The Greater Bustleton Civic League held a meeting to update members on the proposed UPS sorting facility planned for 1 Red Lion Road.
Members listened to GBCL president Jack O’Hara and attorney Paul Toner, of Orphanides & Toner, who is handling the civic group’s appeal of zoning and building permits, issued by the city Department of Licenses and Inspections.
The GBCL wants to be permitted to present expert testimony in front of the Zoning Board of Adjustment and the Board of L&I Review. Common Pleas Court and Commonwealth Court have ruled against the civic group’s appeals.
The three-judge panel of Commonwealth Court judges voted 2-1 against the GBCL appeal, with Judge Stacy Wallace dissenting.
Toner is asking Commonwealth Court to either reconsider its decision or to have the full nine-member court hear the case.
“Greater Bustleton deserves to have its day in court,” Toner said.
Opponents cite traffic as the main reason they don’t want the facility built.
UPS would operate 24 hours a day and would add an estimated 425 jobs. In all, there would be 350 truck bays and an estimated 4,649 trips per day (inbound and outbound), including some 1,000 tractor trailers entering and exiting on Sandmeyer Lane.
O’Hara and a man in the crowd got into a brief dispute when the man asked what the civic president wanted at the Red Lion site instead of UPS.
Relteva, which owns the Red Lion Road property, has sued the GBCL for appealing. The suit caused the civic group’s insurer to not renew its directors and officers insurance policy. The policy with a new company is much more costly.
The Greater Bustleton Civic League will meet again on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m. at American Heritage Credit Union. 2060 Red Lion Road. ••
