Mt. Lebanon has made some changes to its zoning ordinance. The commission adopted the changes this summer after an examination of the existing document by Assistant Manager/Planner Ian McMeans and the Mt. Lebanon Planning Board.

In anticipation of Pennsylvania’s move to legalize medical marijuana, the municipality has incorporated language into the code that would impose requirements on medical marijuana dispensaries and grower/processor facilities. The facilities cannot be within 500 feet of any school, public park or playground, day care, nursery school or place of worship. The new language also imposes off-street parking requirements specific to the facilities.

Another addition to the code is a section governing warehouses and self-storage facilities. The section covers hours of operation, presence of on-site personnel during business hours, size of the facilities and types of material that may be stored.

Some other changes:

• Residents who have been granted variances, special exceptions or conditional uses must make use of the permitted changes. If the change that was granted is not implemented for 12 consecutive months, the parcel will lapse into its previous state.
• Added Methadone Treatment Facility to the definition of medical facilities based on recent case law decisions.
• Clarified rear-yard setback requirements for accessory uses in R-4 (multi-family mixed use) and R-5 (multi-family multi-story) districts to be consistent with other residential districts.

Added Brewpub to the list of Uses by Right in the C-1 neighborhood business district and removed Day Care Centers, Family Day Care Homes and Hospices.

Added Medical Marijuana Dispensary and grower/processor facility, warehousing and self-storage facilities and private and for-profit schools to the list of conditional uses in the C-2 community commercial district.

There is also now a section titled “Uses Not Otherwise Listed.” Language outlines the requirements each proposed use must meet, in addition to the general requirements for special exceptions.

You can view a complete list of recent changes to the zoning ordinance here.