Jefferson Hills is on its way to becoming another Cranberry, predicts Earl J. Fairman Jr., owner of an auto care business in the Large section of the borough.

With the southern portion of the Mon-Fayette Expressway linked to Route 51 at Large and with new houses costing more than $250,000 popping up all over the borough, the sparsely developed Route 51 corridor most assuredly will be developed with stores and businesses, he said.

"Sometimes change is good," Mr. Fairman, owner of a NAPA AutoCare Center on Route 51, told a crowd of about 200 people who attended a public hearing last Thursday before the borough council and planning commission.

Borough council, which also is thinking about ways to increase the tax base, voted Monday to approve an economic development commission to try to entice businesses into the borough.

But there's a strong "not in my back yard" attitude in Jefferson Hills toward development.

	Darrell Sapp, Post-Gazette A sign is displayed on High Street to show opposition to a proposed retail development that would include a big box store such as Wal-Mart or Lowe's. Click photo for larger image.

Most of the opponents don't want any "big box" retail development to be built near Ridge Road and Route 51, a centrally located and largely undeveloped section of the borough. And they especially don't want a Wal-Mart.

"We are for economic development, but not at the expense of the neighborhood," said Mark Pastore, who lives on High Street, about 23 feet from the edge of the proposed development.

They are worried about traffic and crime. One person suggested that such a development would draw people to their neighborhood from Clairton, which has a higher crime rate than Jefferson Hills.

Some pointed to West Mifflin's Century III area as an example of what they don't want to see in Jefferson Hills.

"If I wanted to buy a home in West Mifflin, I would have bought a home in West Mifflin. I bought here," said Rich Beam, who lives on Hilltop Street.

They came out in force to oppose an application filed by McHolme Development in Forward to rezone 59 acres from business park zoning to C-1 commercial.

The property, which is owned by ET Bluegrass Clearing LLC, an entity of Equitable Resources, is south of Ridge Road, west of High Road and east of Route 51, at the top of the hill leading to the Elizabeth Bridge.

Donald R. Housley Jr., president of Triangle Engineering and Planning Service Inc., said the developers were seeking a zoning change but had not locked in what businesses would operate at the site.

"No one is under contract," Mr. Housley said.

Brian McGurk, McHolme Development project manager, acknowledged at the meeting that the company was looking at a "big box development" such as Lowe's, Home Depot and Wal-Mart.

No Wal-Mart pact

Contacted later, Mr. McGurk said the opponents were "jumping the gun" because they saw a preliminary plan that showed a large box store and assumed that a Wal-Mart is in the plan.

"We have no agreement," he said.

Mr. McGurk said McHolme Development had helped develop two Wal-Marts, one in Waynesburg, Greene County, and one in North Huntingdon, which is in the earliest stages of construction. He said McHolme had sold its interest in the North Huntingdon store to the Edward J. DeBartolo Corp.

The 59 acres is zoned for a business park, which permits the development of offices, research and development, wholesaling, warehousing and light manufacturing.

Mr. Housley said that zoning had not been fruitful.

The C-1 highway commercial district would allow apartments, department stores, drugstores and supermarkets. A shopping center would be allowed as a conditional use.

Mr. Housley calculated that the retail development could generate about $725,000 a year in taxes for the West Jefferson Hills School District and the borough.

People who oppose the change have posted signs on the highways opposing the commercialization of their neighborhoods. They say they have gathered signatures from more than 2,000 people from all over the borough.

Several business owners from outside Jefferson Hills expressed concern about a big box food supplier moving into the district.

Mr. Pastore, a spokesman for people who oppose the development, urged council to order traffic, environmental, geological and safety studies before considering a zoning change.

Tracey Khalil, of Walton Road, urged borough officials to hire an aggressive borough manager to start marketing the borough before they consider the idea of changing the zoning at the request of a developer.

"I don't think we should rezone anything until we push it, he said.

For now, borough officials will digest what they have heard and reconvene the meeting later.

Borough solicitor Charles LoPresti said officials were under no time limit to act on the request.