Pennsy Supply pinning expansion hopes on judicial ruling

BY COULTER JONES
STAFF WRITER

Plans for a 189-acre quarry expansion in northeast Dorrance Township, rejected by township zoning board, are back on the table, assuming a judge agrees with the company.

Pennsy Supply Inc. filed an appeal Thursday in Luzerne County Court, contesting the township zoning board’s July rejection of the company’s plans.

Pennsy had hoped to expand its existing 60-acre Small Mountain Quarry, but needed a special exception from the township to quarry the more than 189 acres. Pennsy requested several other exceptions that were also rejected by the board.

A possible quarry expansion enraged several residents along Blue Ridge Trail Road and other areas near the quarry. They complained an expansion would reduce property values and damage their quality of life.

Attorney William Higgs said he will likely intervene in support of the zoning board decision. Higgs, who represents Peggy Lenahan, a Dorrance resident and owner of a restaurant on Blue Ridge Trail Road, wouldn’t make any more comments until he reviewed Pennsy’s appeal.

Pennsy representatives have repeatedly said the company will have to shut down its existing quarry along Small Mountain Road in three years if not allowed to expand because stone will run out.

As many as 150 jobs would be lost if the quarry cannot expand, Pennsy Regional Manager Barry Duffy said.

“It’s not just the jobs, that’s the direct impact … but we do a lot of business with vendors in the area,” Duffy said. “Last year alone we spent $11 million with vendors in Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton.”

Testimony in the hearing lasted more than 16 hours over nearly six months. Zoning board members reviewed thousands of pages in legal briefs and scientific studies before rejecting the company’s requests, which included extending hours for “non-primary” use, 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekdays, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and adding a rock conveyer to span Small Mountain Road.

Zoning board vice chairman John Pavlick said it was a difficult decision for the board to make. Ultimately, he said, Pennsy’s experts didn’t make a strong enough case to outweigh costs to residents.

“They didn’t prove that to me,” Pavlick said. “I’m not going to speak for the other board members, but it seemed like that the quarry in the last couple years was bothersome to neighbors. It states right in our ordinance that we have to take (neighboring) property owners into consideration.”

Attempts to reach zoning solicitor Richard Hughes were unsuccessful.

cjones@citizensvoice.com, 821-2110