Murrysville council rejects rezoning for townhomes

A developer's application for a zoning change that would have paved the way for construction of 120 townhomes off Kohosek Court was rejected this week by a 6-0 vote of the Murrysville council.

“It just doesn't fit,” President Joan Kearns said during the council meeting.

APB Holdings applied to rezone about 25 acres to high-density residential for the development. Most of the parcel is zoned for business use.

“The comprehensive plan Murrysville developed calls for more multi-family homes,” said APB representative Anthony Bucciero of Murrysville. “There's a big need in Murrysville.”

Bucciero's company built the Marquis Place apartments off School Road South. Bucciero said that development has a waiting list for available apartments.

Council members said they want to consider redoing the borough's zoning map before moving forward with projects like APB's in that location.

“I'm not necessarily opposed to putting (high-density residential) there,” Vice President Josh Lorenz said. “My concern is for how this will fit into the larger community, as well as concerns from neighbors — several of whom we've heard from — who are saying this will negatively impact them.”

Councilman Loren Kase, even though he voted against rezoning the property, said that “everyone who purchased there did so knowing that (18 acres) of the property was zoned business, and that something substantial could go in there.”

Bucciero noted that under the existing zoning, he could put a business at the property that could easily have more impact on residents than the townhomes he is proposing.

“The rezoning is required ... to justify the costs of bringing utilities into the property,” he said. “What we're really doing is trying to take what was an unreclaimed strip mine and convert it to upscale housing.”

Councilman David Perry was not present at the meeting.

Patrick Varine is a staff writer for the Tribune-Review. He can be reached at 724-850-2862 or pvarine@tribweb.com.