Waynesburg council increases zoning fees
WAYNESBURG – Waynesburg Borough Council approved new zoning permit fees Monday, doing away with the fee for zoning certificates involving minimal construction but making it much more costly for permits requiring zoning board hearings.
The new fee schedule was proposed by assistant borough manager Bryan Cumberledge, who said the increased fee for permits requiring zoning hearings is comparable with other communities and would help the borough cover some of the costs of conducting zoning hearings.
The fee for a zoning permit that involves a variance, special use or an appeal of a zoning officer’s decision, which all require zoning board hearings, is $100.
That fee, however, doesn’t cover the costs of advertising the hearing, Cumberledge said.
In addition, the borough must pay administrative costs, the costs of the zoning board solicitor and of a stenographer, though a stenographer is normally used only on what are considered more controversial cases, he said.
The new fee for a zoning permit requiring a hearing will be $500, if the proposed use does not involve any construction to the building or if the estimated construction cost is $50,000 or less.
If the permit involves construction estimated at more than $50,000, the fee will be $500 plus $3 for each $1,000 over $50,000 with a maximum fee of $1,000.
Cumberledge also proposed dropping the $50 fee charged for zoning certificates for a use that complies with the zoning ordinance and involves minimal construction costs.
“People use the objection that they don’t want to pay $50 just to put up a fence or a shed,” he said. “I’d rather that they be in compliance (with the ordinance), than charge them $50.”
The borough will now not charge a fee for a zoning certificate for a use that complies with the zoning ordinance that does not involve any construction or construction estimated to costs less than $2,500.
The fee for a certificate involving construction exceeding $2,500, which before was also $50, will increase to $100.
Council also approved a new zoning permit application that requires more details from the applicant and zoning informational sheets that explain the zoning process.
The application and informational sheets were prepared by zoning board solicitor Bill Hook, Cumberledge and borough manager Mike Simms.
Hook, who originally proposed the revisions, said many residents who now come before the zoning board often don’t know what they have to do or what issues they have to addressed before the board.