A public hearing on zoning changes along Route 228 in Adams Township, including this stretch between Pittsburgh Street and Warrendale Road, is set for Monday.

ADAMS TOWNSHIP — Township officials are hoping a revision of zoning ordinances along Route 228 will help spur business growth.

An overlay district is being sought by township supervisors that would redefine the types of commercial land use options for areas along the Route 228 corridor. A public hearing on the matter is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday at the township municipal building.

The changes are sought as a means of boosting business interest in the area, according to Gary Peaco, township code enforcer and zoning officer. This, in turn, would help increase the tax base for the school district, which receives funding through property taxes.

“It's so heavily residential, we need to balance that to help out,” he said.

Peaco added the area is essentially the only place in the township available for commercial growth, which can make sustainable development difficult.

“In the last few years ... we're not getting the quality development we want to see,” he said. “It's hard to get chain and national businesses.”

According to the proposal, new construction would be required to meet a number of standards, including right of way and sign limits and landscaping requirements.

Monday's public hearing is part of the legal process, which also requires the township to reach out to community members. Peaco said the goal is to hear concerns and answer questions, though he added much is being done to consider potential drawbacks.

“When residential and commercial (zones) butt one another, there is potential for problems,” he said. “We're trying to minimize the impact.”

The move coincides with a widening project on Route 228, which is expected to continue for the next several years. The current stage includes an upgrade to the intersection near Pittsburgh Street and Warrendale Road.

Preliminary work also is being done on Three Degree Road to the Middlesex Township line, with the final stage focusing on the stretch of Route 228 between Adams and Cranberry townships.

“Things could be really, really busy in the next five-to-10 years,” Peaco said.