The time frame for West Penn Township to adopt its new zoning ordinance has come into focus.

Township solicitor Paul J. Datte said at Monday’s board of supervisors meeting that he received the last comments and revisions back from Charles Schmehl, consultant with Urban Research and Development Corp.

Datte said he believes the township is at the point where it could re-advertise the ordinance, send copies of it to both planning commissions, advertise for a public hearing, and then adopt the ordinance if it so chooses.

“The earliest we could have a hearing would be the second meeting in August,” Datte said. “After that hearing, you could adopt it as soon as you wish.”

Afterward, the board on a 2-0 vote agreed to advertise to hold a public hearing at 5 p.m. Sept. 5. The board’s regular meeting will follow at 6 p.m.

Supervisor Tim Houser was absent.

Datte said last month that he received the revised zoning map, which he believes addresses Mill Drive.

In May, supervisors held a workshop before their regular meeting, at which time they heard from residents who had questions and concerns about the proposed ordinance.

Schmehl, who attended the workshop remotely, 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.

Schmehl said that “highway commercial” was removed on portions of Mill Drive that do not front on Routes 443 and 309.

Supervisor Tim Houser asked at that time whether the ordinance would allow for large warehouses in the township, and asked if there was any specific place in the township’s zoning that it has for warehouses.

Schmehl said the only available areas permitting warehouses would be highway commercial districts, as most of the highway commercial district isn’t deep enough to have a large warehouse, though the township could have some warehouses on Route 309.

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

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 at the workshop that 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 at that time the board would likely hold another meeting about the ordinance.

He added that the zoning changes aren’t new, as the board began working on the ordinance roughly four years ago.