Zelienople updates residents on comprehensive plan
ZELIENOPLE — Dozens of borough residents packed The Strand Theater on Main Street on Monday, June 17, to see what might be in store for Zelienople’s future, as Ben Levenger of Youngstown, Ohio-based Downtown Redevelopment Services briefed residents on the status of the borough’s comprehensive plan update.
Over the past few months, DRS has tallied the results of two surveys it distributed last year, which received more than 900 responses from residents and nonresidents of Zelienople. Levenger said the surveys were open to nonresidents because the planners wanted their input as well.
“If they're coming here to spend money and recreate, it's great for them to be able to spend money,” Levenger said. “We need to know what they want as well, because it’s not just about the residents. One of the ways you keep tax dollars low is to have people come in and spend money.”
Of the survey respondents, 72.9% live within the borough.
The presentation consisted of a series of recommendations for the borough’s future. They were based on five key pillars: welcoming new residents, providing easy access to the wider Pittsburgh area, maintaining strong ties among existing residents, welcoming a diverse community, and encouraging local retail and entertainment options.
“People love to live close to Pittsburgh, but don't want to live in Pittsburgh,” Levenger said. “They want to go to the show, they want to be close to the airport, they want to be close to all the amenities that the city offers. But at the end of the day, they want to get the heck out of the city and come back to a small town.”
The presentation included 21 recommendations for improving life in the borough. Some of the most discussed included increasing the amount of parking on the east side of the borough, preserving open space, providing more facilities for recreation (such as ballparks and increased access to trails), and diversifying the amount of housing by adding more multifamily homes.
“You got a lot of single-family homes,” Levenger said. “But how many of your kids can afford to come here and buy one of those single-family homes right off the bat? So if you want your kids to be here, there needs to be a couple of duplexes.”
A few residents in attendance pointed out that some of the recommendations may be contradictive.
“You say we need more parking on the east side, and you want more people to come in. And yet where are we going to get more parking from? Tear down more housing for parking?” one resident asked. “You say you need green space, but that means less housing.”
Jason Sarver, the borough’s zoning officer, reminded residents that this was a draft based on survey responses from the public.
“I just want to remind everyone, please don't shoot the messenger,” Sarver said. “He’s just gathered everybody's feedback. It is essentially up to our leadership. They want to hear your input on this. They want to know where you stand.”
After the meeting wrapped up, residents who attended had the chance to vote on which recommendations they were in favor of and which ones they were not. The presentation will be posted online, and those who did not attend Monday night’s meeting will have the chance to see it for themselves and also vote.
While Levenger could not give an exact date, he said he hopes to have a finished comprehensive plan ready to submit by the end of the year.
