Penn Township moves forward amended rezoning proposal

Commissioners moved forward a rezoning plan Penn Township has eyed in recent years to diversify the municipality’s tax base.

The areas for the proposed changes were identified in a 2023 economic development study. The first phase of the rezoning, which the township has worked through in recent months, is in the eastern portion of the township near Bushy Run Corporate Park, the Greensburg Jeannette Regional Airport and the township’s border with Jeannette.

Some changes also have been proposed for the northwestern portion of the township near Valley Landfill.

Other areas identified for zoning changes include Harrison City-Export Road between Route 130 and Blank Road and the intersection of Route 130, Pleasant Valley Road and Sandy Hill Road — which is slated for a turnpike interchange.

The township tweaked its rezoning proposal last week following resident and county planning department feedback given in March, Community Development Director Bill Roberts said. The updated rezoning proposal, moved forward by commissioners Wednesday, will be reviewed at a public hearing that has yet to be scheduled.

Why rezone?

The township’s rezoning plans have drawn significant public input in recent months. About 20 residents spoke during a November meeting, voicing concerns about impacts on agricultural land; noise, light and pollution generated by a potential increase in industrial developments; and loss of property value.

Related:

• Penn Township residents raise concerns over proposed zoning changes
• Residents voice concerns as Penn Township continues developing zoning change proposal

But as builders continue to construct new housing developments throughout the municipality’s 30 square miles, the township identified the need to make room for commercial developments in its 2020 comprehensive plan.

About 84% of the township’s real estate taxes come from residential taxpayers, township Secretary/Manager Mary Perez said.

Just this month, commissioners discussed four separate housing developments — Alexandra Estates slated for the intersection of Raymaley Road and Valley Club Drive, Round Top Acres age-restricted community between Route 130 and Baker School Road, 140 townhouse units pitched along Ader Road and a 214-unit age-restricted community near Harrison City-Export and Boxcartown roads.

Resident, county feedback prompts changes

One of the major changes to the proposal is the elimination of the township’s industrial commerce zoning district.

In place of this district, the proposal would create a light industrial commerce district — which would allow for eateries, microbreweries and other developments similar to those currently located in Bushy Run Corporate Park, Roberts said.

A heavy industrial district also would be created that could accommodate manufacturing or processing plants, cogeneration facilities, power plants and other developments currently permitted in the industrial commerce district, he said.

“Those heavy industrial areas are located in basically the northwestern portion of the township, up along the landfill where we currently have the Aphrodite Well and also the Hyperion compressor station, which is under construction,” Roberts said. “Those areas are already conducive and have that type of activity there.”

An area in the southeastern portion of the township would also be zoned heavy industrial to account for the ongoing industrial activity at Elliott Co. and Triumvirate Environmental, he said.

All other parcels currently zoned industrial commerce will be converted to the industrial light commerce district, Roberts said.

A few parcels that were initially slated for the industrial commerce district will remain rural resource under the amended proposal. These include the airport and properties between the airport, LP Aero Plastics along Boquet Road and the Draftina Well site, positioned at the corner of Dutch Hollow and Slack roads.

In total, 149 parcels currently zoned industrial commerce would be switched to another zoning district, Roberts said — 37 to heavy industrial and 112 to light industrial commerce. Seven parcels currently zoned rural resource would be switched to light industrial commerce.

Proposal addresses gas, oil developments

The township also has added a new mineral processing overlay district to the proposal to more clearly identify where gas and oil extraction can take place. The move is meant to address residents’ concerns that gas and oil operations would become more common under the rezoning.

“What this overlay basically does is lock in and identify the areas that are currently available for those types of industrial activities, and that is where they will be limited to,” Roberts said, noting the new overlay would not be impacted by rezoning.

The township’s existing mineral extraction overlay allows drilling in the rural resource and industrial commerce districts, limiting compressor stations and processing plants to industrial locations, Roberts said.

“Compressor stations and gas processing plants are only permitted in industrial zones per our zoning language,” he said, “and we did not want to expand their use area with the addition of the converted rural resource parcels to an industrial designation.”

The proposal was also expanded to include additional large-scale solar uses, Roberts said, which could include multiple-acre solar projects or solar panels placed on the roof of an industrial building. Previously, the rezoning proposal only touched on residential solar developments.