CLEARFIELD – The Lawrence Township Supervisors held a public hearing regarding proposed amendments to the township zoning ordinance last night, with only one concern raised.
A representative from Kurtz Brothers and their attorney, Carl Belin, were concerned how the zoning changes will affect Kurtz.
Belin noted that the correspondence Kurtz Brothers received from the township proposed a change of Kurtz properties from Residential/Suburban to Commercial.
Belin said their concern is that the Commercial Zoning in the ordinance has no provision for warehousing, wholesaling and commercial printing, which are all primary aspects of the Kurtz business. He said Kurtz Brothers is non-conforming whether under Residential/Suburban or Commercial Zoning.
Belin asked if Kurtz could rather be zoned as Commercial Highway, which does include commercial printing that the straight Commercial zoning does not.
Belin also suggested that the zoning ordinance be amended to include permitted warehousing, wholesaling and commercial printing as permitted uses in Commercial zoned areas, as well as Commercial Highway.
Belin also proposed that the definitions under section 8 of the ordinance for Commercial Printing be expanded to include all phases of commercial printing, such as cutting and binding.
Township Solicitor James Naddeo said that the supervisors cannot add to or alter the propose ordinance changes without the process of advertising and hearings. He said items can only be detracted from the proposal at this point, and additional zoning changes would need to be processed as a new proposal drawn up, advertised and open to public hearing.
Naddeo suggested that Kurtz Brothers file a petition to the supervisors to have their zoning changed to Commercial Highway and ask for approval of conditional uses for warehousing and wholesaling. Naddeo also noted that Commercial zoning includes light industry and manufacturing, which could describe Kurtz Brothers’ business as well.
Township Secretary Barb Shaffner pointed out that only a small property owned by Kurtz Brothers is presently zoned as Residential/Suburban, and most is already zoned Commercial.
The supervisors agreed that the proposed zoning changes for Kurtz Brothers properties be dropped from the proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance.
Belin agreed to follow up on petitioning for Kurtz Brothers properties to be zoned as Commercial Highway with two conditional uses for warehousing and wholesaling, with the hopes that the zoning definitions be updated in future to include those items.
Supervisor Chairman William Lawhead said later that the supervisors would not zone a business out of business, noting that Kurtz Brothers existed before the zoning ordinance was in place.
James Cutler of Mountain Laurel Nursing and Rehabilitation Center was present and asked if the zoning changes would affect the center. Mountain Laurel is proposed to be changed also from Residential/ Suburban to Commercial zoning. Both Naddeo and Lawhead confirmed that the changes would not impact the center.
Hearing no further comment, supervisors adjourned the hearing. The supervisors intend to act on the zoning changes at their Nov. 17 meeting.
Proposed changes include adding conditional and permitted uses to zoned areas for churches; changing light manufacturing and Industrial Parks for Industrial-Limited Special Zoning from permitted uses to conditional uses; adding the definition of a shed as a single-story building of 192 square feet, with a side yard of 8 feet and a rear yard of 10 feet. Several properties are proposed to be changed from Residential/Suburban to Commercial zones, with one to Industrial Limited zone.