Penn Township weighs zoning changes intended to boost economic development

Penn Township is considering a series of zoning changes to areas surrounding three of its roadways to encourage economic development.

Proposed changes include Harrison City-Export Road, Mellon Road near Bushy Run Corporate Park and near the intersection of Route 130, Pleasant Valley Road and Sandy Hill Road — which is slated for a turnpike interchange.

The changes would allow for mixed-use development along Harrison City-Export Road — including housing and commercial entities — and retail properties by the future turnpike interchange, said Bill Roberts, the township’s community development director.

It would also expand the industrially-zoned territory at Bushy Run Corporate Park, Roberts said — which houses the Penn-Trafford School District administration building.

“These changes that we are facilitating now are geared toward giving developers a chance,” Roberts said. “If they come in and look at this area, giving them some development options…that may help spur economic growth in those areas.”

These areas were highlighted for zoning changes in the township’s most recent comprehensive plan. Adopted in 2021, the plan focused on infrastructure, economic development and land use regulation.

More than 85% of the township’s real estate tax revenue comes from residential taxpayers, according to the plan. The zoning changes are meant to diversify the township’s tax base, said Secretary/Manager Mary Perez.

“Part of the resolution was to maybe find a better mix of commercial or residential … to take some of the burden off of the residential taxpayers,” Perez said.

The township brought in about $4.4 million in real estate tax revenue in 2023, she said. Its budget amounted to about $11 million in expenditures.

About 32% of the township’s 30 square miles consists of residences, according to 2019 data from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission. Nearly 35% is mixed forest and about 18% is agricultural.

Parcel potential

The comprehensive plan identified nine undeveloped parcels along Harrison City-Export Road, as well as 14 parcels and about 100 acres of land suitable for development near Bushy Run Corporate Park.

The changes also address the township zoning code, Roberts said.

“We saw some gaps in some of our zoning language that we didn’t identify specifically some specific uses,” he said. “And when you don’t list something in your zoning uses, zoning law dictates then that is a permitted use outright with no regulatory language on it.”

Residents expressed concerns to township officials last week about the zoning changes preventing them from continuing to use their property as they are.

“We’re not going to take those rights away from those people,” he said. “All we are doing is trying to open the area up a little bit more to industrial activity, should those individuals maybe choose to utilize their property in that manner.

“I know there’s a lot of second and third generation farmers in that area and eventually one of the heirs may say ‘You know what, this isn’t for me anymore, and I have an opportunity to sell to somebody that wants to put warehouses in here…’” he said. “But should they choose not to do that, they can continue to utilize it as they are using it right now for as long as they’d like.”

The township planning commission started work on the zoning change proposal in February. The initial goal was to present a final plan to the commissioners in mid-December, but Roberts said it will likely be pushed to the new year.

Once the planning commission develops a firm draft, it will be reviewed by the county planning department and released to the public for 60 days to gather feedback, Roberts said. A public hearing on the plan will follow.

The township plans to host an informational meeting to explain the zoning changes to residents in greater detail, Perez said. A date has not yet been determined.

The planning commission will discuss the zoning changes at its next meeting — slated for 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 4 at the Penn Township Municipal Building, located at 2001 Municipal Court.