Despite opposition from Murrysville (Pennsylvania) residents, the municipal council approved the construction of a new Caliber Collision center.
The council voted 5-2 to approve the project, a permitted use on a business-zoned parcel.
As reported by TRIB LIVE, Council President Dayne Dice commented, “To me, voting ‘no’ tonight would feel really good, but it would not be in the best interest of our residents.”
Caliber Collision is planning to construct a 12,500-square-foot facility just east of the Manordale Farms neighborhood on Route 22. Manordale residents have attended numerous meetings to voice their opposition to the destruction of nearby woodlands and to question why Caliber officials cannot select an alternative suitable location along the same road.
Council members expressed their understanding of the residents’ concerns regarding the proposed entrance, especially due to its closeness to Berkshire Drive (the entrance to Manordale Farms) and the high average speed of traffic on the highway. Council members Jamie Lingg and Jason Lemak voted against the proposal, both skeptical of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s approval of the plan.
Dice, who also practices law, agreed with Murrysville solicitor Wes Long that rejecting the project without legal grounds based on Murrysville’s ordinances would likely subject the town to a lawsuit they were almost certain to lose.
