Planning Commission approves Cochran, magistrate’s office
BUTLER TWP — The township planning commission voted to recommend township commissioners approve two development projects at its meeting Tuesday evening.
Ray Gusty, representing Fahringer, McCarty, Grey, a land-development consulting firm in Monroeville, addressed outstanding comments on plans initially proposed in January regarding a new facility for #1 Cochran, which acquired the former Butler County Ford in March 2022.
Pending approval by township commissioners, the approximately 30,000-square-foot facility is set to be constructed on Evans City Road near Eberhart Road and Butler County Memorial Park Cemetery and Mausoleum.
Bill Krahe, of Grand View Development, said in January that the facility is planned to be a “state-of-the-art building,” which would also include a collision repair facility in the rear and a new dealership on the left side of the driveway.
Gusty laid out plans for stormwater management and updated screening between #1 Cochran and the cemetery, which will include more evergreens to further separate the two.
He also addressed an old concern of loudspeakers creating too much noise across the grounds of the new dealership that would carry over to the cemetery.
“Cochran said in the age of cellphones, they do not even use loudspeakers anymore,” Gusty said, saying they favor calls and texts. “So, they’re all surprisingly quiet.”
Gusty also said that deceleration lanes are not required on Evans City Road. Daniel S. Deiseroth, township engineer, said there will be a turning lane in the westbound direction.
Work at the site is expected to begin in June, if given the final approval by the commissioners.
The Planning Commission also voted to recommend commissioners approve renovation of a building on Fairground Hill Road that is to become the new office space for District Judge Kevin O’Donnell.
Luke Gindlesperger, a civil engineer with H.F. Lenz, said the current plan for the magistrate’s office is to utilize the existing right half of the building, which is around 4,500 square feet.
“My understanding is the building is currently an office space,” Gindlesperger said, “this will just be a new office space with public transients, basically allowing the public to go in there and handle whatever business they need to with the magistrate.”
Gindlesperger also outlined paving plans for the parking lots, saying no new stormwater conveyance will be added.
