Council to advertise new zoning system

Plan will address 25-year-old code

The Dormont borough council Monday voted unanimously to advertise a new zoning code ordinance, which includes several key changes.

The code, which was last written about 25 years ago, has been under review for the past year.

“The first big change is changing the map itself,” borough manager Ben Estell said.

The new map moves away from the old Euclidian Zoning, which divides districts into R1, R2 and R3 and was a use-based code.

Mr. Estell explained Euclidian Zoning is named for Euclid, Ohio, which was one of the first communities to establish that type of zoning, which Mr. Estell said, “historically has been done for very bad reasons.”

“It was used to protect wealthy, white property owners by segregating the single-family zoning, which was on the white side of the community.

“It added all of the park districts into that area while the poor section of town, which was where the people of color lived, was all the multifamily units and was also where the industrial zones were intended,” Mr. Estell said.

Historically, Mr. Estell said, single-family zoning has been used to keep lower-income people and people of color out of communities.

“Through the public outreach process for this project and for the strategic plan, it was made clear that people wanted more of a housing continuum,” Mr. Estell said.

Another change provided is the addition of a transit-oriented zoning district.

“We are a transit-oriented community,” Mr. Estell said. Dormont has three light rail stations within the community.

According to the draft zoning code, the development of a transitoriented district “promotes transit usage, walkability and reduces automobile dependence and congestion.”

The draft states the intended development pattern and building form within the transit-oriented district is for vertical buildings of three to eight stories with small or no setbacks and with off-street parking.

Off-street parking requirements have been revised in the rewrite as well, calling for one off-street space for every two residential dwelling units. Currently, the zoning code states there must be one off-street parking space for every dwelling unit.

The rewrite also includes language that allows accessory dwelling units such as a garage apartment on a residential property, provided the owner of the property lives onsite.

A section of the draft zoning code also has information regarding short-term rentals, such as Airbnb rentals. The draft states that a proprietor of a short-term rental must also have their primary residence on the property on which the shortterm rental unit is located.

The draft zoning code also removes gendered language and historically charged language such as words like “morals” and “orderly.”

A draft of the zoning code rewrite is available on Dormont’s website at https://boro.dormont.pa.us.