Supervisors approve zoning amendment
WAYNESBURG – Franklin Township supervisors approved a request Tuesday to change the zoning designation of a portion of a property off Dark Hollow Road to allow the property owner to keep animals, including a pony for her children.
Ronetta Benamati of 120 Dark Hollow Road originally requested the curative amendment to the zoning ordinance to change the zoning designation of about 13 acres she owns from R-1 residential to A-1 agricultural.
Benamati said she planned to build a small carriage house/barn behind her house for the animals that would include possibly a pony and a goat. She noted the 92.5 acres behind her property is currently zoned agricultural.
At a supervisors’ meeting last month, neighboring property owners opposed the request, expressing concern about the possibility of having farm animals in a residential area. Though not seeming to have a problem with Benamatis’ plan, they did note the zoning change would be permanent, which would allow future owners of the Benamati property to raise cows or even pigs on the property.
At a continuation of the hearing Tuesday, Benamati presented an amended request asking only the 8.149 acres behind her house, adjoining the 92.5 acres already zoned agricultural, be changed to agricultural. The remaining 5 acres containing the house would continue to be zoned residential.
Three nieghboring property owners attended the meeting and again opposed the plan, pointing out an agricultural zone allows many uses including the construction of billboards. They asked whether Benamati’s plan could be accomplished while keeping the property zoning designation residential.
Code enforcement officer Steve Coss said the township zoning board was asked in the past to approve variances for keeping animals such as chickens in a residential area and denied the requests. “R-1 is the most restrictive zone,” he said.
Benemati also said she didn’t want to start from the beginning requesting a variance from the zoning board to allow her to keep animals in a residential zone. She said with the amended plan, she tried to address the neighbor’s concerns.
The supervisors voted unanimously to approve the amended plan.
Supervisor Corbly Orndorff said the Benamatis maintain their property well and he believes the township could manage and control any uses of the property that would possibly be a nuisance to the surrounding community.
Supervisor John Higgins agreed with Orndorff, noting the township has a number of ordinances under which it can address any problems.
In other business, the supervisors approved the apparent low bid for the extension of a water line on North Liberty Street subject to the engineer’s review. Six bids were received and the apparent low bidder was for $145,415 from Carl Fekula Inc. of Monongahela.
The 2,800-foot extension will serve about five homes and is being paid for with the township’s Community Development Block Grant money.
The supervisors also announced trick or treat in the township will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 30.