speak out against the project in hopes that the authority will not approve the requested funding.
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