Murrysville council candidates zero in on comprehensive plan update

Candidates competing for four open seats on Murrysville Council have unanimously identified one central issue facing the municipality: the long-overdue update to its comprehensive plan.

All five candidates running for the four seats cited the planning document — which serves as the town’s vision for growth and development — as one of the main priorities for the next council.

The comprehensive plan guides a town’s goals and growth strategy for the next decade, covering everything from zoning and infrastructure to commercial vitality and quality of life. The current plan, enacted in 2015, is nearing the end of its intended 10-year cycle, making the renewal a critical point of contention in the local race.

“I think it’s an opportunity to find new ways to strike a balance between growth and keeping the character of the community intact,” said Darren Miller, 42, who came away from the primary election with the most overall votes. “I think the most important thing is that we find ways to allow older families to sell their homes to younger families and still stay here in their community.”

Miller, a financial adviser, is a registered Republican but will appear on both party ballots. He said he’d like to see Murrysville grow at a “sustainable” rate and be able to keep taxes low.

“I also think we need to continue promoting the great green space we have here in town,” he said. “Residents should have the ability to walk and bike our community as much as possible.”

Incumbent Republican Jason Lemak, 47, also will appear on both ballots.

“The comprehensive plan is outdated and we need to figure out where we want to go and involve the right people, groups and organizations to make that happen,” Lemak said. “I think we need to get input from all corners: retirees, young families, school district folks, groups like the Murrysville Economic Community Development Corp. and the Murrysville Woman’s Club.”

Lemak and other candidates said Murrysville needs to update its zoning along with the comprehensive plan, in a way that preserves the “Murrysville charm” he found when he moved to town in 2010.

“I know a lot of the community doesn’t want us to look like some of our neighbors, with housing plans jammed everywhere,” he said.

Michael Korns, 44, an attorney at Babst Calland, agreed.

“We don’t to end up looking like Monroeville,” Korns said. “I think this is a pretty key election. Getting the comp plan right is a critical part of our future, and that process includes not just council but residents.”

Korns’ wife, Jamie Lee Korns, served a recent term on council, and he said he’s kept his eye on its decisions over the past few years.

“Jamie talked a few times while on council about pushing for some smart, responsible zoning changes designed to allow responsible growth where it fits,” Korns said. “We can do that without changing the character of the community.”

Korns pointed to population declines in Murrysville and Westmoreland County and said he also is concerned with the number of vacant storefronts along the Route 22 corridor.

“There are properties that have been sitting for some time,” Korns said. “Ferri’s and the Spaghetti & Steak House property are good examples. Route 22 in general has a lot of good real estate, so when I look at the corridor and see that businesses are just avoiding it, it tells me something is wrong. And whatever is causing it needs to be identified and addressed.”

Republican Loren Kase, 44, is looking to return to council after serving in the 2010s.

“I’m motivated the same way I was before,” said Kase, operations manager at Vangura Surfacing Products. “I really enjoyed being able to make a difference and keep our community growing and thriving.”

Kase said his top priority would be steady growth, and keeping Murrysville a welcoming and safe community.

“We’ve seen Cranberry and Peters Township really explode, and it eventually becomes cumbersome to live there,” he said. “So how do we maintain a balance and keep steady growth while not becoming Cranberry? Having gone through the comprehensive plan once — and enjoyed it — I think updating it will be a crucial part of our future here.”

Incumbent Jamie Lingg is a registered Republican and made it onto the Democratic ballot through write-in votes.

“There has been a heck of a lot of growth and changes from more of the small-town character Murrysville used to have, although we do still have a lot of that along the Old William Penn Highway corridor,” said Lingg, 52, owner of graphic design company Three Little Fishies.

“The comprehensive plan is really the community’s plan,” she said. “There should be committees dedicated to discussing and planning it which are made up of our residents, and we should be sending out surveys that reflect our overall population.”

Lingg said future council members need to “look at how to manage growth in a responsible way that keeps the things that attract people to Murrysville in the first place.”