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WVC football Week 5 preview: Miscues could decide Dallas, WVW

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DEP wants more testing before declaring that Jeansville mine fire is out

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The owner of the former Hotel Sterling property said he pays the city parking tax for the on-site lot, but it still won&#8217;t stop a lawsuit aimed to shut it down.</p><p>The Wilkes-Barre Parking Authority intends to file a complaint next week in Luzerne County Court over what its executive director Tom Torbik called an &#8220;illegal&#8221; lot on the Sterling site.</p><p>&#8220;It makes no difference to me,&#8221; Torbik said Thursday when informed of the tax payment. &#8220;We want it closed,&#8221; he said.</p><p>At Wednesday&#8217;s Zoning Hearing Board meeting, Torbik opposed granting a variance so the dirt lot could operate for two years while plans are solidified for the $35 million mixed-use project proposed for the site where the hotel stood at West Market and North River streets.</p><p>Torbik has objected to the existence of the 200-car lot, charging that it&#8217;s been taking customers and bringing in $13,000 of monthly revenue. He questioned whether the 8 percent tax was being collected.</p><p>Property owner Hysni &#8220;Sam&#8221; Syla provided a copy of the August financial report for the downtown lot that makes up most of the 2 acres of real estate his business, H&amp;N Investments LLC, purchased in June from the city for $600,000.</p><p>The report, prepared by LAZ Parking Management of Hartford, Conn., included the payment of the tax assessed for each space. It listed a gross revenue of $13,695 for the month minus $1,014.44 for the parking tax and a net revenue of $12,680.56.</p><p>The report also contained entries for the two previous months:</p><p>&#8226; June, $3,402 gross, $252 tax, $3,150 net.</p><p>&#8226; July, $8,655 gross, $641.11 tax, $8,013.89 net.</p><p>City Administrator Ted Wampole disagreed with calling the lot &#8220;illegal.&#8221; The city allowed parking on the site when it owned the property. The new owner went before the zoning board because a parking lot is not a permitted use for the property, he noted. </p><p>&#8220;We have to discuss it,&#8221; Wampole said of the lot. &#8220;Because there was no action there was nothing deemed to be illegal,&#8221; he added. H&amp;N Investments withdrew its request for the variance.</p><p>City council chairman Tony Brooks and councilwoman Beth Gilbert were the only two of the five council members who responded Thursday to calls for comment on the lot.</p><p>&#8220;There really is nothing we can do besides publicly voice our opinion on the matter,&#8221; Gilbert said. &#8220;In my opinion, since it is operating illegally, I do not see why the zoning office would not force them to cease operation.&#8221;</p><p>Brooks wants to focus on the big picture and ensure city officials stay on top of the project. &#8220;My concern is keeping their eye on the ball for the long-term development,&#8221; Brooks said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Torbik </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_Tom-Torbik.jpg</photo0><caption0>Torbik </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Payment of city tax doesn’t change Parking Authority’s view of Sterling lot