Lower Burrell subdivides former Blockbuster property in hopes for a future sale

It’s yet to be seen what will become of the former Blockbuster store at Burrell Plaza, but officials believe they have made it easier for the landowner to sell the land to prospective buyers.

The Lower Burrell Zoning Hearing Board on Monday granted a variance to Widewaters of Syracuse, N.Y., the plaza’s owner, to allow the former Blockbuster building to be separate from the parcel housing Dollar Tree. Under its current zoning code, C-3, which is general business, properties must be larger than 4 acres, said Mark Marmo, city code enforcement and zoning officer.

The parcel for the former Blockbuster lot would be about half an acre, or 22,000 square feet, leading Widewaters to request the variance. The remainder of the lot would be about 4.17 acres, still compliant with city code.

“Dollar Tree and the former Blockbuster building are all on one parcel of land,” Marmo said. “Widewaters would like to subdivide that to make it easier for (a sale) in the future.”

John Cenkner of Cenkner Engineering Inc. in Donegal represented Widewaters at the hearing and said lenders who supply financing to future tenants require a defined piece of ground, which, in this case, can be done only through subdivision.

The parcel would have 29 parking spaces but, Cenkner explained, Widewaters has an inter-use agreement with its tenants, which opens up access to 70 additional spaces nearby where people can park. The building’s height wouldn’t exceed 30 feet, and Widewaters would need to file another zoning variance request if it sought to raise that.

No one spoke out against the plan.

The Lower Burrell Planning Commission recommended approval of the request June 21.

George Guido, chairman of the zoning hearing board, said the request is reasonable and “would certainly not negatively enhance that surrounding neighborhood.”

Other members thought the same way.

“That building’s been empty for a long time. It’s an eyesore, and, hopefully, they can get somebody in there that’ll either remodel, tear it down, rebuild or something,” board member Charles Stapinski said. “We need to get business back in Lower Burrell. And I feel that we should grant the variance.”