Sep 27, 2006 By Amy Zalar 4 min read

The Fayette County commissioners Tuesday voted to create a steering committee to develop wording for the countywide zoning ordinance that will protect historic assets throughout the county. The motion to place creation of a historic steering committee on Thursday’s agenda was taken following a lengthy discussion on the need to protect the county’s historic sites, places and resources.

Chairwoman Angela M. Zimmerlink proposed creating the committee, suggesting that three members could be appointed by each commissioner, for a total of nine appointed members. The committee would also include members from various organizations interested in historic preservation.

The commissioners also voted to place on Thursday’s agenda a motion to adopt the revised countywide Fayette County Zoning Ordinance, with an effective date of Nov. 1. Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites said the ordinance would include a “placeholder” in the ordinance that will allow for future insertion of wording dealing with historic structures.

Vicites said creating a comprehensive plan and updating the land development and zoning ordinance was a “massive undertaking,” and commended Tammy Stenson, director of the Fayette County Office of Planning, Zoning and Community Development, for her work throughout the past few years.

Vicites said it was a step-by-step process to improve ordinances that has not been touched for more than 25 years. Vicites said although any mention of historic structures and sites was left out of the plan, he is “definitely in favor of moving forward” with creation of a steering committee to deal with historic issues.

Zimmerlink said when the process was undertaken to update the ordinances, two areas were missed, agricultural and tourism. She said all aspects of Fayette County must be covered in the makeup of the steering committee. Zimmerlink said they don’t need to reinvent the wheel, and should have a plan of action before moving forward.

Donna Holdorf, executive director of the National Road Heritage Corridor, said she supports a “placeholder” in the zoning ordinance. Holdorf also presented the commissioners with a proposal outlining who should serve on the “heritage commission,” which she said should include between 15 and 20 people. She said the committee should include an architect, engineer and adequate municipal representation.

Evelyn Hovanec of the Coal and Coke Heritage Center said there have been a lot of problems due to “lack of information and communication.” Hovanec said she doesn’t believe the county needs a “statewide bureaucratic committee” and instead local people should serve on the committee.

Hovanec also expressed concerns that too much money has been spent on consultants throughout the years. “I believe Fayette County has been consulted to death,” Hovanec said.

Muriel Nuttall, executive director of the Fayette Area Chamber of Commerce, said local people would serve on the committee. “We all have the same goal, to put language in to preserve what Fayette County has,” Nuttall said.

Vicites said at some point professional expertise will be needed to write the ordinance, and he would like to get grant money for that purpose. Vicites said only about $10,000 was spent from the county’s general fund to update the ordinances, with about $100,000 obtained from grant money.

In a related matter, Ron Gallo, representing the Fayette County Horse Owners Association and the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, said he has “serious problems” with a provision in the proposed zoning ordinance agricultural section that deals with receiving consent of the neighboring property owner for structures less than 300 feet from the property line.

Gallo said he believed there was an “unwritten agreement” to keep the agricultural section the same as the current 1968 ordinance. Gallo called the section “totally un-American and not acceptable.”

Stenson later said the section to which Gallo was referring was not altered from the 1968 ordinance, so it was a moot point. Earlier this year, a group of more than 300 farmers turned out to express concerns about some changes to the agricultural section of the zoning ordinance. Some changes were made based on that meeting, and Stenson said only two written comments were received regarding the draft that is about to be approved by the commissioners.