Assembly orders Title 19 rewrite and temporary holding district as residents press for Mill Road tower alternatives

Residents who have pressed the borough for stronger regulation of communications‑tower locations got a procedural win at the March 16 Petersburg Borough Assembly meeting when the body unanimously directed the borough manager and economic development director to begin a multi‑year rewrite of Title 19 and to implement a boroughwide communications‑tower ordinance.

Under the announced rollout, property outside "service area one" will be placed in a temporary holding district that allows all uses except communications towers; any proposed tower in those areas will require a conditional use permit during the transition period. Mayor Lynn said revising Title 19 is a major project that will take several years and that the assembly will evaluate administrative costs during the FY2027 budget process.

The action followed public testimony from neighbors concerned about the Mill Road tower. Tom Kowalsski told the assembly the group is still identifying alternative sites and needs cost estimates to pursue relocation grants. He also recommended hiring grant‑writing capacity in the community development department to help fund relocation. Resident Aya Dupri told the assembly she and others oppose a tower near landmarks and worried about property values, tourism and health; she urged the assembly not to "table" the issue.

Mayor Lynn said staff and the assembly are working through options and that the Title 19 rewrite and the temporary holding district will give the borough clearer tools to regulate tower siting boroughwide. The assembly did not set a specific moratorium end date but stated the holding‑district approach will apply during the multi‑year code rewrite and that affected properties may only host towers through a conditional use process.