Preliminary Opinion for repurposing a school into a haven for women and children.

PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice is hereby given for Preliminary Opinion for 1553 East Grandview Blvd: Pursuant to Act 247 of 1968, as amended, the Municipalities Planning Code, Section 916.2, Procedure to Obtain Preliminary Opinion, the Millcreek Township Zoning Office received a request for Preliminary Opinion for a proposed project at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Elementary School; 1553 East Grandview Boulevard, Erie, PA 16510. The property is located in the R1 Single Family Residential district. The proposed use is to repurpose the school campus into “a haven for women and children in crisis to provide both short and long-term housing for up to 18 months, serving approximately 70 women and children at a time”, a use which is not specifically established in the Zoning Ordinance. Section 145-7 of the Millcreek Township Zoning Ordinance provides for specific uses not authorized within any zoning district may be authorized within a specific zoning district if it is similar to and compatible with uses permitted or authorized within the zoning district and in no way is in conflict with the general purpose and intent of the Zoning Ordinance. Section 145-15 of the Millcreek Township Zoning Ordinance provides the authorized uses in the R1 district. In an R1 District, Section 145-15. C(1). permits Adaptive Reuse of Nonresidential Structures as a Special Exception. Section 145-39 identifies the following five (5) uses allowed under Section 145-15. C(1): Business Service, Professional Services, Community Center, Continuing Care Facility and Day-Care Facility. The proposed use as “a haven for women and children” incorporates elements that are found in a Community Center, a Continuing Care Facility, and a Day-Care Facility; and such elements are similar to and compatible with those three (3) allowed uses under Section 145-15C(1). Such elements also do not conflict with the general purpose and intent of the Zoning Ordinance. Based on the above, it is my determination as the Zoning Officer that the use as “a haven for women and children in crisis” qualifies as an acceptable use as defined in Section 145-39B, Adaptive Reuse of Nonresidential Structures. Plans and other materials submitted to the Zoning Officer for this project can be viewed from 8:00 am through 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, at the Millcreek Township Municipal Building, 3608 West 26th Street; Erie, PA 16506. The determination of the Zoning Officer may be appealed to the Millcreek Township Zoning Hearing Board regarding this Preliminary Opinion on or before May 18th, 2026. On the Preliminary Opinion becoming final, under Section 145-7, the applicant is still required to comply with and follow all requirements of the Zoning Ordinance. In this case, the applicant will still have to submit a request to the Zoning Hearing Board for a special exception under Section 145-15C(1), and will still need to meet the requirements for a special exception under Section 145-39.
Matthew Puz, Jr.
Zoning & Development Officer
(4-12235329-NT-10-17)