Council rejects bid to keep vacant lot as green space
SLIPPERY ROCK — Borough Council rejected a bid of more than $208,300 for a vacant lot at the corner of Main and New Castle streets at its meeting Tuesday night.
Nearly 20 residents crowded the borough building to express their desire to see Slippery Rock Development maintain the lot as a green space. Slippery Rock Development was the only entity that submitted a bid by the deadline.
Some residents in attendance who supported the green space have lived in Slippery Rock more than 50 years.
Jeff Galmarini, a member of Slippery Rock Development and owner of the borough’s Giant Eagle, said more than 80 citizens pledged funds toward their bid. He urged council members to accept the bid during public comment.
“This offer was a generous part of a plan to make something to be proud of,” he said. “We’d like to work with council to do that.”
Nick Normand, borough resident and SRU professor, said he would be willing to contribute to developing the green space for part of his grant writing class.
“The lot has transformed our town into a social place,” he said. “I’d love to use the green space for my grant writing class so they can look to adding trees, fountains, whatever we envision as a community.”
Before the vote, Mayor Jondavid Longo expressed his opinion on the lot’s future.
He began by saying Slippery Rock Development is a valued organization, and that the borough’s current green space is what makes it appealing to visitors.
“There’s over 100 acres of underutilized green space in the borough, you don’t voluntarily give away prime commercial real estate in downtown,” he said “It’s not up to us to decide the feasibility for the developer … we need to focus on land we do own. Be deliberate coming up on this vote.”
The vacant lot is zoned as a central business district and Main Street corridor overlay.
Council member Ron Steele made a motion to accept Slippery Rock Development’s bid. Four council members, Denton Zeronas, Royce Lorentz, John Hicks and Lauren Christmann voted to reject the bid. Jeff Campbell, Alexandra Tuten and Steele voted to accept it.
With the bid rejected, solicitor Rebecca Black said the property needs to be resurveyed.
“A few days before bids were due, it was discovered that the borough’s gazebo is on part of the parcel,” she said. “They have to modify the lot lines so that portion of property is taken off.”
Once this is completed, Black told council it may not be beneficial to immediately put the property on the market again.
“Maybe give it a couple of months and open it for bids again,” she said. “You all will have to decide if you want to move forward or hold off.”
Steele expressed his desire to keep the lot a green space early in the meeting and thanked the development for its efforts.
“Thank you for trying to benefit our community,” he said.
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Butler Eagle.
