Erie City Council Study Session: Land Development Processes and Waterfront Rules – March 16, 2026
Erie City Council Study Session: Land Development Processes and Waterfront Rules – March 16, 2026
At a study session on March 16, 2026, the Erie City Council received a detailed presentation from the Planning Department on the city's land development and subdivision processes, with a focus on the Waterfront Conditional Use process and the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO). The session aimed to clarify council's role, public input opportunities, and the legal framework guiding development. Staff highlighted that two major waterfront projects—a proposed hotel and the Scott Hotel—are far along in the process and will be the subject of upcoming public hearings. Council members expressed concerns about the vagueness of design standards, enforcement of conditions, and the need for earlier community engagement. Planning staff noted that a community-driven Waterfront Master Plan is in the early stages and that a comprehensive plan update, required every ten years, will include opportunities for regulatory changes. Staff committed to providing detailed zoning code sections (305 and 306) and project plans to council members in advance of the next hearing.
Discussion Items
- Waterfront Conditional Use Process: Cooper presented the required steps for any development in the waterfront district (zones WC, WC2, WC3, WM, WR), which must receive approval from City Council. Key requirements include a public promenade along the water, unity of character and design, landscape and lighting standards. The process involves pre-application meetings, Design Review Committee (advisory) review, Planning Commission review, a public hearing before City Council (must be scheduled within 60 days of the request, or it is deemed approved), and a vote at a subsequent meeting. City Council can impose reasonable conditions on the project, but these cannot relate to off-site roadway improvements or be tied to a specific owner. Conditions must be accepted by the applicant. The decision can be appealed by the applicant.
- SALDO (Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance): Cooper explained that the SALDO governs how land is divided or developed, focusing on infrastructure, stormwater, and orderly layout. Subdivisions (dividing or moving lot lines) and land developments (new construction) are approved by the Planning Commission, not Council. The process includes zoning review first, then a pre-application meeting (optional), site inspection, sketch plan presentation (optional), and a final plan submission. For major projects (over 5,000 sq ft or five lots), a preliminary plan is reviewed, then a final plan. The Planning Commission holds public meetings monthly. Council's role is limited to appointing Planning Commission members (confirmed by Council) and approving amendments to the SALDO and zoning ordinances.
- Upcoming Amendments: Staff discussed potential future amendments to the SALDO, including requiring traffic impact studies (tied to the high-injury network from the Vision Zero plan), parking demand studies, and formalizing a policy that building additions under 5,000 sq ft do not need full review. They also aim to require developers to meet with community groups early in the process.
- Comprehensive Plan Update: The city's comprehensive plan, Erie Refocused, was adopted in 2016 and is due for a 10-year update per state law. The city is applying for a state MAP grant to fund a new plan. Staff emphasized that the new plan will be actionable and aligned with the financial recommendations from the PFM work. The update will include robust community engagement to ensure it reflects community priorities. The presentation highlighted alignment with the mayor's transition report priorities: housing, economic growth, infrastructure, parks, transparency, and government effectiveness.
- Enforcement of Conditions: A council member asked what enforcement actions exist if a developer fails to abide by conditions imposed by Council, citing the example of promised green space at Hampton Inn that was later turned into a beer garden. Staff acknowledged that enforcement mechanisms are unclear and committed to researching and providing an answer. It was noted that certificates of occupancy would not be issued if the project is not built as approved, but that occurred after the fact.
- Public Input and Notification: Staff described multiple public notification methods: legal ads (two weeks prior), on-site posting (one week prior), mailed notice to properties within 500 feet, and notification to established neighborhood groups via a map included in the application. The public can view plans online or in person. Applicants are encouraged (but not required) to meet with neighborhood groups. Council members expressed frustration that public input often comes too late in the process, after key decisions are made. Planning staff noted that the Design Review Committee and Planning Commission are bodies whose members are appointed by Council and that Council can influence the process by changing ordinances or appointing members who share their values.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken (study session).
- Staff committed to providing council members with the full text of Zoning Code sections 305 (conditional uses) and 306 (waterfront requirements), as well as the plans for the upcoming public hearing projects.
- Staff will research and report back on enforcement options for conditions imposed on previous developments (e.g., Hampton Inn green space).
- The DCED-related item originally scheduled for the next meeting was moved to April 1st to lighten the agenda.
- Council will hold a future study session on authorities, boards, and commissions (ABCs) to discuss training and alignment of values for the Planning Commission and other bodies.
