TImes-Tribune, Scranton, PA
Kyle Wind, Staff Writer
March 27, 2015
Friends, between the drama outlined in today’s Times-Tribune article, Friends of Lackawanna members took the stand as witnesses and testified as to their concerns regarding how the expansion would effect the enjoyment of their homes (both residences are within a quarter mile of KSL). They were wonderful! Our legal team was fantastic and we are being heard on the record. The next meeting will be on Thursday, April 16th. Hope to see you there!
Excerpts:
Drama filled a Thursday
zoning board hearing on Keystone Sanitary Landfill’s proposed
expansion, with questions raised about whether a board member has a
conflict of interest and subpoenaed landfill consultants not showing up.
At the outset of the proceeding, the lawyer for anti-expansion group Friends of Lackawanna asked for clarification about whether zoning board member Peter Sabia Jr. has business ties to landfill co-owner Louis DeNaples, but got no specific answers.
Attorney Jordan Yeager presented records showing a man named Peter Sabia is an officer in at least six companies in which Mr. DeNaples is also an officer. In most cases, Mr. Sabia’s address is listed as 400 Mill St., the listed address of DeNaples Auto Parts. The businesses are S&H Drilling, Inc., 215 Corporation, Route 315 Realty, Wallenpaupack Lands, Lakeside Time Shares and C.P.R. & O.
“Do you have any way to identify whether the Peter Sabia appearing on these documents is the Peter Sabia who is a member of this board?” asked zoning solicitor Carl Greco.
Mr. Yeager responded he did not, and that was why he sought clarification about the listing as well as whether any of the companies are either affiliated with or do business with Keystone.
“I recognize that there are two Peter Sabias, that there is a Peter Sabia Sr. and a Peter Sabia Jr.,” Mr. Yeager said, referring to the board member’s father.
Mr. Sabia looked at the documents but did not speak about them. The Times-Tribune has separately been researching the issue, but both at his home on Wednesday and after Thursday’s hearing, the younger Mr. Sabia refused to speak to a reporter about the matter.
Mr. Greco noted at last week’s hearing, each member of the zoning board said they do not have any conflicts prohibited by the state Ethics Act.
Also Thursday, Mr. Yeager had hoped to question landfill consultants Albert Magnotta and David Osborne, who developed the nearly half-century expansion application, about their knowledge of the nature, design and construction of the landfill.
But Mr. Yeager said Keystone’s lawyers communicated the pair would not appear to testify without a court order. Friends of Lackawanna has the option to petition Lackawanna County Court to enforce the zoning board’s subpoena.