McCandless zoning upgrade put properties near North Park in 'neighborhood-appropriate' development district

A zoning re-do approved this year was meant to address issues throughout McCandless Township, not open up a single piece of property for unwanted development, Town Council President Michael Tarle said during a council meeting Oct. 9.

“We weren’t just looking at one parcel. We looked at every parcel in our community because our zoning ordinance was authored over 50 years ago. And because there were things we weren’t thinking about 50 years ago, such as cell towers, photovoltaic parcels, etcetera, etcetera,” Tarle said.

Speculation is ripe, particularly on social media, about a parcel along Ingomar Road near North Park in McCandless. The owner, Joan Ammer of Fox Chapel, passed away in May, and the township adopted its new zoning ordinance in June.

Some local residents worry that long-time businesses will be out and new development may be coming in that would affect the homespun nature of the property, though Tarle began the Oct. 9 meeting saying there were no new applications or serious inquiries about property there.

It contains several businesses: North Park Par 3, a miniature golf course, a driving range and batting cages; as well as two restaurants, Chubs Place and Tomato Pie Cafe; plus North Park Bait and Tackle; a bike rental and a chiropractic practice.

“I would really be disappointed to see that area changed in any way. It has a very charming and humble way to it, and it speaks the way North Park is,” Lori Anderson, of Braewick Drive told council members during the public comments portion of the meeting.

Ellen Wright, of Old Kummer Road, spoke at the meeting as well, encouraging council “to support the local businesses that have been here for decades and preserve the local greenspace.”

The zoning update began in 2019 during the development of the town’s new comprehensive plan.

Tarle said the town mailed a special edition of the town’s newsletter in May 2022 to all households about the re-zoning and conducted open houses in June 2022 and February 2023.

The town’s volunteer planning commission on March 7 recommended approval. A public hearing was conducted May 22. The ordinance was available for public inspection for three months and adopted June 26.

Town Manager Brian O’Malley said the Ingomar Road properties of concern are in the Neighborhood Center zoning district.

“This district’s zoning is restrictive in such a way as to ensure that neighborhood-appropriate development takes place in this corridor and allows for a ‘gateway’ to North Park rather than allow development of large retail options of over 3,000 square feet,” O’Malley said.

North Park Miniature Golf, GFC Wellness Center, Tomato Pie Cafe, and the Bicycle and Bait Shop sit on the north side of Ingomar Road. O’Malley said the previous zoning could have allowed a bank, car wash, gas station, heavy equipment storage, a hotel, vehicle sales, theater, and more in that space.

Property on the south side of Ingomar Road — which includes Chub’s Place, North Park Par 3, North Park Batting Cages, and the North Park Driving Range — could have been used for sports/recreation retail of any size, indoor recreation facilities, office buildings, heavy equipment storage and other uses.

And the rear of that parcel could have been used for 80-plus homes and/or duplexes, he said.

Traffic and greenspace requirements have been updated. The latter requires developers to reserve at least 400 square feet of land per dwelling unit for passive or active recreation, with a minimum of 12,000 square feet across an entire development, O’Malley said.

“We do have limitations on what we can control on private property,” Tarle said. “We further and really encourage you if something does happen with said parcel to stay engaged, come to meetings, ask questions once there is something on the docket there.“

Rita Martin, of Grubbs Road, said the new zoning allows for “better control of what the developer does.”

She suggests for those who want the area to stay as it is to form a co-op and or look for a buyer who would keep it the same.

Tarle said if an application for development is submitted, the town has in-house engineers and experts to review it, as well as resident volunteers on the planning commission. Many meetings would be held if it got the development stage.

Claudia Buonocore, of Deer View Point, said during the public comments section of the meeting that misinformation on social media is the problem not only in the township, but nationally.

“Shift from reacting to misinformation to a proactive approach. If the town goes an extra mile to drive participation from the residents, it will not only achieve the goal of keeping them well-informed and safe from fear mongering. But most importantly, will lake them feel included,” said, Buonocore, who is a Democratic candidate for McCandless Council in Ward 1.

Paul Heckman, of Abbey Lane, said he hopes council holds any potential developments to task on keeping enough greenspace. But he also recommends public involvement.

“You have to pay attention. You have to do your homework. You have to be here to have a say in this,” Heckman said.