Murrysville holds off on public hearing to add senior housing options

Murrysville officials want to tighten their language adding senior housing options to the municipality’s zoning code before inviting public comment on it.

After citing a lack of options for developments like high-rises and planned senior communities, Murrysville Council is considering updating its zoning ordinance to allow senior high-rises in its business districts, and senior planned developments in its residential areas.

First, that will involve a resolution declaring the current ordinance invalid. Then, council has 180 days to come up with its replacement.

“The ordinance is really addressing two needs,” Chief Administrator Jim Morrison said. “One is that we have a developer who is interested in developing a senior high-rise. But the other is that there is a real lack of opportunity to develop senior housing in the community.”

Councilwoman Jamie Lee Korns said she didn’t want to rush a public hearing, particularly if it gave the impression that council was “doing this just for one developer who came in with a proposal,” she said. “We want folks to understand that this is a part of our long-range plan to respond to the community’s needs and to our aging population.”

Council members were also concerned about what could happen to a property zoned for a senior high-rise if that particular use did not work out, or if the property changed hands.

Solicitor George Kotjarapoglus said existing case law allows zoning to dictate the use of a property, but not the form of ownership (rentals, for example). He said council needs to be comfortable with whatever form the updated ordinance takes.

“Conditions of approval would be one thing, but I think you’d want to take it one step further, and as a part of that condition, to restrict it to that (seniors only) use and get it as tight as you can,” he said.

Lee Korns said she would like to give municipal staff some time to work on the language surrounding senior hi-rises.

“I’d rather we workshop it a little so that when we do invite public comment, we have a better idea of where we want to go,” she said.

At its next meeting, council will vote on a resolution declaring the zoning ordinance invalid. That meeting is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 21.

Meetings are broadcast on Comcast local access Channel 19, and streamed at Murrysville.com.