Penn Township resident Pati Livengood has mixed feelings about the municipality’s proposed zoning changes.
The township has worked through a rezoning plan in recent years to diversify its tax base with more businesses — a goal laid out in the municipality’s 2020 comprehensive plan. About 84% of the township’s real estate taxes come from residential taxpayers.
The latest version of the rezoning plan was presented to residents during an informational meeting at Penn-Trafford High School Monday night. Livengood, who has lived in Penn Township 40 years, was among the dozens of residents who attended.
“There’s not enough businesses in this area to create a good tax base, so we do need to balance out — more businesses with residential,” said Livengood, 70.
But Livengood is worried about how the rezoning might impact the resale value of her Harrison City-Export Road home, where she has lived for 21 years.
The property is zoned commercial, which allowed Livengood to operate her photography business out of her home for about 15 years. Now that she has retired from photography and shifted to a career in real estate, Livengood is concerned she will have a hard time selling her home in the future if more businesses move in nearby.
“We have two acres. It’s quiet. We have the creek in the backyard. It’s very private back there,” she said. “We connect to that (housing) plan. … It’s a nice, little, quiet backyard. But what’s going to happen to the front?”
The rezoning plan includes updates to the township’s entire zoning map, said John Trant, president and CEO of Strategic Solutions — a consulting service hired by the township. This approach will be more beneficial than making individual zoning adjustments, he said.
“Doing it this way helps to provide that overall vision — and the regulations behind that vision — for the development patterns,” Trant said. “The township can be guided by regulations that clearly say ‘This is what we want where’ across the entire township.”
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Areas up for rezoning
The first area addressed by the rezoning proposal is in the eastern portion of the township near Bushy Run Corporate Park, the Greensburg Jeannette Regional Airport and the municipality’s border with Jeannette. The area identified in the proposal would be rezoned to light industrial and commerce — allowing for storage units, supply yards, research and development facilities and accessory solar systems.
Other areas identified for zoning changes include Harrison City-Export Road between Route 130 and Blank Road and the intersection of Route 130, Pleasant Valley Road and Sandy Hill Road, which is slated for a turnpike interchange.
The changes would allow for mixed-use development along Harrison City-Export Road — including hospitals, hotels, restaurants, residences and retail — and gas stations, hotels, fast food restaurants and warehouses near the future interchange.
The interchange is estimated to be built between fall 2035 and summer 2038, according to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
The proposal also would create a low density residential district, intended to provide locations for new single-family housing in rural environments. Personal care homes and short-term rental properties also could be included in the district.
Residents weigh in on proposal
Doni Bell, 73, is concerned about a potential increase in industrial developments in the township.
“I just don’t want to see if get any worse with more industrial,” said Bell, who has lived in the community for 33 years. “The township cannot handle any more traffic.”
David Patosky fears the new light industrial and commerce district in the eastern sector of the township will disrupt the quiet atmosphere of his Bouquet Creek Court home.
“That’s one of the reasons we bought the property in that area, because we wanted to be in the quiet area with our peace and tranquility,” said Patosky, 70. “Now they want to bring in industrial areas right by us, which is going to increase the large truck traffic, and the roads aren’t compatible to handle the truck traffic in the area that’s out there.”
But Patosky admits the township has taken his feedback into consideration in recent months.
“I think they’re doing the best job they can with the situation,” he said.
‘We want to see what people think’
Bill Roberts, the township’s community development director, was pleased with the feedback gathered during Monday’s meeting, but fewer residents attended than he expected.
“We’re now starting to put the meat on the bones. We put the skeleton together, and we want to see what people think about where we’re going at this point,” he said. “This way, if they’re not going to follow along with what our thoughts are at this point, we want to know now.”
Residents can submit feedback via an online survey that will be posted on the township’s website, penntwp.org, by Wednesday, Roberts said. The survey will remain open for about three weeks, he said.
A new draft of the rezoning plan will prepared by June, Roberts said. The draft will be sent to officials from the county and adjoining municipalities for a 30-day review before a public hearing at the Penn Township Municipal Building.
Roberts aims to put the rezoning plan before the commissioners for a vote in July.