Murrysville officials want more input on proposal to allow senior high-rises

A proposal to update Murrysville’s zoning ordinance to accommodate more senior housing options was voted down this month after council received negative feedback from residents.

Council has held recent discussions about updating its zoning ordinance to allow senior high-rises in its business districts and senior planned developments in its residential areas. Staff cited a lack of options for long-term residents who want to remain in Murrysville but who also want to do away with things such as a big yard to maintain.

Council President Dayne Dice said he’d received “nothing but negative comments about this proposal, and I’ve received quite a few.”

In addition to addressing a need for more senior housing options, the proposal was spurred by a developer seeking to build senior high-rise apartments in town.

Councilman Mac McKenna said he’s also gotten negative feedback from residents. His concerns centered around the possible addition of high-rise housing as a permitted use in some zoning districts.

“(As a) permissible land use, we would lose all control,” McKenna said. “Anyone with land in that district could decide to build one of those and, even if everyone in the whole community was against it, we still couldn’t stop it.”

“I do believe there’s a real need for senior living accommodations,” Councilwoman Toni Brockway said. “Just not this.”

McKenna and Councilman Loren Kase pointed to the Hillstone project, a proposal for a planned residential development off Export-Harrison City Road that is tailored toward senior living.

“We just approved (that) without any significant changes to our current zoning,” Kase said. “We’re supportive of this in Murrysville, but if this is an issue that needs addressed, I don’t think it’s right to allow a single development to dictate whether we make that change.”

Kase and others noted that with virtual council meetings, the norm for the past several months, the greater public may not be as aware of the proposal.

“It may be good to hear some further input from the community,” Kase said. “That may dictate where we go with this.”

Hillstone’s approval made plain the need for new senior housing options.

“As of today, there are 14 lot reservations (for Hillstone),” project representative Bruce Corna said. “That’s one-third of them already, and we’re tickled to take care of these conditions and get started.”

Several council members said, between virtual meetings and the holiday rush, they’d like to wait and hear input from more residents.

“Just because we vote it down doesn’t mean we can’t bring it back later, based on what we hear from the community,” Dice said.

Ken Berenger, who lives in the Settler’s Ridge development near the proposed high-rise, said he supports the idea, just not the location.

“There are numerous terrific locations within just a few miles that already have senior living, including nearby in Monroeville,” Berenger said.

The first step in amending the ordinance was to create a resolution declaring the current ordinance invalid. Council voted 6-0 in rejecting said resolution. Councilman Tony Spadaro was not present.

Council’s first meeting of 2021 will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 4. It will include a reorganization meeting as well. Meetings are livestreamed on Comcast local access Channel 19 and at Murrysville.com.