A hearing to discuss development plans for the former Micale
Construction site will be held at 7:15 p.m. Sept. 1 in the Bradford
City Council chambers.

The Zoning Hearing Board will consider Tarport Properties LLC’s
request for three variances to allow the construction of a
four-story, 72-room Holiday Inn Express. Tarport is the parent
company of Bisett on Davis Street.

According to a legal notice for the meeting, the variances are
requesting exemptions from the city’s zoning codes for the areas of
height requirements, setback requirements for certain parking
areas, and landscaping requirements for certain parking areas. City
Clerk John Peterson originally rejected the company’s proposal
based on those grounds.

The potential holdup apparently hasn’t stopped planners from
setting an ambitious schedule.

“There’s still other things that have to happen,” Peterson said.
“I believe they hope to see construction start this fall. It still
has to go through the (McKean County) Planning Commission and
(Bradford) City Council.”

George Gigliotti and Bill Gleason of Bisett Building Center, the
property’s new owner, could not be reached for comment Friday.

The five-acre piece of land rests between Tunungwant Creek and
the Forman Street exit ramp for the U.S. Route 219 Bradford Bypass.
In March, a crew demolished the former Micale Construction building
that sat on the property.

Before work can continue, the top remaining hurdle is the
three-story and 50-foot-high limits for buildings in that area.
Tarport is requesting special permission to construct a four-story
hotel that would be 54 feet high.

There are also parking issues to get around.

All spaces have to be at least five feet from the property line,
and there are also landscaping requirements for one or two spaces.
Tarport is also asking for relief from those stipulations.