Ashley redevelopment plans see public opposition at town hall

The Ashley Borough Municipal Building hosted a contentious town hall on Wednesday night, which saw verbal sparring between residents and potential developers of the former Ashley Railroad Yard.

The town hall saw its fair share of derailments and off-topic discussions, but the gathering’s main objective was Laflin-based company Valley Distributing & Storage’s request to change the former Ashley Railroad Yard from a residential zone to an industrial zone. Carol Kuep, the president of Valley Distributing, and Brent Berger, a representative from Quad Three Group Engineering, were on hand to explain the development plans, should the zoning change be approved.

Valley Distributing’s previous zoning change request was denied by the board, but this new attempt comes with an Industrial Sites Reuse Program (ISRP) grant and a more defined plan for the land.

Valley Distributing’s main goals on this new zoning request include addressing contamination in the area and building a new industrial building. Kuep described the current state of the Ashley Railroad Yard, which she toured on Monday, as “creepy,” referring to the significant amount of modern waste in the area.

As for the industrial building, Kuep suggested that John P. Halliday Truck, a business based in Ashley, could use the land if the “81 project” disrupts his business.

The public responded to Kuep’s plans with many concerns, not the least of which was what they perceived as an unsettled agenda for the area. Kuep explained the Ashley Railroad Yard project is still being developed, but the topic of a more concrete plan, or lack thereof, was a consistent theme of the public’s concern.

“We, as residents, want to know how it’s going to change our lives,” said Sheryl Savitzski, one of the meeting’s outspoken attendees. “We need to see the map, exactly where [the new structure] is going to be … maybe a bigger map to show us and tell us about the water, the transportation, where it’s going to go, where’s traffic going to go. That’s what we need from you.”

Attorney Peter J. Moses, the borough’s solicitor, clarified that the plan was still in the works and would need to go through multiple stages of local government before approval.

Throughout the meeting, residents expressed some additional concerns, including:

• Potential destruction of the Culvert Street Bridge, which residents described as historic.

• Noise, light and traffic caused by trucks going to and from the industrial building.

• The placement of the project, when the Hanover Industrial Park or the former Huber Breaker site can be used as alternatives. This point was specifically refuted by the developers, who noted that building in the industrial park would be neither cost efficient nor would it have access to pre-built and compatible rail service.

• The placement of the warehouse in proximity to homes in “the Patch” neighborhood of Ashley.

“I think there are concerns that are valid, but they’re concerns that can be addressed during the development,” Kuep said, citing Valley Distributing’s history with projects that butt up against residential areas in Wilkes-Barre and Laflin.

“I think I have to just think long-term for the residents, for their community,” Kuep said of moving forward with the Ashley project. “Because what is the future of this property if not me?”