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February 20, 2013

Planners get Neshannock zoning map changes

Nancy Lowry New Castle News

NEW CASTLE — The Neshannock Township supervisors Tuesday forwarded 13 zoning map changes to the township and Lawrence County planning commissions.

The proposed changes, the supervisors said, correct past mistakes that had been part of the existing zoning map and reflect the way land is being used.

Most of the changes are along Wilmington Road/Route 18 and create a C-2 highway commercial zone.

Supervisor Joe Gierlach, who in the past has said the map contained “inconsistencies up and down Route 18,” Tuesday made the motion to forward the proposed map.

He said changes were proposed by residents and businesses and that RAR Engineering has worked on the map since November.

Gierlach noted he does not agree with all the proposed changes, but said the professionals of the county and township planning commissions should now review and comment on the changes.

The Neshannock Township planning commission meets at 7 p.m. Monday, when it will review the proposed changes.

Two township residents, Harold Velie and Gordon Mooney, both of Eldogor Lane, raised concerns about one proposed change that would expand the parking lot at the Mayzon Health Center, a four-story building behind the Noble House Medical Clinic at 3128 Wilmington Road.

The men asked about the border of the zoning change and water runoff controls.

Mooney said the township already has “considerable acreage, already commercially zoned and better situated.” He noted flatter property exists north of Mitchell Road, which would be less intrusive to R-1 residential neighborhoods. One property on the list, at 3020 Wilmington Road, was rezoned for commercial use in January by the supervisors.

Landsman Development Corp. of Rochester, N.Y., doing business as Community Practice Development II, plans to create a medical care facility. The site had been a combination of commercial and R-1 residential. The supervisors approved changing it to C-2 highway commercial.

The partners plan to construct a two-story 80-bed skilled nursing facility and in-patient rehab center on about 19 acres.

The supervisors also approved a 12-month contract with Total Energy Resources of Cranberry Township, a subsidiary of First Energy Solutions.

The move will save taxpayers about $21,000, said Gierlach, who researched rates of three electricity providers.

The contract will run from July through July 2014.

(Email: nlowry@ncnewsonline.com)

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