City officials in Hermitage are considering changing the minimum setbacks for buildings -- the very reason Bob Evans Restaurant said it cannot build in the city.

Marsha Hirschmann, director of planning and zoning, said Thursday that city officials were considering the change long before Bob Evans thought about locating in Hermitage.

Representatives from the restaurant chain asked to locate their building 25 feet from the right of way and were denied a variance by the city's zoning hearing board on March 10. The representatives said they could not build without the variance because the building wouldn't fit on the lot.

Mercer County Regional Planning Commission conducted a state Route 18 planning and transportation study that was completed in June 2001. One result of the study was a recommendation to make the minimum setback from the right of way to a building 25 feet. The maximum setback recommendation is 50 feet.

Currently the setbacks are 90 feet in a highway commercial district, 50 feet in a central commercial district, 60 feet in an institutional district and 50 feet for a planned technical park.

Ms. Hirschmann said that when PennDOT widened Route 18 it took a lot of right of way and that, coupled with the city's setback of 50 feet, is leading to buildings being very far off the road.

Hermitage Commissioner President William Scanlon said he contacted representatives from Bob Evans about the possible ordinance change.

If the commissioners vote to change the setback it would also have to be approved by the planning and zoning commission and county commissioners, Ms. Hirschmann said.