posted by Joe Polk at 3:13 PM /
Mt. Lebanon Commissioners will explore amending the municipal zoning ordinance to pave the way for a developer to construct a hotel between 607 and 615 Washington Road.
The zoning ordinance, also known as "Chapter XX, Mt. Lebanon Code," was overhauled in a three-year process concluding with approval of changes in late September 2005. Several public hearings and workshops were held with the community beginning in 2003 and municipal zoning officers. In the end, municipal commissioners approved the changes by unanimous vote.
Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/04-16-ML-hotel-denied-B
The zoning ordinance, also known as "Chapter XX, Mt. Lebanon Code," was overhauled in a three-year process concluding with approval of changes in late September 2005. Several public hearings and workshops were held with the community beginning in 2003 and municipal zoning officers. In the end, municipal commissioners approved the changes by unanimous vote.
Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/04-16-ML-hotel-denied-B
Labels: commission, hotel, washington road
3 Comments:
This is a fine project - and not having seen the proposed text amendment - I don't know if it is a good idea.
But I do NOT like these late-in-the-game, one-time special accommodations to help one project. It lacks adequate process. It challenges our integrity. When the developer signed the sales agreement, the zoning was the zoning. They knew it and the Commission knew it.
And forget the crap about it’s the Parking Authority’s property to sell, the Commission officially signed off on the sales agreement. If the project was too big for the site it should have addressed the issue at that time. And don’t tell me this developer had no idea how big the hotel would be. It is both very experienced and successful, this is its business.
No doubt, it will never dawn on the Municipality that it may have limited our development options for the property because other developments may have been put off by these “artificial” limitations.
And lest we forget, the Municipality routinely shuts down residents who propose placing an air conditioner 3 inches into a "required" side yard or for other home improvements that run slightly afoul of the zoning code. All in the name of the “public good.”
Don't get me wrong - I think our Community rules are good for the most part. I am just discouraged when they are applied to the Community "for the most part."
Mike - I think the comment I intended to be posted under "Zoning Waiver..." may have set up like I meant it to be published under the story on the school board budget. If you so choose to publish it please cut and paste it so that it appears under the proper heading. Thanks.
Yep. Let's do all we can to try and dissuade a for-profit business from erecting and maintaining an addition to our booming business district. Especially when it's a whole 2000 square feet bigger than the current code allows! All anyone wants to generally talk about, and rightly so, is how high our property taxes are relative to (include city or county here). Yet here we are with a chance to add some fresh money to the pot and some would rather continue to look at the lovely parking lot maintained by Howard Hanna and the other office building located to its south. Makes sense to me....
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