Greensburg eyes expansion of business zoning to include self-storage units

Greensburg is looking to add self-storage facilities as an allowable use in the city’s business zoning district, to increase options for redeveloping dormant downtown properties.

Council will consider making that change at its July meeting.

Council also is moving forward with plans to enhance the city’s appearance — through the demolition of a fire-damaged house on Stanton Street and installation of a new community welcome sign on South Main Street.

Jeff Raykes, the city’s planning director, said the proposed expansion of self-storage zoning is a proactive step.

While no one has applied to place such a facility amid more traditional businesses in Greensburg, Raykes said, “We’re trying to be creative. We’re seeing some activity for self-storage in other communities’ downtowns.”

He pointed to the portion of the former Troutman’s department store that faces Pennsylvania Avenue as a building that might be suited for a storage business.

He noted the building has no windows on the upper stories facing the street and remains unused.

In such a state, Raykes said, “Over time, those types of large buildings will degrade.

“It’s just been sitting there for years. We’ve been trying to find a tenant. We’ve been doing everything possible to position that property for development. Expanding the zoning in terms of allowable uses is one of the ways we can do that.”

Currently, self-storage is indicated as an allowable use only in Greensburg’s industrial district, which includes outlying areas and some properties bordering the Five Star Trail.

The former Troutman’s building is among seven downtown properties in need of redevelopment that will reviewed by a national team of real estate experts scheduled to visit Greensburg in July. The vacant lot on South Main, where the deteriorated Advance Furniture building recently was razed, will be among the other sites included in the review.

The team will issue a report on its findings that will serve as a prelude to bringing aboard a consultant to draft a downtown master plan. That planning process is being led by the Greensburg Community Development Corp. It recently kicked off with an initial meeting of a project steering committee.

Welcome sign, demolitions planned

The Advance Furniture building was demolished by Westmoreland County’s Redevelopment Authority as part of a countywide blight remediation effort. Next to fall to the wrecking ball under that program will be a vacant, dilapidated house on Cherry Street, Greensburg Councilman Gregory Mertz said.

Additionally, the city accepted a $9,200 quote from Lutterman Excavating to demolish a vacant house in the 600 block of Stanton Street that was damaged in a May 2022 fire.

Council also agreed to play Blue Sky Signs $22,475 to fabricate a Greensburg southern gateway community welcome sign that will be placed along South Main Street at the intersection of Euclid Avenue. GetGo is donating $25,000 toward the cost of the sign, which will be near the new convenience store and fuel pumps it is constructing.

Additional funds will be needed to construct a foundation for the sign.

“We’re in the final stages of getting our quotes together for the foundation costs,” Mertz said. “We’re hoping to have the sign up this year.”