McCandless border plan receives commission OK

Ross commissioners Monday granted conditional approval to a development planned along the township border with McCandless.

“The Ross” will be a mixeduse development by Kossman Development Co. on a large parcel of land along Route 19. Previously, only the parcel along Route 19 was developed, but the buildings have been vacant for years.

Kossman’s preliminary site development plans include retail along Route 19, including a coffee shop, restaurant and pharmacy, all with drive-thru lanes. The rest of the hilly parcel will have a selfstorage facility on one level, and apartments and a gym on another. A park with walking trails and a retention pond is planned behind the apartments.

Residents of Kaylor Drive in McCandless originally protested the small buffer planned between the development and their homes. Kossman enlarged the buffer, but the plan presented to commissioners Monday still had a walking trail within it.

“I do not want a walking trail in my backyard,” said Gail Hischar, of Kaylor Drive.

Ms. Hischar also noted that a small parking area for the trails could also only be accessed through Kaylor. “If people want to walk it, they should get there through his property not ours.”

Curtis Kossman said he will revise the trails and the parking. “We will eliminate the loop near the neighborhood,” he said. “If they don’t want the access, we don’t have to plan for it. … It’s not necessary to go through McCandless, but I still believe we can make that work.”

The preliminary site plan was approved 5-3. Commissioners Jack Betkowski, Dan DeMarco, William McKellar, Sarah Poweska and Chairman Steve Korbel voted in favor. Joe Laslavic, Jason Pirring and Jeremy Shaffer voted against; Patrick Mullin was absent.

Commissioners also unanimously granted conditional use approval to Lockamp Group LLC for a commercial cheerleading school in two vacant buildings at 355 Rochester Road.