Neighbor files appeal in development of former Monsour medical site in Jeannette

A land use appeal filed by a neighbor of the former Monsour Medical Center property in Jeannette isn’t going to stop the developer of the property from continuing work on the commercial and residential project, he said.

“We believe this is a nuisance resident looking out for her own benefit,” Don Tarosky Jr., chief operating officer of The Colony Co., said Monday. “It is not the benefit of the city, Colony, the county or the state for me to stop at any point in the future.”

An appeal was filed in Westmoreland County civil court Friday of a Jeannette Zoning Hearing Board decision that granted variances to move the project forward.

Maureen Kroll, who lives just off Route 30 in Bel Aire Place, claims in the appeal that she did not receive written notice of the July hearing, as required by city ordinance, essentially denying her the opportunity to speak during it. Her property adjoins one of the parcels being developed.

Kroll is seeking the decision be declared void. When contacted by the Trib on Tuesday, Kroll said she isn’t opposed to the development, but rather wants information about it and how her property might be affected.

“This is my backyard, and I can’t have noise and lights,” she said.

Kroll is willing to work with the city, she said, to get a handle on what is being proposed.

“I’m all for developing that property, it’s been way too long,” she said. “I’m happy to see it be developed.”

Now an attorney, she previously worked at Monsour Medical Center as director of nursing. She was married to Dr. William J. Monsour, one of four brothers who founded the hospital on Route 30, according to information from the Westmoreland Bar Association, Monsour’s 2013 obituary and Trib archives.

The zoning hearing board solicitor did not return messages, but the Jeannette solicitor said the matter is being investigated.

“We’re in the process of evaluating procedurally the steps that were taken and the allegations made in the complaint,” Solicitor Tim Witt said.

Tarosky has proposed a retail complex, Jayhawk Commons, that would be accompanied by more than 30 nearby town homes, Jayhawk Landing, on property at Route 30 and Pennsylvania Boulevard.

The zoning hearing board granted variances that allow for the construction of the town homes on the residential sections and do not require a sidewalk to be built along Route 30 in front of where the commercial space will be.

City officials and residents have been awaiting the development for years.

The site along Route 30 has sat vacant since 2017 after the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp. finished a $2 million demolition project of the former Monsour Medical Center funded by local and state dollars.

The nine-story cylindrical hospital had been a landmark at the city’s entrance since 1971 until it closed in 2006 after failing a series of state inspections. The county land bank bought the 6.4-acre property in 2014 at a judicial sale for about $15,000 and sold it to Tarosky’s company for $2.1 million. That sale was finalized in 2019.

Crews were at the site last week clearing trees and brush, Tarosky said. Work on the commercial space is expected to begin next year, which would be followed by the town homes.

City officials have expressed excitement at the prospect of the long-awaited project getting started.

“They’re counting on the property being redeveloped and reassessed and taxes coming up in value,” he said.

Kroll said she’s offered to sell part of the 3 acres she owns at the intersections of Route 30, Pennsylvania Boulevard and Florida Avenue.

“I’m not against anything,” she said. “I’ve been a supporter of Jeannette ever since I moved here 44 years ago.”

No hearing date on the appeal had been set.