Apr 26, 2006 By Amy Zalar 2 min read

The Fayette County commissioners moved closer Tuesday to adoption of the countywide subdivision and land development ordinance. At action during the agenda meeting, Commissioners Vincent A. Vicites and Angela M. Zimmerlink voted to place a motion on the May agenda to adopt the ordinance, which was originally drafted along with the countywide zoning ordinance. Commissioner Joseph A. Hardy III was absent.

Following the meeting, Tammy Stenson, director of the Fayette County Office of Planning, Zoning and Community Development, said the ordinance, which does not include zoning, is strictly for developers interested in subdividing their property. She gave examples when the ordinance would apply, such as developers creating an industrial park of proposing a Wal-Mart plans must be submitted to the planning commission for approval.

Stenson said process to craft the subdivision and land development ordinance began the same time as the countywide zoning ordinance.

She said she hasn’t forgotten zoning and she anticipates adoption of the zoning ordinance in June. “It may be easier to do one at a time,” Stenson said.

Work on the ordinances, which will cover 32 of the county’s 42 municipalities, has been ongoing for more than three years. Concerns about some sections of the zoning ordinance have arisen in recent months, as the ordinances have approached approval.

The commissioners also voted to place on Thursday’s agenda a motion to approve Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Act, (LERTA), for the downtown business district for the city of Uniontown.

Fayette County Chief Assessor James A. Hercik, CPE, said the LERTA designation grants an exemption of 100 percent of the valuation of new improvements for a period to end Dec. 31, 2008.

Hercik said that the exemption could be either for a new building or for the cost of renovations to current buildings and would include fa?ade improvements or roof repairs. He said there is no minimum or maximum amount of improvements.

“It could be $100, it could be $100,000,” Hercik said.

The program, which is a renewal of a LERTA program that began for downtown Uniontown in the 1980s, has already been approved by the city of Uniontown and the Uniontown Area School District.

Hercik said anyone who wants to participate in the program must fill out an application, which will be approved by the city as the “host municipality.”