Zoning Hearing Board

Overview

The Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB) is a quasi-judicial body, consisting of three regular members and one alternate member, all of whom are residents of the Borough. Members are appointed by Council to serve 3-year terms. During their tenure, members of the Zoning Hearing Board are not permitted to hold any other office in the municipality.

Fact Sheet: Pennsylvania’s Zoning Hearing Board Procedures

Responsibilities

The Board is responsible for the following activities authorized by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code:

Conducting hearings and rendering decisions related to:
- Variances - Relief from the strict application of the Zoning Ordinance due to a defined hardship.
- Special Exceptions - Authorization of a structure or land use based on express standards and criteria.
- Substantive Validity Challenges - Challenges to the validity of an ordinance or land use decision.
Conducting hearings for appeals to any determination of the Zoning Officer or Municipal Engineer

Procedures and Applications

Any landowner or their legal representative may apply for a hearing. Applicants are required to submit the following to the Planning Department:

Form ZHB-1: Application for Hearing
One or more of the following forms, depending on the specific matters to be heard:
Form ZHB-2: Entry of Appearance
- Required by every person, including the applicant, or their attorney who desires to be considered a formal party or attorney of record in the hearing proceedings. It is not required to be signed by individuals who are not offering formal testimony.

Completed forms can be emailed to planningdept@statecollegepa.us, mailed, or dropped off at the Planning Department, on the second floor of the Municipal Building. The application fee is due at the time of submission. Contact the Planning Department for the required fee.

Applications are reviewed by the Borough Planning Department to determine completeness, then the applicant is notified of the first available hearing date. Incomplete or deficient submissions will cause delays. The hearing is usually scheduled approximately 30 days after the application is received, however, state law allows the Board up to 60 days to conduct a hearing.

Following the hearing, the Board is required to approve or deny the request of the applicant within 45 days of the last hearing.

Participation in Hearings

The Board typically meets twice a month on Tuesdays at 12:30 PM at the State College Borough Municipal Building. When a hearing is scheduled, a notice will be published in the Centre Daily Times and the hearing agenda will be posted on the Borough’s website. All hearings are open to the public and are conducted in a hybrid in-person/online format.

Members of the public may participate as a party or general attendee:

Party - A party is anyone wishing to enter sworn testimony into the hearing record. All parties are required to complete Form ZHB-2 prior to, or at the hearing. Testimony is part of the stenographic record.
General Attendee - The Board may entertain non-sworn comments from any member of the public. General comments offered by participants are not part of the hearing record, and while they may be relevant to the case, they are not formal testimony.

Agendas & Minutes

The Board’s meeting agendas and minutes are available on the Borough website:

View Most Recent Agendas and Minutes

Zoning Hearing Board Members

Donna Queeney (CHAIR)
Russell Hartz
Richard Kalin
William Hartman (ALTERNATE)
Jeff Stover (SOLICITOR)