Zoning & Subdivision Review Committee

Meeting Minutes

Tuesday – July 17, 2001 – 7:30 p.m.
MCRPC Offices, 2491 Highland Road – Hermitage, PA

Members Present	Others Present
Samuel Scott, Chairman	Dennis G. Puko, Executive Director
James Rollinson, Vice-Chairman	Sean Gallagher, MCRPC Intern
Jim Hogan	Fred Frank, Planner - MCRPC
Clifford McCandless	Tom Graney, Graney, Grossman, Ray
Ron Faull	Norm Straub
Fred Brenner

Mr. Scott, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. A quorum was present.

N E W B U S I N E S S

1. Zoning Ordinance Map Amendment – City of Hermitage – Mr. Gallagher reviewed this item with the Committee noting that the City of Hermitage would like to rezone approximately 1 acre at the southeast corner of Morefield Road and Lexington Drive from R-1-100 Residential Single-Family District to R-2-100 Residential General District. He noted that the area to be rezoned is a graded flat vacant lot with trees buffering the southeast corner of Morefield Road and Lexington Drive and has highway access on west Morefield Road, approximately 1 mile from Route 18. Properties to the west and south are zoned R-1-100 Residential Single-Family District and the properties to the east and north are zoned R-2-100 Residential General District. The property to the south is vacant and the property to the west is a single-family dwelling. The property to the north is a multiple family apartment complex and the property to the east would be the Chadwick Condos. Currently the City does not have any land development plans on file for the property south of what is being proposed for rezoning. A question was raised as to why the City did not extend the R-2-100 district to Lexington Drive. Mr. Gallagher stated that he could not find any information other than speculative. Mr. Rollinson stated that the City Planning Commission has not reviewed this yet. It was noted that there is very little difference between the two districts, except for the lot coverage. Mr. Puko stated that the two-family, multi-family conversion dwellings come with the R-2-100 that are not with the R-1-100 and the R-2-100 district does not permit agriculture. Mr. Gallagher noted that 4 units of housing would be the maximum development, which could occur on this property.

A motion was made by Mr. Hogan and seconded by Dr. Brenner to recommend approval of this zoning ordinance map amendment to rezone 1 acre from R-1-100 to R-2-100. This motion was defeated.

A motion was then made by Dr. Brenner and seconded by Mr. McCandless to recommend approval to rezone 1 acre from R-1-100 to R-2-100 and to recommend that the City of Hermitage extend the R-2-100 district out Lexington Drive to Cambridge Drive, in order to square off this section. The motion passed.

2. Norm Straub was in attendance and noted that he had a problem with a subdivision, which he submitted back in May for Filer Plumbing, Heating & Construction in Pine Township. He noted that when he was laying out the centerline of the road, he saw some suspicious looking land, he called the delineator back in, which he found an additional wetland. Mr. Straub would like to end the street with a cul-de-sac and make two flag lots and eliminate one lot from the plan. He had checked with Pine Township and Tom Paxton felt that the Township would go along with this change. The cul-de-sac would be about 2,000 feet deep. Mr. Straub stated that the arbitrary rule on this wetland crossing would be to receive a General Permit so that you can damage 5% of 1 acre or about 8,700 square feet without doing litigation. Dr. Brenner stated no. Anything over .05/10 of an acre (or 5%) has to be litigated. Mr. Puko asked Mr. Straub if had examined any other alternatives, such as litigating the wetlands. Mr. Straub said no, it is very expensive and he has never heard anything good out of litigation. Mr. Puko asked if he had looked at other road configurations? Mr. Straub said no. Mr. Puko was concerned about the storm water management. He felt that if he would change the configuration of the road, he could use the wetlands as the receiving area for storm water. Mr. Straub said he would like to use them all for the receiving area, but noted that the roads are located in about the only place where there is sufficient site distance, either because of curves or elevations. Mr. Scott asked if there was any further discussion on this item or if the Committee needed any other information. Dr. Brenner asked if this was a preliminary? Mr. Puko said yes, the preliminary plan was approved in May 2001. There being no further discussion, this item fell silent due to a lack of a motion.

3. Review of Draft Revised Mercer County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance – The Committee reviewed Article V of the draft. Mr. Puko noted that this article contains completely new material not previously included in the ordinance – land development standards for multi-family, commercial, and industrial land developments. It was drafted in response to objectives in the county comprehensive plan and strategic plan that the county should have standards for quality development in all municipalities.

Standards apply only to large developments. Small developments are exempted. The Committee was comfortable with the threshold standards that define large development.

The Committee did question some provisions in terms of their clarity, administerability, and consistency. Mr. Puko and Mr. Graney made notes of these problems and will redraft the article to correct them.

In general, the Committee believed the standards would be valuable to municipalities and are worth including in the ordinance.

Revisions will be made to the draft ordinance in response to Committee input at this and the prior meeting. Then, focus group meetings will again be staged with municipal officials, builders & realtors, and engineers & surveyors. Their comments will be shared with the Committee in order to decide on the content of the final draft submitted to the County Commissioners.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business to conduct, the meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Dennis G. Puko,
Executive Director

 

Mercer County Regional Planning Commission
2491 Highland Road, Hermitage, PA 16148
mail@mcrpc.com    www.mcrpc.com

 

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