Pull-A-Part
falls apart

The Upper Holmesburg Civic Association has again won a battle in its fight against a proposed auto salvage yard, and this time it’s final.
Late last month, UHCA officers announced to members via e-mail that legal wrangling over the issue had come to an end as the proposed salvage yard operator, Atlanta-based Pull-A-Part, had not appealed a recent court ruling against the project within a 30-day deadline.
A senior Pull-A-Part official did not return a call from the Northeast Times requesting comment.
Stan Cywinski, president of the UHCA, speculated that the will of the community and the current economic climate contributed to Pull-A-Part’s decision to pull out of Upper Holmesburg.
"I’m sure a couple of things played into it," Cywinski said. "Number one was the position the community had."
At issue was a 20-acre lot at 8501 Hegerman St. Its current use is as a trucking warehouse.
Neighbors largely viewed the proposed salvage yard as another ugly, messy and environmentally dangerous junkyard. Yet, Pull-A-Part officials described the proposed facility as an anti-"junkyard" with an environmentally safe design and stringent cleanliness standards.
The company said it would store about 2,000 vehicles there at any given time, with stock rotating at a rate of about 50 a day.
Following three afternoon-long sessions before the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment, the ZBA last January denied Pull-A-Part a permit to operate. The salvage company appealed to Common Pleas Court, which in November upheld the ZBA ruling.
Cywinski and the civic group hope to encourage public or private investment into a green energy facility on the Hegerman Street site. Specifically, they think a solar electricity plant will serve the community and the environment. ••