Unity Township's zoning hearing board on Tuesday voted, 3-1, to approve an ordinance variance request by Douglas G. Jaffe in his efforts to build a Subway restaurant along Route 981.
Jaffe, the owner of Subway 981, plans to build on a 7-acre plot along the road's west side. He had to make the variance request because of the proposed PennDOT project to pave and widen Route 981 in the coming year.
The latest details of the planned PennDOT project dictated that Jaffe revise his site plan to include as much as a 3-foot reduction of the front-side setback from Route 981 and also a 3 1/2-foot reduction of the parking buffer, according to project developer Stephen Pilipovich, of Tri-County Engineering LLC, Greensburg.
Township law requires commercial businesses to have 75-foot front-side setbacks and 35-foot front parking buffers, said board member Dorothy Zello. The original project site plan, approved by the planning commission in early 2004, observed those regulations. But township officials requested a revised plan from Pilipovich after seeing details of the PennDOT project.
In addressing the board, Jaffe mentioned his efforts to reduce the size of the restaurant by about 1,000 square feet. He added that the developer's hardship was created by the PennDOT plan.
"We knew this (PennDOT) project was coming, and we tried to act in advance of that," Jaffe said.
Lewis and Charlotte Smith, who live on property neighboring the planned site, objected out of concern for potential disruptions to their privacy from traffic.
"With the current plan, we don't feel we're disrupting the character of the surrounding community," Jaffe countered.
Township solicitor Dan Hewitt expressed concern that Jaffe may be seeking another variance in the future if PennDOT changes its project details again.
In other business, the board voted, 4-0, to approve a request by Alan McCullough, owner of Homecraft Veener and Woodworker Supply at 1102 Manor Street in Baggaley, to build an 1,100-square-foot pole-framed extension to store lumber.
The developers of both projects now must file site plans with the township planning commission, which meets at 7 p.m. Oct. 3.
