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Murrysville planning consultant outlines overhaul of General Business Overlay
Summary
Planning consultant AJ Schwartz told council the planning commission has proposed new overlay boundaries, subdistricts and updated permitted uses to better match parcel conditions and current market realities; a draft ordinance is expected later this year for public review.
AJ Schwartz, a consultant with EP&D, told Murrysville Borough Council the Planning Commission has been "working pretty diligently" to reexamine the General Business Overlay, a zoning overlay in place for nearly two decades. The review proposes new boundaries, three to five subdistricts to reflect parcel size and topography, and updated permitted uses to reflect contemporary retail and redevelopment patterns.
Schwartz said the draft concept tightens the overlay where parcels are topographically challenged or dimensionally too small and expands or retunes it where large, flat parcels could be redeveloped. He described subdistricts as a way to "tune standards to the uniquenesses of each of those subdistricts," adjusting dimensional requirements, landscape buffering, lighting and design expectations by area.
The presentation highlighted changes to land-use permissions, including recalibrating where residential planned residential developments (PRDs), townhomes or multifamily options might be allowed, and raising density or height allowances in exchange for stronger landscaping or setback requirements. Schwartz said the commission is also considering additional overlay controls focused on impervious surface management (to reduce excess paving), traffic circulation and design standards for facades and glazing.
Council members asked whether the planning commission solicited market or public input while developing recommendations. Schwartz said the work relied on prior experience with Murrysville, discussions with staff and commissioners, and a diagnostic of prior proposals rather than a direct canvass of owners or developers; he said public review is planned once text is drafted.
Next steps outlined by planning staff call for additional work by the commission this fall, a preliminary draft by the end of the year, and a public-review process and county distribution early next year if the commission and council agree on direction.
If adopted, the overlay changes would remain voluntary; property owners would continue to choose whether to exercise overlay options in exchange for flexibility through design and development standards. The council did not vote on ordinance language at the meeting and is expected to receive a formal draft for consideration in a future session.
