Sewickley Council Defeats Zoning Change

              Serving)  I
Aleppo
Bell Acres
Edgeworth
Glenfield
Haysville
Leet Township
Leetsdale
Osborne
Sewickley
Sewickley Heights
Sewickley Hills
Vol..86 No. 48©
/PNl
The Sewickley
Herald
Wednesday, November 29, 1989
9 Gateway Press Newspapers
50*
Sewickley Council defeats zoning change
By Tony Soltis
An angry group of merchants voiced their
dissent last week against Sewickley Planning Commission's proposed zoning change's
in the business district. Council responded
by defeating the proposed ordinance in a 5-4
vote at the public hearing.
The proposal would have shifted the C-l
zone, which allows only retail
establishments on the ground floor. Eastern
Beaver Street would have become C-l, while
some side streets now zoned C-l would
become C-2. The C-2 zoning would allow
business such as chiropractors' offices to
locate on ground floors.
It was the proposed C-2 changes that
especially piqued the merchants.
Because Councilman David Guilot was absent  from   the   meeting,   council   was
deadlocked in a 4-4 tie. Mayor Marie Guy
broke the tie, saying "Absolutely not" to the
change. A long, loud applause followed
defeat of the proposal.
Councilmembers Richard Brandt, Aurelia
Rich, Gary Farole and Hugh McMasters
said yes to the ordinance. Clinton Childs,
Peter Schlicht, Alfonso Scalercio, and
Michael Lyons voted no.
Merchants said the proposal favored the
interests of a few landlords over their own.
Landlords normally can charge higher rents
for office-oriented clientel than retail
clients, they claimed.
Robert Karasek, owner of Main Line
Classics, Beaver Street, and representing
Sewickley Valley Chamber of Commerce,
said, "We are opposed to any change."
Council's previous public hearings,
Karasek pointed out, had shown how strong
ly the merchants were against the change.
He said he could see no reason for the issue
to "drag on."
Mayor Guy spoke as president of
Sewickley Commercial Development Corp.
The zoning changes were not the corporation's intention, she said.
Several merchants noted that the last zoning change'had come only three years ago
and needed more time.
Councilman Lyons was given applause by
the audience when he said he couldn't see
making any changes on account of two
landlords. He also said he gives more
credence to the merchants than the planning
commission when it comes to knowing what
is best for the business community.
Councilman Scalercio was greeted with
angry mumbles from the crowd when he
suggested  an  ad-hoc  committee  be  ap
pointed to make some compromise.
Beaver Street resident Fred Sharp
brought his own colored maps of the
borough, showing present and proposed zoning. Sharp accused council and the planning
commission of not being professional retai:
planners. He also said professional consultants should have been hired.
"What's being proposed flies in the face o:
accepted business practices not only in Pennsylvania but in the country," Sharp said
"I've been told the only reason this has
come this far (is) there are two or three Ian
downers who want more rent than they've
been getting. I don't think something as im
portant as our business district is as impor
tant as two or three business owners.
"Turn this down. It's a bad idea," he concluded to applause.
 Cont'd on p.2
Joint zoners ask
for pro's advice
By Greg Hohman Osborne's Donald A. Fickens-
—-——— — ' ■■—     cher, who says his council has
Sewickley Joint Zoning Com-      (a\u^  qh«..t p^ahlishinf new