A shared Vision for East Allegheny July 1, 2007

Compatibility of Existing Development

The Planning Area and Surrounding Communities. The Planning Area is generally bounded by Turtle Creek to the north and the Monongahela River to the southwest and west. The areas adjacent to these features are utilized by active railroad lines and separated from the remainder of the planning area by topography. Therefore, Turtle Creek and the Monongahela River naturally buffer the boundaries cited. To the northwest, the Fifth Avenue corridor and adjacent topography provide an additional buffer.
The southern boundary of North Versailles, mainly with White Oak, consists of single-family development and vacant land abutting similar development in White Oak. The Route 48 corridor extending into White Oak Borough is also primarily single-family residential and will likely develop as such. A small portion of the southern boundary is shared with the City of McKeesport. Small-scale commercial and mixed uses lie along Fifth Avenue, or SR 148, in both North Versailles and McKeesport.
The eastern portion of North Versailles Township, bordering North Huntingdon Township in Westmoreland County, is defined in part by the Route 30 corridor and adjacent commercial uses. The remainder of the eastern border consists of single-family residential development in existing neighborhoods as well as vacant land bordering similar development in Westmoreland County. As with areas to the north of the planning area, topography acts as a natural buffer between Trafford Borough and North Versailles.
Similarly, the north portion of East McKeesport bordering Wilmerding Borough is also buffered by topography and Fifth and Wall Avenues intersecting at a lower elevation.
In summary, natural features buffer the majority of existing boundaries with adjacent communities. Small-scale commercial corridors, single family residential, and vacant land define the remainder. The future land use recommendations will then address the sustainability of these neighborhoods and the development of vacant lands in such a manner considering land use in adjacent communities.
Communities with the Planning Area. As stated above, topography has often provided a significant buffer between the planning area and adjacent land uses. Such is the case for the southern boundary of Wall Borough and North Versailles. A non-profit television station, Cornerstone Television Incorporated, currently broadcasts from a 32-acre parcel bordering North Versailles. This area currently borders vacant residential land and is separated by topography.
The majority of East McKeesport and North Versailles’ borders are single-family residential abutting single family residential. The western border of East McKeesport, nearest Route 30, consists of a high-density single-family neighborhood experiencing some blight and near commercial and multi-family development in North Versailles. The future land use plan and future land use controls should encourage the sustainable development of mixed or multi-family uses at a scale compatible with existing single-family neighborhoods. The Route 30 corridor, within East McKeesport and immediately adjacent North Versailles, is a transitional area with a variety of business, existing residential, and semi-public uses. Land Use controls permitting small scale mixed uses should be considered in this general portion of the Route 30 corridor.

Future Land Use Plan

Existing land uses within the planning area are defined and evaluated as follows:

Commercial- Consists of primarily retail and large scale retail and service oriented uses including hospitality.
Manufacturing and Office - Consists primarily of office oriented uses, including medical offices. These areas also consist of comparatively low impact manufacturing facilities compatible with office act ivies in a park like setting. Ancillary retail uses are also contemplated.
Mixed Use – Mixed Use will encompass both existing transitional neighborhoods where neighborhood scale development of local retail, semi-public, office, and residential uses are permitted. Residential will consist primarily of single family and duplex, with small scale townhouse development occurring as a traditional neighborhood development. Mixed Use will also encompass vacant land, contemplating uses of a similar scope, but with a scale appropriate within the proposed development, integrated with or buffered from existing neighborhoods where appropriate.
Multi-Family – Multi-family assumes the highest and best use of the designated land to be townhouse, condominium, or apartment-style housing with appropriate buffering from adjacent facilities and neighborhoods.
Public/Semi-Public - Such areas represent those owned by the local government, the county, or the school district. Also, such areas include “semi-public” uses consisting of tax-exempt utility companies (including railroad companies), private schools and non-profits, churches and religious uses, cemeteries, and non-profit parks/recreation areas.
Single Family Residential – Primarily single family detached dwellings including residential areas are planned as low density single family housing that considers environmental constraints, namely steep slopes.
The future land use maps are intended as an overall guide to implementation through conventional zoning districts, traditional neighborhood, mixed, and planned residential development, and municipal decisions regarding the location of future parklands and open spaces.
Areas municipally owned are typically shown as “public” on future land use maps. Such lands are encouraged to be retained in a natural state. However, those with sufficient developable land may be considered for private development commensurate with surrounding uses with environmentally constrained or other areas that may provide key open space connections preserved as such.
Mixed Use is shown on many corridors throughout the planning area. Where the municipalities find that sufficient commercial areas exist elsewhere in the planning area, such areas should be designated as a single family residential zoning district until such time as local market needs warrant mixed use or transitional type zoning.
Lastly, all future land uses should extend to the borders of the respective municipality, where parcels are unintentionally omitted, and to the centerline of adjoining rights-of-way, many of which are “paper” or abandoned streets.

North Versailles Township

Map 4: North Versailles Future Land Use

Table 4, North Versailles Future Land Use

Land Use	Acreage	Percent
Commercial	589.7	12%
Manufacturing and Office	193.4	4%
Mixed Use	667.8	14%
Multi-Family	77.9	2%
Public/Semi-Public	738.5	16%
Single Family	2,476.5	52%
Total	4,743.7	100%

Summary of Future Land Use

Residential Development
Nearly half of the future land use proposed is allocated to single-family housing. The map below illustrates opportunities for further single-family residential development. Those areas shown as “single family residential” were examined. Such lots that are currently vacant were evaluated. All lots having more than 6,000 square feet of land under 25% in slope were tagged and shown as an opportunity for infill development or additional housing plans. Other lots with less than 6,000 square feet of such area were labeled as “unbuildable.” While not necessarily unbuildable, significant environmental constraints typically preclude feasible development of these lots. The map below underscores three main points.

