Sewickley Hills Marcellus Shale Meeting to Continue Later this Month

A Marcellus Shale meeting in Sewickley Hills has been continued for a third time to address ordinance changes.

Borough Council postponed approving an ordinance after an April meeting to allow time to explore legal issues dealing with whether the ordinance was too exclusionary, in conflict with the state Oil and Gas Act.

Council took in March about potential drilling in the borough before voting to reconvene the hearing. Most from the crowd who spoke in March expressed concerns for and ruining the quality of life in the borough.

Councilman Klaus Gross said the planning commission would like to apply changes to the ordinance that involve setbacks for drilling and has asked the borough’s engineer to help identify the boundaries.

The borough is looking at pushing the boundaries outward another 50 feet to ensure enough land is available in a designated area should potential oil and gas companies wish to drill in the borough.

Solicitor Art Leonard said typical zoning district lines follow lot lines, but district boundaries between commercial and residential properties often are drawn between properties. The changes wouldn’t be a zoning change, which requires advertising and map changes, but rather an adjustment of boundary lines, he said.

Council last month approved paying the solicitor and borough engineer as much as $500 each to update the draft ordinance to the appropriate changes.