Crafton council continues zoning rewrite; residents press limits on ground-mounted solar, green space and parking

Crafton Borough Council heard detailed public comment and staff discussion on the proposed new zoning code during an education session and the public-comment portion of its July meeting, with residents urging limits on ground-mounted solar panels, asking for clearer definitions of impervious surfaces, and raising concerns about building size and parking standards.

The exchange matters because the new zoning code would replace Crafton’s existing rules for the borough’s business and residential districts and could change what is allowed on lots in the central business district and elsewhere.

Residents asked council to add specific limits and studies to the draft. Laura Casey of Lincoln Avenue said the borough’s tree canopy limits the opportunities for ground-mounted solar and asked council to “please consider adding specific limitations to the proposed ordinance for solar panels, which would require them to be on the roofs of buildings, garages, and at residences, while also removing the allowance for them to be in the ground and up to 10 feet high.” Nicole Kuravan of 184 South Grandview asked council to require equal standards for affordable housing, to require fair-housing impact…