Wheeling City Council Mulls Height Requirement for Buildings

The Wheeling City Council is considering an ordinance that would establish a three-story minimum building height for new structures in the downtown district.

City council members heard the first reading of the ordinance during a meeting Tuesday. Officials say the requirement would only apply to new buildings and doesn’t address the 10-story maximum height restriction.

Councilwoman Wendy Scatterday says a pleasant streetscape is an economic driver and none of the empty lots in area downtown were ever one-story buildings.

When asked if potential developers would have options in dealing with the requirement, Scatterday said they could apply for a variance through the Board of Zoning Appeals.

A final vote on the ordinance is expected May 16.