Aleppo Zoning Ordinance Gets Nod from County Pending Changes

is one step closer to enacting a new zoning ordinance that would redefine the terminology used to describe different areas.

The ordinance has been in the works for several years as part of a collaborative plan with and to simplify development in the region.

“Each of us, as part of that, needed to adopt a new zoning ordinance that coordinated with the other,” said township Manager Gwen Patterson. “So that we have similar terminology to make development easier for the region, rather than people just coming and have different terms where they go.”

Earlier in the fall, a preliminary draft of the plan was sent to Allegheny County for its suggestions. At Monday night’s commissioners meeting, Carolyn Yagle from Environmental Planning and Design discussed its mostly policy-related comments.

The major regulation it wanted to enforce was the airport hazard overlay, an ordinance that was put together by the Allegheny County Airport Authority and sent out to all the communities it affects.

“All the planes that fly in and out have a sort of permissible height at which they can fly,” said Yagle as she explained it to the commissioners. “Buildings can’t be a certain height because it would interfere with those heights.”

Aleppo only has a tiny fringe area that is affected by this ordinance, said Yagle.

While the zoning ordinance is basically the same as the old one, it does provide the opportunity for a new commercial district called Weber’s Corner, at the corner of Weber and Glen Mitchell roads. It is designed to have several small, storefront businesses with some apartments above.

Aleppo is expected to take a final vote on this ordinance in its Jan. 16 meeting.

Sewickley Manager Kevin Flannery said Monday that Glen Osborne also has a hearing scheduled for January. Sewickley adopted its zoning ordinance in August and Monday night adopted several minor amendments that were recommended by the county.