Zoning changes looming in Washington Township

October 22, 2007|By JENNIFER FITCH

WAYNESBORO, PA. - Recommendations have been made on how zoning could change in Washington Township, Pa.

Professional community planners working with Washington Township and the Borough of Waynesboro have formed suggestions on how township land could be zoned in the future.

Township Manager Mike Christopher said he has seen the changes, but he might recommend against many of the ones with completely new zones.

"At the end of the day, we still need to sell this to the public," Christopher said earlier this month.

Reading, Pa., engineering firm Spotts, Stevens and McCoy suggested new zones like "village," which mixes houses and small, often home-based businesses.

"The ma and pa stores aren't here anymore and are never coming back," Christopher said.

He encouraged the township supervisors to instead consider improving and adjusting the regulations of existing zones.

"If you think about it, which zones are wrong now?" Christopher asked.

The density of development in an area might be wrong, but homes and businesses are generally where they should be, Christopher said.

Christopher suggested clarifying the commercial C1, C2 and C3 zones with varying levels of restrictions. C3, for instance, could strongly regulate the types of commercial businesses allowed in an area like the Woodcrest housing development, he said.

Kevin Grubbs, who oversees the borough's engineering department, said he had not received anything from Spotts, Stevens and McCoy concerning zoning changes in Waynesboro. While the borough is mostly built out, any changes could affect future uses of properties, Grubbs said.

Representatives of both municipalities are scheduled to meet with Spotts, Stevens and McCoy at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Waynesboro Borough Hall.

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