Letter to the editor: More to come in Churchill after Amazon approval

When one door closes, another one opens. And the next door has opened for Churchill Future. Many people think that when Churchill Council voted 5-2 on Dec. 21 to approve a conditional use permit for Hillwood Development to build a 2.9 million-square-foot Amazon distribution center in the heart of our borough that our story had ended. That is not the case. We are fighting on and moving on to the next phase in our battle. A great deal of work is being done behind the scenes. We expect our case to continue for quite some time.

We care a great deal about Churchill and the neighboring boroughs and neighborhoods. We are willing to do the hard work required to get sustainable, appropriate development on the former George Westinghouse R&D site. We invite others who share our commitment to this goal to join us.

You can contribute to our Gofundme campaign to cover legal fees. You can also reach out to us on Facebook or Next­door to be added to our email distribution list to receive updates from us. And most importantly you can volunteer to help our project. All are welcome, whether you live in Churchill, Squirrel Hill, Chalfant, Edgewood, Regent Square — or Fairbanks, Alaska, or anywhere else.

From the beginning of this issue, we were told this is a “done deal.” And probably five of our council members, Hillwood, Amazon and powerful political figures as well as many in Southwestern Pennsylvania have thought so all along. But no fat lady is singing in Churchill. So stay tuned.

Cathy Bordner

Churchill