HERMITAGE City to keep development sidewalk rule

Hermitage will pick up half the cost of sidewalk installations in nonresidential developments.
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- The city won't drop the requirement that all nonresidential developments build sidewalks but it is willing to help pick up the cost of that improvement.
The sidewalk requirement, along with other requirements for nonresidential land development plans, surfaced in a zoning ordinance amendment a year ago, prompting some complaints.
Are they necessary?
Some businesses said sidewalks seemed unnecessary in front of their operations because they didn't lead anywhere and weren't connected to other sidewalks.
Others expressed concerns about the levels of screening and other requirements that applied to all land development plans, regardless of size.
City commissioners agreed to take another look at the ordinance and introduced a pair of amendments Wednesday that would essentially divide land development plans into major and minor categories, depending on square footage.
The smaller plans will have less stringent screening and other requirements, but both major and minor developments must still have sidewalks, said City Manager Gary Hinkson.
Reimbursements
To ease the financial impact of adding sidewalks, the commissioners adopted a policy that will have the city reimburse developers of nonresidential projects $15 per foot of sidewalk installed.
That should cover about half the cost, Hinkson said.
In other business, the commissioners awarded a contract to HHSDR of Sharon and Winslow Engineering of Hermitage to work jointly on engineering and design for the development of Gateway Commerce Park, a planned technical park off South Hermitage Road.
They will be paid $149,250 for their services.