Erie planning commission backs SALDO revisions, recommends city council hearing

The City of Erie Planning Commission voted to provide a positive recommendation to city council to adopt proposed amendments to the City of Erie Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, commonly called SALDO, and to schedule a public hearing.

Jacqueline Spry, director of the city planning department, told the commission the draft updates are intended to correct “technical deficiencies” and align SALDO with the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. Spry said staff incorporated comments from the city solicitor and changed the threshold defining minor versus major subdivisions: “we lowered the threshold from 10 to 5 or fewer lots for minor subdivisions and minor land development.”

Why it matters: the change brings smaller multi‑lot projects into a fuller review process. Spry gave an example of a developer proposing to divide roughly 3 acres into six parcels in an R‑1 residential district and said that even at six lots the project could have “impact on the adjacent and surrounding neighborhood.” The amended SALDO includes updated review fees and definitions, flow diagrams showing step‑by‑step procedures for minor and major submissions, and clarifications about when the 90‑day review clock under the Municipalities Planning Code begins.

Commissioners and staff discussed implementation details and timelines. The draft ordinance makes the planning department the primary receiver of all subdivision and land development applications once adopted; Spry said that portion of the workflow will clarify which tasks are the applicant’s responsibility and which are the city’s. She also noted the department will further refine procedures, checklists and responsibility assignments to help applicants meet statutory timing requirements.

During debate commissioners raised the pace of review. One commissioner called 90 days “pretty long,” while others said the statutory time frame under the MPC sets a maximum and the department should aim to be faster where feasible. Spry and commissioners repeatedly said the changes are a first step and can be iterated in future rewrites of the zoning and SALDO documents.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Approve the July 15, 2025 meeting minutes and the July 10, 2025 special meeting minutes as amended (amendment: replace Tony as president with Doug Spizzarny for the July 10 minutes). Outcome: approved (motion, second; voice vote recorded as “Aye”).

- Motion: Planning commission provide a positive recommendation to city council to adopt the proposed amendments to the City of Erie Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) and schedule a public hearing. Outcome: approved (motion, second; voice vote recorded as “Aye”).

What the amendment package contains: staff said the draft separates minor and major subdivisions into different sections; lowers the minor/major threshold from 10 to 5 lots; provides flow diagrams for public clarity on timelines and review steps; and clarifies that the planning department will serve as the primary receiver of applications when the ordinance is adopted. Staff also said required technical topics—stormwater BMPs, lighting, signage, and landscaping—are out of scope for this set of amendments and will be addressed during the full rewrite if a state MAP grant is awarded.

Next steps: With the planning commission’s positive recommendation, staff intends to forward the package to city council and schedule a public hearing. Staff said no additional public comment period is required for the incorporated solicitor changes. The commission and staff emphasized the package may be further refined during the city’s anticipated full zoning and SALDO rewrite.