The West Penn Township Board of Supervisors continue to work on a new zoning ordinance.

During a workshop held before the board’s regular meeting Monday, supervisors heard from residents who had questions and concerns about the proposed ordinance.

“Again, this is proposed. This is nothing set in stone,” board Chairman Anthony Prudenti reminded the two dozen residents who were on hand.

Charles Schmehl, consultant with Urban Research and Development Corp., is helping to draft the ordinance and attended remotely.

Schmehl said that since the last discussions, he had received a letter from resident Daniel Poncavage, who expressed concerns about changing the zoning from “agricultural” to “light industrial” in an area near the village of Andreas. The letter contained signatures from several residents who were also opposed to the change.

The matter was discussed during the workshop, and supervisors directed Schmehl to return the zoning designation to agricultural.

Portions of Mill Drive will also revert to agricultural use.

“The ‘highway commercial’ was removed on portions of Mill Drive that do not front on (routes) 443 and 309,” Schmehl noted.

Supervisor Timothy Houser asked whether the ordinance would allow for large warehouses in the township.

“It seems like there is a major push for warehousing,” he said. “I don’t think West Penn is conducive for warehousing because of our road network, however, is there any specific place in our zoning that we have for warehouses?”

Schmehl said the only available areas permitting warehouses would be highway commercial districts.

“Most of the highway commercial district is not deep enough to have a large warehouse,” Schmehl explained. “But you could have some warehouses on Route 309.”

Prudenti said that while reviewing the draft, he realized that cemeteries were permitted in all areas except for those zoned industrial.

“To me, I just didn’t want it all over the township. I just thought there should be one area that is permitted by use,” he said.

Schmehl said that if there is a reason to limit it to one or two districts, he would draft the ordinance accordingly.

Resident Brian McQuillen said he was concerned that people would be allowed to store large quantities of manure on land zoned for industrial use. He said he wasn’t opposed to farmers using manure, but didn’t want to see businesses truck in the substance, store it for months, and have the odors permeate neighborhoods.

Schmehl said he would add a provision to the ordinance to dictate how the material should be regulated.

Prudenti said the board would likely hold another meeting about the ordinance.

The zoning changes aren’t new; Prudenti said the board began working on the ordinance about four years ago.