Nothing prevents Bellevue residents from installing huge antennas on their roofs. Nor, for that matter, are residents prohibited from dividing single-family homes into apartments.
There is nothing deliberate about such apparently lax zoning, though.
"Except for a few changes, Bellevue's zoning code has not been changed since 1951," borough Manager David Golebiewski said.
"A lot changes in that much time."
To fix the situation, the borough is revising the code for the first time in decades, a process they say will be finished sometime next year.
The borough is looking for six or seven Bellevue residents or business owners to participate in the steering committee that will draft the revised zoning code. The committee, which also will include borough officials, will be formed in September.
"We want as much input from residents as we can get," borough council President Patrick Miller said.
People who want to be on the committee should call (412) 766-6164.
Miller and others who will be involved in the process do not expect revision of the code to be a routine matter. The work of the steering committee will last about six months, they say.
And however the new code evolves, it is certain to reflect a delicate balancing act.
Nor is the present code entirely obsolete. For example, it has fairly rigid height restrictions for buildings that will not need to be changed, Golebiewski said.
Where the code has become inadequate, though, is in the way it classifies residential housing.
There is now no distinction between various types of residential areas, which means anyone can split a home into several apartments.
"In some places, parking has become cramped because of apartments," Miller said.
Because it is near Pittsburgh, which is easily reached by bus, Bellevue is relatively popular with singles, Golebiewski said.
"Singles usually live in small apartments, and we do not want to drive them away with whatever changes we made to the zoning code," Golebiewski said.