1. 
   Developable residential land remains within the Township and underscores the need for open space to accompany future developments.
   

2. 
   Opportunities for “infill development,” the development of single-family homes within existing neighborhoods, are numerous throughout the Township. The Township, in fact, averages four to five homes per year of new construction of single-family homes in existing neighborhoods.
   

3. 
   While the rural residential land use is intended to result in a zoning districts that protect steep slopes therein, various miscellaneous parcels throughout the Township are unbuildable and may best be combined with adjacent lots are utilized as neighborhood open space.
   

Multi-Family Development is encouraged in areas of the Township with close access to Routes, 30, 148, and 48 as well as proximity to commercial or mixed use development.

Map 5, North Versailles Infill Development

Commercial, Office, Manufacturing, and Public

• 
  Two emerging nodes of commercial development are encouraged. (The Eastland Mall area is shown as commercial and is encouraged to redevelop as such.) An area north of and abutting the Route 48 and Route 30 intersection and the area north of Naser Road is encouraged to develop as general commercial. Similar uses are planned near the future site of an interchange with the Mon-Fayette Expressway and abutting Route 30, in the northwestern portion of the Township.
  

• 
  Mixed Use is encouraged along existing north-south corridors that are currently residential. Mixed Use allows for small scale business opportunities while preserving the integrity of existing single family neighborhoods. Mixed Use is also encouraged on Route 30 near East McKeesport in order to provide continuity and similar scale to uses planned within the Borough.
  

• 
  Mixed Use is also encouraged as new development near the commercial core near Greensburg Pike and East McKeesport Borough. The proposed land use aims to fill the needs of varying forms of residential near both ancillary and regional commercial uses.
  

• 
  The majority of manufacturing and office is planned along areas of Third Avenue and Fifth Avenue with the majority of vacant land proposed in this category lying along Route 48, north of Route 30. Low-density office and manufacturing development in a park-like setting with appropriate buffering is encouraged.
  

• 
  The Township owns a host of small vacant parcels, many of which lie within steep slope areas. Retention of these lands or donation to a non-profit conservancy, due to their character, is encouraged. The Township may also consider placing covenants on these lands and marketing them to adjacent landowners. In the latter instance, the properties would return to the tax rolls while preserving their current character.
  

East McKeesport Borough

Map 6, East McKeesport Future Land Use

Table 5, East McKeesport Future Land Use

Land Use	Acreage	Percent
Mixed Use	42.50	24%
Multi-Family	2.18	1%
Public/Semi-Public	8.58	5%
Single Family	126.51	70%
Total	179.77	100%

Residential Uses

The vast majority of uses planned within East McKeesport are planned as single family residential to reflect existing single-family neighborhoods. A concentration of multi-family is proposed in areas of existing such development, allowing for some expansion within these areas. Infill development of miscellaneous vacant parcels as well as parcels owned by the Borough is encouraged.
Map 7, Infill Opportunities in East McKeesport

The preceding map illustrates areas planned as single family residential and having sufficient land (same method as employed in North Versailles) for single-family housing construction. A concentration of such area exists north of Broadway in the northeast portion of the Borough.

Non-Residential Uses
Mixed Use development of a traditional town center nature is planned along part of Broadway, immediately north of Route 30. The two blocks planned as such are currently of a transitional nature with a concentration of commercial and duplex units converted from existing single-family homes. Future development in this area will reflect a neighborhood scale of business and residential uses. Similar development is planned along the entire Route 30 corridor. Conditional uses allowing a broader range of commercial may be permitted as conditional uses along Route 30.

Wall Borough

Map 8, Wall Borough Future Land Use

Table 6, Wall Future Land Use

Land Use	Acreage	Percent
Manufacturing and Office	50.13	22%
Mixed Use	10.60	5%
Multi-Family	1.47	1%
Public/Semi-Public	9.46	4%
Single Family	154.12	68%
Total	225.78	100%

The vast majority of land within Wall Borough will develop residentially. Two thirds of the Borough’s land is planned as single-family residential.

Map 9 illustrates currently vacant parcels within the Borough, designated as single family residential, and having more than 5,000 square feet of area excluding steep slopes. Areas near the extents of the improved cartways on Shady Avenue, and Patterson, Marie, and Dalzell Streets. The neighborhood at the eastern most extent of Borough near Wall Avenue also provides opportunities for infill development. Additionally, the Borough has identified blighted land along Grant as an opportunity for redevelopment. This block has experienced the demolition of most single-family homes constructed as well as the rapid deterioration of the remainder of homes. The redevelopment of this area, given the action steps noted under the Housing Plan, is an important specific step in the plan’s implementation.
The Housing Plan cites relatively large losses in housing stock within Wall, much of which includes small lots near the Wall Avenue corridor, much of which lie on or near steep slope. Redevelopment of larger tracts of land within these neighborhoods is required as for proper infill development in the majority of Wall Borough.
Map 9, Wall Borough Residential Infill

Wall’s future land use plan slates several blocks of parcels with frontage on Wall Avenue as mixed use, permitting a variety of retail and office uses at a neighborhood scale. Such uses will provide a transition to exclusively single-family neighborhoods and will also effectively relate to residential uses within the district through pedestrian scale and amenities while providing proper buffering.
The approximately 31 acre tract owned by Cornerstone Television Incorporated, currently tax exempt, is planned as park-like office and “stealth” manufacturing uses in the event that the property becomes available for redevelopment. This area is relatively accessible to planned office and manufacturing uses in North Versailles along the Route 48, Mosside Boulevard corridor.
Lastly, the Borough plans to maintain its current playground and ball field area. Development of a Borough park is planned on land owned jointly by the Borough, County, and School District, and accessed through Valley Avenue.