HERMITAGE Officials postpone vote on rezoning

The commissioners approved an $8,545,364 spending plan for next year.
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- City commissioners were to vote Wednesday on a proposal to rezone 14.6 acres along the Shenango Valley Freeway for commercial use but instead postponed the vote.
Marcia Hirschmann, director of planning and zoning, said the developer who requested the land be changed from its present residential and office building district designations has asked that a final decision be delayed until January.
The developer, Heritage Development Co. of Moreland Hills, Ohio, wants to make another attempt to satisfy the concerns of residents living adjacent to the property, most of whom have come out against the proposal.
Heritage wants to build a commercial project on the site, which includes about 14 acres just west of state Route 18 already zoned for commercial use, although the company has said repeatedly that it has no specific tenants signed up.
The neighbors have concerns about increased traffic, lights, noise and other problems a big development might bring.
Hirschmann said the city commissioners will take up the issue again at their January meeting.
Budget approval: The commissioners did give final approval Wednesday to an $8,545,364 general fund budget for 2002.
The spending plan is about $900,000 higher than this year, but City Manager Gary Hinkson said that is primarily because of money being carried over from this year to be transferred from the general fund to the city's capital reserve fund to pay the long-term debt on the $5 million renovation and expansion of the municipal building.
Property taxes will remain at 5 mills while the municipal wage tax will stay at 2.25 percent with 0.5 percent going to the Hermitage School District.