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VOL. 81 NO. 6
$8-12 million complex planned
ir DALLASTOST
DALLAS, PA. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1970
Harveys Lake threatened with suit
The monthly meeting of the Harveys Lake
.Borough Council was played before a standing
room only crowd Monday night at the Daniel
C. &oberts Fire Company, and persons who had
come expecting fireworks were not disappointed.
Dallas Twp. object
SN land litigation
Dallas Township supervisors, just getting used
to their quarters in the new municiple building
near the Dallas Drive-In Theater, received a jolt
this week when they learned litigation had been
filed concerning the land directly under them by
former owners of the property.
The three-acre site upon which the new build-
ing rests will be the subject of an appeal action to
be heard by three viewers in the Court of Common
Appeals Feb. 17. The action was filed to object to
thes condemnation of a portion of the Van Horn
pr%perty by the township.
"In the legal action, Henry Greenwald and Mi-
chael Jenkins, attorneys, will represent Hazel De
Carlvahlo and Edward Van Horn, children of Sadie
Van Horn, a deceased former owner. Solicitor
Frank Towend will represent the township.
The Van Horns claim the township refused
their offers of two other plots of land in the same
general area belonging to the estate. These plots
were offered to the township free of charge, Mr.
Greenwald said, but the township refused the of-
fers and then acted through condemnation pro-
ceedings to obtain a choice piece of land. The land
in question is adjacent to the Dallas Drive-In
Theater, which property the Van Horns lease to
LaVerne Groff.
The Van Horns seek to have appraisers fix the
value of the land according to current market
values. The township claims it has offered a fair
price for ‘the plot.
Councilman William Hoblak shattered the
strained peace early in the meeting when he
opened fire on Mayor William Connolly, accusing
him of engaging in ‘political vilification’’ and
suggesting that he ‘‘read the borough code” to
learn of his duties and responsibilities as mayor.
His statement came in response to the May-
or’s demand at a previous meeting that Mr.
Hoblak apologize to other councilmen for making
what Mr. Connolly termed ‘‘abusive’ remarks.
Councilman Francis Fisher, acting chairman
in the absence of David Price and on behalf of
vice president Alger Shafer who claimed a sore
throat, called Mr. Hoblak out of order and in-
sisted that he read his statement “in its proper
place, at the proper time—during old business’
Mr. Hoblak acceded to the chairman’s re-
quest and read his prepared statement later in
the meeting.
Two letters from Glace and Glace Engineers
suggesting that the company was acting on be-
half of council in making a sewer survey aroused
Mr. Hoblak’s ire and, after demanding of other
council members ‘‘who authorized Glace and
Glace to represent the Borough?’ he announced—
amidst laughter and groans from the audience—
that he would contact the district attorney’s office
as well as the state office responsible for issuing
licenses to engineering firms ‘in reference to
misrepresentation, in my opinion.”
Councilman Thomas Cadwalder suggested
that borough secretary John Stenger direct a
letter to Glace and Glace requesting an explan-
ation for the letters, and this motion was passed
despite Mr. Hoblak’s insistence that he would
“still take these letters and some other informa-
tion I have’ to the district attorney.
An amended budget proposed by Mr. Hoblak
was slapped down by council after Mr. Fisher
snapped that ‘Mr. Hoblak didn’t have one sug-
continued on PAGE 6
The tearing down of an old landmark. The shatter
pattern of glass in the Space Farm, Huntsville Road,
represents what happened to the rest of the building.
Prize-winning photos “by R. L. Cooper, Dallas,
back page of paper.
are on
In a coming issue of The Dallas Post,
read what your neighbors in the Back
Mountain area have to say about X-rated
movies. A survey will be made using the
questionaire on
PAGE 14 of this issue.
Simply answer the questions and clip the
form and mail to The Dallas Post, 4l
Lehman Ave., Dallas, Pa., 186l2.
tax procedures
explained to bd
Two representatives of H. A. Berkheimer
Associates, Joseph Goguts and Bruce Williams,
appeared at the Dallas School Board meeting
Monday to explain their procedures for collecting
earned income tax in this area. The school
board, which receives one half of the revenue
collected, had requested the representatives to attend
the meeting.
School board president John LaBerge posed
several questions and Mr. Goguts took the floor
to answer. The first question was how the names
of those who owe taxes were gathered. Mr.
