May 25, 2007 By Amanda Clegg 3 min read

MENALLEN TWP. – At least two Menallen Township residents want the township to keep its rural charm. During a town hall meeting to discuss the multi-municipal comprehensive plan, Christy Burnside, a planner with Mackin Engineering Company, the company which is developing the plan for Franklin, Jefferson, Menallen and Perry townships, asked what a resident would like to see happen.

“I’d like to see people go away and leave it alone,” a man in the audience of approximately 20 residents that turned out to hear about future development in the area commented.

Resident Janet Pecsko applauded his statement.

“I live there and I don’t want a Sheetz going up across the street or any other business,” she said. “I just want the area left rural. No big development here.”

Supervisor John Yantko wants the same thing.

“We want to see the township with residential areas,” he noted of the supervisors vision for the future development. “The areas where we have industries are pretty much laid out.”

He said the supervisors are happy with the industry in the township.

“We’re going to see a lot of homes, a lot of development in the future because of the infrastructure in place,” he explained, adding that the township is 90 percent watered and 70 to 75 percent sewered.

Burnside noted that the observations of the residents would be considered.

“That’s important,” she said. “We’ll note that.”

Burnside went over existing land use, future land use and growth scenario maps with the audience, while questions continued to return to commercial development in the township.

A man asked what would happen if a property owner wanted to develop his property, but neighbors did not.

Tammy Stenson of the Fayette City Office of Planning, Zoning and Community Development said the county is not looking to change any zoning in the area and for commercial businesses to develop rural areas a zoning change would have to be requested.

“If zoning changes neighbors could oppose,” she explained, noting that the county must advertise such a request twice within 10 days and notify adjoining property owners. She also said residents are welcome to ask if someone had filed a zoning change request.

Joy Wilhelm of Mackin Engineering asked the audience to include their concerns in a public comment form handed out at the meeting.

Copies of the draft plan are available at each municipal building during normal business hours. Wilhelm said a CD will also be made available for the township supervisors to burn for interested residents.

AJ Boni, Perry Township supervisor, encouraged residents to read the plan not just look at the maps.

A 45-day comment period runs from May 24 to July 9 and comments must be submitted in writing by 4 p.m. July 9 to Mackin Engineering Company; Attn: Christy Burnside, Planner; R.I.D.C. Park West; 117 Industry Drive; Pittsburgh, PA 15275-1015; or begin cburnside@mackinengineering.com cburnside@mackinengineering.com end

; or fax 412-787-3588 with the information.