New Kensington planners recommend approval of city's new design guidelines

New Kensington’s planning commission has recommended approval of proposed new “design guidelines” and “overlay districts” for the city.

Only about a half-dozen people attended the commission’s meeting Tuesday, during which consultant Barb Ciampini of Your Towne gave an overview of the proposal. Many of the questions and comments that followed, posed largely by downtown property owner Emil Hanulik Jr., focused on regulation of murals.

Hanulik said he allowed a mural to be painted on one of his buildings, but he has concerns about the content and style of some of them, as well as over issues of ownership, liability and responsibility.

While the design guidelines include a document on the best practices for the creation of murals, a formal review and approval procedure is not yet part of them. City engineer Tony Males said those would be developed before the proposal goes before city council, which will hold a public hearing before voting on approval.

The earliest council could consider the proposal is July, Males said. The city has to give Westmoreland County officials 30 days to review it first.

“I am excited along with council to have an opportunity to review the design guidelines,” Mayor Tom Guzzo said. “With this great revitalization occurring throughout the entire city, I am encouraged that these guidelines will continue to enhance development and provide an outline and also be a resource for new businesses looking to open in New Kensington.”

Design guidelines

As explained by Ciampini, the goal of the design guidelines is to encourage design excellence in the private development of new residential multifamily, mixed uses and commercial projects in the city.

They address landscaping, buffering, parking, garage placement, relation of buildings to streets, sidewalk circulation, fencing, lighting, dumpster placement and signage.

They also address compatibility of building design such as scale, proportions and mass, window patterns and shape, roof shape, building materials, and facade features.

Development, signage and facade improvement projects would have to go through city staff for review before going to the planning commission and city council.

Overlay districts

Three overlay districts — historic, river and design — would be created.

The historic district, applying to the downtown area, is meant to promote, preserve and protect historic buildings, structures, sites and neighborhoods that are reminders of the city’s heritage.

Buildings in the area would need to go through a design review process for exterior changes.

The river district, along the Allegheny River, is meant to connect the riverfront and protect the view from the river or its banks. It is intended to foster new development projects designed to provide public access to the river and to be pedestrian-friendly in design and scale.

“New Kensington needs to look to find great development along the riverfront that might not always be industrial ‘as it was,’ but perhaps ‘as it should be’ with people living there,” Ciampini said.

Planning commission Vice Chairman Garry Garrison echoed that, saying New Kensington will never be like it was, but it can be better than it is.

“There’s solutions to everything if you want to look for them,” he said.

Citywide rules suggested

The design review district would apply to the entire city.

It is meant to ensure adequate landscaping, movement of people and vehicles, sidewalks, building orientation and architecture that is in compliance with the guidelines for any visible exterior improvement. It would apply to residential, nonresidential or multi-family sites, garages and other structures.

The city is also considering an artistic decal program to cover vacant storefronts with something other than plywood.

“New Kensington already has community pride,” Ciampini said. “It is the hope that this process will increase pride in the city of New Kensington. With everyone communicating and collaborating, New Kensington will become a destination for people to live, work and play.”