Goguts said his firm -would use all available
listings, voters registrations, school records,
telephone directories, townshiprecords and constant-
ly update these by all possible means.
In reply to another question, how the claimed
amounts were checked, Mr. Goguts said by many
forms of proof such as W2 forms, employer state-
ments and records and withholding statements.
The question of self-employed persons was broughtup
and ‘the representatives stated that CPA’s con-
duct random audits and have the right to ex-
amine books and financial statements. Some
: continued on PAGE 13
"TEN CENTS
If zoning changes sought by the Troup Fund
Inc. are approved by Dallas Township and
Dallas Borough, an apartment complex which
would cost between $8 million and $12 million
will be constructed this spring on the old New-
berry estate located on Pioneer Avenue, The
Dallas Post learned Monday. This was the price
tag placed on the development by Oliver J. R.
Troup, one of the directors of the Troup Fund
Inc. Incorporation papers filed with the secre-
tary of state in Harrisburg indicated that the
Troup Fund, Inc. was formed in June 1969 for
the “purpose of engaging in a general con-
tracting and construction business.” The docu-
ments also show that the corporation has authority
to issue 5000 shares of common stock at $100
par value per share, with four directors—John A.
Troup, Oliver J. R. Troup, Jane D. Troup, and
Ann S. Troup—holding 1420 shares of the common
stock. Sold in July 1969, the Newberry Estate was
purchased by the Troup Fund at a cost of $200,000.
According to Mr. Troup, the apartment complex
will consist of approximately 250 condominium
type apartments, a public inn, and a ‘‘total rec-
reational area’ including a swimming pool,
tennis courts, and nine-hole par three golf
course.
As envisioned by project architect Peter
Bohlin of Bohlin and Powell Architects, Wilkes-
Barre, the apartments will be grouped in seven
clusters of 30 dwellings each. The apartments will
range in price from $30,000 to $70,000. ;
Mr. Troup notes that the apartments will he
‘condominiums rather than- a cooperative, and
as such each apartment will be owned by ‘an
individual or individuals and will be taxed as a pri-
vate home.
The 86.64 acres planned for development pose
a dilemma for the developers in that the estate
&'straddles both, Dallas Tovnshir ard Dallas Bor-
ough. Consequently, both communities must ap- -
prove the Troup Fund's request for zoning changes =
before construction on the project can begin.
The bulk of the property—50.71 acres—is
located in Dallas Township, and the board of
supervisors has scheduled a public hearing March
3 to consider the Troup Fund’s request for a change
in zoning from S-1 or suburban residence dis-
trict to R-3 and B-2, changes which would permit
construction of the apartments and restaurant.
The Dallas Borough planning commission
held a closed meeting last night to consider in-
formation received from Florida regarding a sim-
ilar apartment complex in that state. Accord-
ing to planning commissioner Richard Disque,
careful consideration of the zoning request is a
necessity as ‘‘we don’t want to take any bold steps
and then find we have been treading on thin ice.”
Another planning commissioner, Warren
Yarnal, suggested that the commission’s rec-
ommendations concerning the zoning change re-
quests will be reported soon to Dallas Borough
Council:
When asked if he anticipated any difficulty
with officials or residents of either community
in getting the zoning changes approved, Mr.
Troup said, ‘No, we're willing to cooperate in any
way they want and we’re working very closely with
officials of both the townships and borough.”
Dallas Township solicitor Frank Townend
suggested that there may indeed be objections,
however, though ‘‘more to the inn and restaur-
ant than apartments.”
Township zoning officer Earl Harris indic-
ated that no objections had yet been lodged with
him from area residents. ;
Mr. Townend noted that a potential problem
in all such major developments is that the in-
flux of school-aged children may over-tax ex-
isting school facilities. Mr. Troup stated that he
continued on PAGE 13
Whitesells. plan
mobile home park
Whitesell Brothers General Contractors Inc.,
Lehman Highway, Dallas, recently announced
plans for developing a mobile home park in
East Dallas, The Dallas Post learned this week.
According to Elwood Whitesell, spokesman for
Whitesell Brothers, the firm has acquired the
former Ryman Farm near Pinebrook and plans
to split the 60-acre site into plots suitable for
211 trailers.
Mr. Whitesell said standard plots will be
45 x 125 feet with corner plots running larger. The
continued on PAGE 13