Punxsutawney borough council heard comments from several residents and developer Milo Ritton at Wednesday’s public hearing regarding the re-zoning of property along West Mahoning Street for a proposed Arby’s Restaurant.
Ritton is asking council to re-zone the property from Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) to Highway Commercial.
TND zoning allows for a variety of housing types, such as educational facilities, civic buildings and other less-intrusive commercial businesses while Highway Commercial zoning allows for restaurants, retails stores, and similar establishments.
Ritton said TND does allow for commercial business. Ritton’s Attorney Jim Dennison said they are asking for a short expansion of the highway commercial zone to include Ritton’s four lots and noted the other commercial businesses in the area.
Dennison also said that Ritton and his team will go through the planning, permit and screening processes involved with developing a commercial building in a residential area.
Punxsy residents asserted that they are not opposed to an Arby’s restaurant in town – but they are opposed to the location and the rezoning of that location citing concerns including neighborhood impact, traffic, litter, noise, lighting, among others.
Council will vote on the matter in June.
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