posted by Tom Moertel at 9:14 AM /
According to the Tribune-Review, the high-school project has been detained at another municipal checkpoint, this time by the Planning Board:
One wrinkle, which the Tribune-Review did not overlook, is parking spaces. The planning board, citing visibility and maneuverability concerns, suggested that some half-dozen spaces be eliminated. But earlier this year, if you will recall, the school district's plans were found in violation of municipal zoning code because they didn't include adequate parking, a finding that the school district has appealed to the Court of Common Pleas.
The district's appeal rests, in part, on the notion that the planned renovation would make the high school conform to zoning code more than it does today: the new design adds 3 parking spaces, increasing the total from 502 to 505 (of the required 528). But if the district removes 6 of those spaces to improve visibility and maneuverability, it can no longer claim that its new design is more conforming to zoning code; it will be even less conforming than it is today. Thus, to meet traffic and safety requirements, the school district may have to undermine the foundation of its zoning appeal.
Read more:
Updated 2010-06-24 16:59 to clarify the parking concerns.
Until the Mt. Lebanon School District can address concerns brought up by municipal traffic engineers, formal approval of the $113.3 million high school renovation will have to wait... While the [school] district contends the design is best from an educational standpoint, municipal officials expressed concerns based on zoning, parking and, now, traffic and safety considerations.The Post-Gazette's coverage of the Planning Board meeting, where the school district's plans failed to meet approval on Tuesday, suggests that such problems are not unusual when complicated projects are first submitted to the planning board:
For a project of the size and scope of the planned high school renovation, it would have been unusual for the high school to receive preliminary land development approval at its first meeting with the planning board, municipal planner Keith McGill said.The school district's outlook is predictably upbeat, with superintendent Dr. Timothy Steinhauer being "very confident with where we are going from here," reports the Post-Gazette.
One wrinkle, which the Tribune-Review did not overlook, is parking spaces. The planning board, citing visibility and maneuverability concerns, suggested that some half-dozen spaces be eliminated. But earlier this year, if you will recall, the school district's plans were found in violation of municipal zoning code because they didn't include adequate parking, a finding that the school district has appealed to the Court of Common Pleas.
The district's appeal rests, in part, on the notion that the planned renovation would make the high school conform to zoning code more than it does today: the new design adds 3 parking spaces, increasing the total from 502 to 505 (of the required 528). But if the district removes 6 of those spaces to improve visibility and maneuverability, it can no longer claim that its new design is more conforming to zoning code; it will be even less conforming than it is today. Thus, to meet traffic and safety requirements, the school district may have to undermine the foundation of its zoning appeal.
Read more:
- Traffic, safety issues stall approval for Mt. Lebanon high school (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
- Mt. Lebanon board tables step in project (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Updated 2010-06-24 16:59 to clarify the parking concerns.
Labels: dr. timothy steinhauer, high school renovation, planning board, zoning
6 Comments:
Does the Board understand how completely dysfunctional we appear to outside observers? Not a day goes by that I don't hear a wisecrack or something negative from co-workers or friends who live in other communities. The local beat writers must scratch and claw to get the Mt. Lebanon gig. Heck, there's an over abundance of material week in and week out!
While we've succeeded in declining in every noticeable educational category and national/local ranking over the past few years, we've similarly managed set new records for overspending, mismanagement and outright foolish behavior.
Kudos to Mr. Osterhaus for saying "no" to more foolish spending by way of the increased salaries that were recently approved. Ask your friends and neighbors if they got raises this year. Then ask those who did if their company improved over the last 12 months or instead failed miserably in most areas and routinely embarrassed its critical stakeholders.
I'm upset to say that rewarding anyone in this district for a job well done - fast on the heels of a 10% tax increase - seems like just another kick in the gut.
The School District is attempting to put parking spaces in places where they get in the way of vehicle movements, to conform with the zoning requirements.
The Planning Board is asking for parking spots to be eliminated for different reasons than the Zoning Board wants them added.
Our boards are not as dysfunctional as they appear.
David,
I hope that my article doesn't make our municipal boards seem dysfunctional. My intent was to show that the school district's job of complying with municipal requirements may not be as easy as is hoped: its current design gets around one set of requirements by violating another.
Cheers,
Tom
As Bill Matthews pointed out at the March 11 Zoning Hearing Board meeting, two of the 505 parking spaces are not even on the school district property, bringing the total number of parking spaces on the school district property to
503, not 505.
Elaine Gillen
Returning back to Dave's comment, the Board by their approval of salary increases apparently believes there is a disconnect between that action and the teachers contract, currently under negotiation..no relationship. No signaling to the MLEA that regardless of performance, the economy, reality, everyone *deserves* (read that: IS ENTITLED TO)a raise.
Yeah...these folks are thinking using only the right side of their brains....a subject we will all be hearing more about very soon !
I attended the meeting. The major zoning issues and non-conformances remain: parking spaces and lot coverage. However, the Planning Board, Engineers and public brought to light many traffic circulation and safety issues in addition.
The *plan* was not and is not ready for prime time and serious consideration. The errors and omissions were of types and numbers that should have been embarrassing to the District representatives....but note the Superintendents quoted remarks.
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