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WILKES-BARRE — The city’s Zoning Hearing Board approved the relocation of a tire retreading operation that will create at least 40 new jobs to a warehouse near Butler Street.
“It will be the largest in the United States,” said Charles Story, senior project manager with McCarthy Tire Service Co. Story said the company retreads 1,000 truck tires a day.
The family-owned company that has been in business since 1926 sought a variance to move the operation from its facility on Kidder Street to the nearby warehouse. Equipment will be installed to reduce noise and contain emissions, Story said. The company will hold a job fair to fill the new spots for the operation expected to be ready by the fall , he said.
The board also approved a variance to CMCafe SMain Inc. to open a grocery store and cafe on Public Square. Chris Cawley said his store, City Market and Cafe, is one of three franchised by Convenient Food Marts and will be open seven days a week. More than half the sales are expected to come from the cafe and the remainder will be from grocery items, many of them locally sourced, he said.
“Our intent is to work with a lot of local vendors,” Cawley said.
The board heard several cases continued from last month.
It gave the go ahead to Peter L. Dragon III to convert the former Holy Saviour school on Worrall Street into an office building.
But it put off until the June 15 hearing on whether to grant a variance to Leo A. Glodzik III to convert a garage at the rear of 253 N. Hancock St. into apartments.
Neighbors said Glodzik, the former city towing contractor, renovated the detached garage and had tenants move in and out already. They also complained that parking was an issue because the garage door opened onto a narrow alley and, in order to park inside the garage, a driver had to maneuver onto an adjacent neighbor’s property.
At the suggestion of solicitor Charles McCormick, the board agreed to meet Glodizk at his property to view it in order to make determination on the variance.
Glodzik, who pleaded guilty in April to bank fraud and other charges in a plea deal, is out on bail and has a sentencing hearing scheduled for Aug. 16.