The Planning Commission of the City of Greensburg,
hereafter called "Commission," is hereby created to act as a continuing
Commission of the previously existing City Planning Commission of
the City of Greensburg, with the powers and duties authorized for
City Planning Commissions by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning
Code.
[Amended 12-21-1994 by Ord. No. 1646]
A. The Commission shall consist of nine (9) members to
be appointed by the City Council after nomination by the Mayor. All
members of the Commission shall be residents of the City of Greensburg.
No more than (3) three members of the Commission shall be officers
or employees of the City of Greensburg.
B. Each present member of the Planning Commission of
the City of Greensburg shall continue as a member of the Commission.
The terms of each of the members shall be for four (4) years. New
appointments shall be made on the basis of the filling of two (2)
vacancies per year, except for the present member serving a term of
five (5) years, who shall be reappointed or replaced at the expiration
of his term, along with two (2) other members.
The Commission shall organize not later than
the 15th of January 1970 and shall conduct its business in accordance
with such rules as the Commission may determine in accordance with
the provisions of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.
[Amended 7-8-2019 by Ord.
No. 2094]
A. The Commission shall have all the powers and duties of a planning
agency, as provided in the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code,
all of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto, and shall
be subject to amendments and changes as the General Assembly of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania may provide.
B. The Planning Commission shall make recommendation to the City Council
regarding the advisability of issuing a certificate of appropriateness
for any property in the Gateway Overlay District, the Downtown District
and the National Historic District for its consideration of approval
at a public Council meeting.
C. The Planning Commission shall keep on file up-to-date maps of the
following:
(1) The location of historic buildings, structures and sites as defined in §
265-7 of Ordinance No. 1646 of the Code of the City of Greensburg.
(2) Historic districts established by Chapter
265 of Ordinance No. 1646, the Code of the City of Greensburg, and amendments as may be adopted by the City.
D. Upon specific authorization by the City Council, the Planning Commission
may be empowered to engage in the following activities:
(1) To conduct a survey of buildings for the purpose of determining those
of historic and/or architectural significance, pertinent facts about
them and any action to be undertaken in coordination with the Planning
Department and/or other appropriate groups, and to maintain and periodically
revise the detailed listings of historic sites and buildings and data
about them, appropriately classified with respect to national, state
or local significance and to period or field of interest.
(2) To propose, from time to time as deemed appropriate, the establishment
of additional historic districts and revisions to existing Downtown
District boundaries.
(3) To cooperate with and advise the Planning Director, City Council
and/or other City departments in matters involving historically and/or
architecturally significant sites and buildings, such as appropriate
land usage, parking facilities and signs, as well as adherence to
lot dimensional regulations and minimum structural standards.
(4) To cooperate with and enlist assistance, from time to time, from
the National Park Service, the National Trust for Historic Preservation,
the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Westmoreland
County Historical Society, and other agencies, public and private,
concerned with historic sites and buildings.
(5) To review and advise all property owners, their tenants, business owners, etc., that propose projects to make changes to buildings, structures, signage, etc., in the following three Districts: the Historic District as registered by the National Park Service; the Downtown District as indicated on the map at Attachment 3:1 of Chapter
265 of the Code of the City of Greensburg, entitled, "Zoning"; and as permitted by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code; and the Gateway Overlay District as indicated in §
265-40.15, entitled "Boundaries" of the Code of the City of Greensburg and as defined in the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.
[Amended 9-14-2015 by Ord. No. 2057]
The Municipal/Consulting Engineer shall provide
assistance to the Commission as requested, and the Commission shall
have the authority to obtain administrative and technical assistance
and services as may be required to properly carry out its powers and
duties.
The Commission shall not incur any expenses
without the authorization of the City Council of the City of Greensburg.