Plum Council denies liquor license at convenience store in split vote

Plum Mayor Harry Schlegel, for the first time, broke a council tie when he voted to deny a liquor license transfer in the borough to the location of Plum Convenience on Saltsburg Road.

Members of borough council were split, 3-3, on the resolution that would have permitted the store to sell beer and wine with a small seating area to drink.

Skip Taylor, Vicky Roessler and Jerry Purcell voted on July 14 to approve the transfer while Steve Schlauch, Dave Majernik and President Paul Dern opted to deny it.

Schlegel said he cast his tie-breaking vote to deny the transfer because he didn’t feel the store was the “proper location” for the liquor license.

He cited zoning issues with the property and its proximity to nearby Penn Hills Alliance Church just across the municipal border.

The resolution denying the transfer says the applicant failed to comply with borough zoning ordinances including the number of parking spaces, lighting requirements and trash impacts, among other issues.

The applicant, Ali Sajid, said he was hoping to make the store something akin to the interior of a Sheetz, equipped with tables for customers to eat and drink.

Sajid said he was “very disappointed” with council’s decision, saying the borough had not given him the opportunity to make the appropriate modifications to the store.

“I put real effort into a plan that could have revitalized this business and brought fresh opportunities to the community,” he said. “The council’s decision makes it clear they have no interest in supporting new ideas or driving any real progress.”

Sajid said he does not plan to appeal the decision.