North Huntingdon property owners hoping to build homes await second decision on property rezoning

Two couples who invested $230,000 in a 95-acre industrial-­zoned parcel in North Huntingdon might learn next week whether township officials will rezone the land so they can build their homes on the site.

The township commissioners said they will revisit the issue of whether to rezone the land at 1000 Leger Road to a residential classification so Brett and Alyssa Arnold of Manor and Andrew and Jenna Smith of North Huntingdon can build homes there.

Commissioners will take up the issue Wednesday on the recommendation of Ryan Fonzi, the township’s planning director, who told commissioners this week he did not believe the best course of action would be to create an industrial overlay zone.

He said it was “bad timing” to create an overlay district as the township is developing a comprehensive plan. Instead, he said, it should be done when the township is reworking the zoning ordinance.

“I’m not sure we need it. I think an overlay might cause more problems than it would solve,” Fonzi said.

The commissioners in February tabled a request from the Arnolds and Smiths to rezone the land to an R-4 zoning designation, meant for land with limited public water and sewage and the requirement that any house on the parcel must be on at least 1 acre. A large swath of the land off Leger Road is a steep hillside and in a flood zone along Brush Creek.

The commissioners tabled the request on a 5-2 vote after Commissioner Virginia Stump suggested the possibility of creating the industrial overlay zone to allow the couples to build their homes on the site while preserving land for industrial use.

Carolyn Yagle, director of planning and policy for Environmental Planning & Design of Pittsburgh, told the commissioners that creating an overlay zone would require public hearings and can be more involved than a rezoning. The creation of an overlay zone must comply with the state’s Municipalities Planning Code, Yagle said.

Were the township to create an industrial overlay zone, Commissioner Zachary Haigis said the board would be “opening up Pandora’s box” to other people who want their land rezoned.

Andrew Smith said they were hoping to build a house on the land last year but were denied a variance. If the rezoning is approved, Brett Arnold said he hopes to begin construction as soon as possible.