NEW CASTLE Concerts disturb residents

Supervisors also agreed to settle a property value dispute with a plaza owner.
By LAURA MILOSER
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Concerts at a Neshannock Township coffeehouse have raised concerns with some nearby neighbors.
Thomas Burns of Wilmington Road told township supervisors Wednesday night that the concerts at the Coffee Grinder on Wilmington Road have been extraordinarily loud. Burns said he and his wife live across the street and down from the restaurant and can hear the music in their living room.
Some concerts run to almost 11 p.m., and Burns has called township police regarding the matter, he said. He has also contacted township zoning officer Jim Ferris about the concerts, but has not heard back from him, he added.
Boardman and New Castle have experienced similar problems with outdoor concerts, he said. New Castle passed an ordinance prohibiting outdoor concerts past 9 p.m. and concerts on two consecutive nights, with the exception of weekends, he noted.
Supervisors advised Burns that they would check into this in more detail with Ferris.
Property assessment
In other business, supervisors agreed to Atty. Peter Acker's recommendation to settle assessment values with Michael Wish, owner of Schenley Plaza on Highland Avenue.
The supervisors, along with the Neshannock School District, appealed the property tax assessments after the Lawrence County Assessment office reassessed Wish's property from $440,000 to $88,000 in the fall of 2001.
Acker brought in a third party to assess the property tax on the plaza, which is now 80 percent occupied. The supervisors, school district and Wish agreed to assessment values of $650,000 for 2000 and 2001 and $1.4 million for 2002.