Dormont residents push back against proposed high-rise apartment project
DORMONT, Pa. —
Dormont residents are speaking out against a proposed high-rise apartment building that could replace the park-and-ride lot next to the T station, with borough leaders emphasizing that the project is still in its early stages.
“You cannot bring a building of this size to the borough and have it be successful,” said Trey Papuga, a Dormont resident.
The proposed development could be up to eight stories tall and include 15% affordable housing units, according to zoning regulations.
Residents have primarily raised concerns about parking, infrastructure and taxes.
“Dormont has difficulty parking the cars that we have right now,” said Bob Dawe, another resident. “You’re going to add several hundred more cars with no parking spaces. You’re going to tear out half of the park-and-ride lot, which is free parking.”
West Smith, another Dormont resident, criticized the plan, saying, “PRT, they’re committing suicide by putting houses where their customers park.”
Papuga also expressed concerns about the borough’s infrastructure, stating, “The sewers can’t handle what they want to put up.”
In June, Dormont Council voted to enter into an exclusive negotiation agreement with PRT and developer Pennrose. The next step in the process is a feasibility study, which could take six to 24 months.
Some residents are open to seeing how the project develops.
“I understand that there is a lot of work that’s going to be done over the next six to 20 months to essentially make sure that [it’s] safe, make sure that traffic is not going to be too negatively impacted, and lastly, any other considerations in terms of financial [impact] with our borough to make sure that it makes sense from a tax base perspective,” said Daniel Webb, a Dormont resident.
Others believe the project should not have progressed this far.
“The time to do the feasibility study was before they started getting into cozy agreements with people who have their own agenda,” Dawe said.
Dormont Council has created a section on its website dedicated to the project, aiming to address questions and dispel misconceptions. Officials say it is too early to determine specifics about the proposed development.
You can read more about the proposed plan here.
Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.