Sewickley Herald

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The Sewickley
Herald
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17 Gateway Publications
SUBURBAN PITTSBURGH'S
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Volu 81 No. 52
Monday, December 24, 1984
30 Cents
Inside
2
Aleppo talks to cable officials
3
Sewickley faces a tight budget
4
Don't have one for the road
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FAST AWAY THE OLD YEAR PASSES. As the landmark clock on the Sewickley United Methodist Church tells us, time is running out for 1984. When the clock strikes midnight, it will toll the passage of many events that happened during the past year. Among other things, the arrival of 1985 will makfe George Orwell’s famous novel obsolete. So hail the new ye lads and lasses.
One giant step: joint zoning ordinance passes
By Mike May___________________________
It’s been eight years in the making, but the Sewickley Area Joint Planning Ordinance was finally passed at a public hearing on Dec. 20.
All eight members of the Joint Planning Commission —including one voting by proxy—said “yes” to the proposal, although not all the persons attending the meeting gave their assents as enthusiastically. Not surprisingly, the most vociferous objections were raised by a number of Edgeworth residents, where a zoning change enacted by Edgeworth Council earlier this year sparked a heated controversy, which last week’s meeting proved is still hot.
Following last week’s public hearing, the ordinance must be passed by each of the four constituent municipalities: Edgeworth, Osborne, Sewickley and Sewickley Heights. Public hearings will be scheduled for the residents of each municipality. Following approval by each of the four borough councils, the Joint Planning Ordinance wall then take effect.
Chairman Martin L. Moore Jr. started off the evening with a history of Sewickley Area Joint Planning, beginning back in 1976. Following approval of the joint planning procedure by the
state, Moore, as president of Osborne Council at the time, thought the idea would be a good one for the Sewickley area.
He initiated interest in other municipalities, noting the central business district, the variety of residential areas, and the surrounding green areasywouldybe belts would be “ideal” for joint zoning.
Under joint zoning, a municipality such as Osborne, which lacks a commercial and business area, could satisfy any challenges by being able to use Sewickley’s business district to satisfy the requirement. A municipality lacking senior-citizen housing, for instance, would not have to satisfy the requirement if another constituent municipality has this type of housing.
Under joint Zoning, Edgeworth, Osborne, Sewickley and Sewickley Heights become one zoning unit.
“No eloquence I can muster can begin to describe how difficult this has been,” Chairman Moore stated.
Another statement by Moore, however, piqued Edgeworth resident Jack McKnight, of Maple Lane.
McKnight criticized Moore for noting that the public hearing was required by law and saying “otherwise, I wouldn’t
be here.”
McKnight accused Moore of not wanting “to to hear the public’s concerns.
McKnight, stressing the “short notice” given for the public hearing and its being scheduled “four days before Christmas” asked that the hearing be postponed at least until January.
Moore nixed the idea, explaining that two-weeks notice had been given for the meeting and that joint planning had been under way for eight years.
“We can’t wait any longer,” he concluded.
McKnight, however, wanted to continue to spar, and Moore eventually ruled him out of order.
Edgeworth residents Mamie McKnight and Bam Behrer revived the issues surrounding the rezoning of the Edgeworth “dump” and several privately owned' properties. Mrs. Behrer asked for an amendment to the ordinance after its adoption to change at least a portion of the “dump” back to its former open-space designation.
Edgeworth representative Charles W. Dithridge indicated, however, that the borough still stands by its decision.
Arthur D, Tarquinio of Moon Township and his attorney, William Grove, voiced their objections to the
rezoning of the private properties. Litigation was begun last week over the zoning.
Said Grove: “The property owners do not believe this commission has reasonably zoned their properties.”
No one from Osborne voiced objections to the zoning.
Developer Prescott Cole, who owns property in Sewickley Heights, objected to die R-6 zoning placed on the 11-acre Sweetwater Trails property. He asked for an R-5, which would permit townhouses.
In Sewickley, Chadwick Street residents James E. O’Donovan and Milton Bures objected to the commercial designation in their area.
Representatives' of the Sewickley Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Committee for a Better Sewickley, and Sewickley Commercial Development Corporation (SCDC) all offered their organizations’ support for the Joint Zoning Ordinance, and urged its speedy passsage.
In response to a request from the Sewickley Ministerium, the Planning-Commission amended the ordinance to increase the number of off-street parking spaces required if a new church is built.