close

Zoning change adds medical district

2 min read
article image -

A joint zoning ordinance between the City of Washington and Borough of East Washington will streamline services and provide benefits to both municipalities, said Washington Mayor Brenda Davis.

The ordinance is a result of years of work by the joint planning commission, composed of Washington and East Washington officials and representatives of Washington & Jefferson College, Washington Hospital and the business district. The commission formed as a result of the joint comprehensive plan adopted by the two municipalities in 2012, which highlighted focus areas, including land use, economy, housing, amenities, transportation and historic preservation, and specific recommendations for each category.

The Washington-East Washington Joint Planning Commission has worked toward implementing those recommendations, with the joint zoning ordinance as a priority.

“Municipalities have to allow for every type of use,” said Davis, who is on the commission. She said a joint ordinance allows East Washington to forego offering a business district, which it does not have.

“They don’t have to allow for those types of districts, because we do.

“For example, because the city allows for mobile homes, East Washington doesn’t have to,” Davis said, adding that the city will benefit from the joint ordinance by being more attractive to potential investors and through streamlined zoning services.

“That’s one of the great things about joint ordinances between multiple municipalities,” said Denny Puko, an instructor with the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

Puko led an informative session Monday in City Hall for those working on the ordinance.

The biggest change in zoning will be the creation of a medical district around Washington Hospital and an educational district around W&J. Davis said the new districts will encourage compatible business development around those institutions.

Because state law does not allow for joint land development and subdivision ordinances, the municipalities will adopt separate, but identical, ones.

A public hearing on the joint zoning ordinance is currently being scheduled for October, allowing interested parties to provide testimony.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today