- A community-driven Waterfront Master Plan is in the planning stages and is anticipated to launch after the current projects' hearings.
- The city will pursue a MAP grant to fund a comprehensive plan update, which will include significant public engagement.
Meeting Transcript
This has been something that we've especially now when we're seeing a lot more development crises in place, and so we're just seeing movement in different ways right now. And uh we've just as council, it's it's as you all know, you navigate it every day. It's a complex, it's a it's a lot, it's a lot. And so just to help us and to help the public better understand just what this looks like and and how we can best navigate through this process. So with that, I will go ahead and Mike pass over to you all. Just gonna kind of kick it off here. First, I'd like to say thank you because um things have changed with this process, and so we are very happy to be able to come and talk to you about processes, what your role is in these um in this policy and processes, and also to discuss how the city handles land development. Um to note that we are always available to discuss anything to talk through, to walk through, not only with our elected officials, but we are constantly reminding that in the public that we are here to help, and um I think you'll see that through the through the presentation, that it's pretty clear that we've spelled out each step of the way. So um, but with that, I'm gonna hand it over to Cooper to walk through the SADO, the subdivision and land development process, and also we're gonna we're at we're actually beginning with the waterfront conditional use also because that we have a hearing next week. We've had um we've had a hearing already um just within the year, um, and so we want to make sure that you all are aware of the process that's in place, again the role that the city council, that planning commission plays, and the um the influence or the the con the reasonable conditions that can be placed on some of these these projects coming through. And can I just say before Cooper starts, we have a lot, so this is a lot to get through. So hopefully we can keep it moving, but we want to answer your questions, and just to be clear, what you have in front of you is not the whole presentation. So Cooper's gonna go through it on the screen. Do you have some handouts to support? I just don't want everyone looking not knowing where we are. Okay. Thanks. Yeah, and feel free to interrupt with any questions because it it's a lot. Um yeah, like Jackie said, we're gonna talk about waterfront conditional use and then saldo. Um we have some slides in there to talk about city council's role in these processes and also the public's role in the process. Um and just to start, we're gonna talk about three main documents, and we're gonna probably slip into acronyms. So just to make everybody aware, we're gonna talk about the zoning ordinance, the subdivision and land development ordinance, which is the saldo, and the Pennsylvania municipalities planning guide, which is or planning code MPC. Um right off the bat we'll get way more into this, but the difference in roles and responsibilities is that waterfront conditional use is approved by city council, subdivisions and land developments are approved by the planning commission and won't be in front of city council. So waterfront conditional use, any development in the waterfront district, and this is the first page in the packet, a little map. This is the zoning map. Um anything in the waterfront area, which is zones WC, WC2, WC3, W M and W R on the map. It's this blue shape along the water with the lines through it. And then there's another smaller piece off to the east. Um all of that is the waterfront area, so development in there goes through this waterfront conditional use process and comes before city council. Um all of this is defined in Article 306 of the zoning ordinance. Many of the regulations that these projects will have to comply with are in the zoning ordinance. Excuse me. But we'll talk about a couple specific things that we felt really important. Um first, any project along the waterfront, if it touches the water, it has to maintain this um public promenade right across the water for activities. It could be jogging, it could be biking, but that's a non-negotiable written zoning ordinance that has to be maintained for any of these projects. Um all of the projects have to have a unity of character and design, which is a little bit vague. Um and this is the language that the design review committee and planning commission are upholding. So if there's improvements to consider, um I think some of that language would be a good place to start. Uh there are also landscape requirements, how much of the sites have to be given over to green space, um, an open space on the waterfront, lighting, um, and a number of other things like that, screening are stipulated in the ordinance. Um really conditional use allows for greater authority in protecting public safety and welfare compared to use by right. So projects that are not in the waterfront, we don't have this level of scrutiny over. And we have less authority than we do in the waterfront. The flow chart off the left is the next page in the handouts. But like I said, all this is dictated by the zoning ordinance and ultimately approved by city council. And we'll just walk through the flowchart kind of quickly as if we were an applicant. So first, when they get in contact with our office, we encourage them to set up a pre-application meeting. And we include not only us in planning, but we'll include zoning and engineering and permitting and everyone who's available, just to make sure we're all starting with the same information. When they submit an application, they pay the fee. All of the information that's required is in the application. And when we get an application that we deem to be complete, we pass it off to the design review committee.
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