Planning Commission a step closer to recommending new commercial zone

Centre Daily Times (State College, Pa.), 2012-11-30

By Jessica VanderKolk, Centre Daily Times (State College, Pa.)

Nov. 30--STATE COLLEGE -- After reaching consensus on a few remaining issues in a draft ordinance to regulate shopping center sites, the borough Planning Commission likely will recommend the plan to the Borough Council by the end of the year.

Westerly Parkway Plaza and Hamilton Square Shopping Center are the main targets of the draft ordinance. They currently sit in the CP-2 commercial zone, which allows a range of uses. Borough staff suggested early this year that the commission consider how to ensure redevelopment in those areas remains heavily commercial.

A new CP-3 zone is one way the commission has worked to address that issue, and members have discussed how to keep neighborhood shopping centers accessible and friendly to pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit users.

Planning staff compiled information on several remaining issues, including permitted uses in a CP-3 district and potential parking reductions, which the commission discussed during a meeting Thursday.

Staff proposed, and the commission accepted, language explaining prohibited uses in the new district. Current commercial districts were crafted to allow any use the ordinances don't specifically prohibit.

The CP-3 recommendation allows any use permitted in the C commercial district, except a list that includes hotels and motels, adult personal care homes, and businesses like restaurants with a drive-through window. However, drive-in banks and pharmacies would be allowed.

The prohibition of hotels and motels originally allowed them on state highways, which would include South Atherton Street at Hamilton Avenue, for example. Commissioner Jon Eich opposed that, and others agreed, striking it.

"I don't think hotels and motels are designed to serve nearby consumer concentrations," he said, citing the intent of the new district. "I'm not sure this is an appropriate place for hotels and motels."

The commission has previously discussed parking issues, including a concern that developers could get an incentive for building a parking structure, allowing one structure parking space to equal 1.5 of the site's required spaces. The commission agreed Thursday to an alternate suggestion of 1.25 spaces.

Commissioner Rich Kalin said he worried about "massing issues" -- that the incentive would allow more buildings on a site, including the parking structure itself.

Planning staffer Meagan Tuttle explained that staff thinks structures would only be used on large sites with many uses, where shared parking would reduce overall spaces. That would help encourage alternate modes of transportation to the sites.

"I think it creates the kind of environment that we actually want to see in a revitalized shopping center," Eich said.

Commission members also were concerned that property owners would rent out a significant number of spaces, creating problems for shopping plaza customers.

"As housing keeps being added, if people have extra cars, they'll try to park at the Weis plaza," said member Anita Genger. "Developers' next move could be to build a structure and rent spaces."

Zoning Officer Anne Messner pointed out the maximum parking allowed is 10 percent more than the required number of spaces. She said that and the 30 percent open space requirement would help limit the issue of renting a lot of spaces.

Commission Chairman Evan Myers said that, when the group considers the next version of the draft ordinance at a coming meeting, it can "hopefully make a decision one way or another." If the commission recommends it, Borough Council will consider it next.

Jessica VanderKolk can be reached at 235-3910. Follow her on Twitter @jVanReporter.

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