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Monthly Update (Jan 25, 2010) Monthly Update (Dec 14, 2009) Monthly Update (Nov 20, 2009) Focus Group Report (Oct 12, 2009) Focus Group Announced (Oct 2, 2009) Rezoning Effort Announced (Feb, 2009) Map of Property Affected The Homeowners Association Viewpoint Frequently Asked Questions Contact Information
January 25, 2010 The homeowners association submitted a complaint to the Township of Upper St Clair about the lack of soil erosion and sediment controls on at seven locations on property recently cleared by Thomas Homes along Redfern, Hollow Tree, Turnberry, and Merry Oak, and about wood chips left in the middle of the road at the end of Redfern. The Township was already aware of these problems, was already taking them seriously, and promised that they would be resolved quickly.
December 14, 2009 Jesse Thomas provided the homeowners association with an update on the Thomas family's plans for developing the property that it owns in and around the neighborhood. There are several significant developments.
North Side of Boyce Road: The current plan is a mix of office park and high-end small businesses, for example, something along the lines of Pinebridge Commons, Summerfield Commons, or parts of Sewickley. Example businesses might be boutiques, antique shops, restaurants, or Starbucks. There might be a small, neighborhood pharmacy, but not a large pharmacy such as CVS or Walgreens. Development will probably proceed in 2-3 stages, with commercial development a priority in stage 1. Assisted living remains a possibility, but not a priority for the early development phases. The buildings would be 2-3 stories tall. The property would most likely be accessed via Boyce School Road, and there would probably be a traffic light at Boyce School Road.
Southeast Corner of Thorntree Drive and Boyce Road:
Other Development: Plans to develop property along the ridge between Pinetree and Hollowtree appear to be on hold. The current estimate is 5-7 years. The property that was cleared along the south side of Turnberry is being landscaped to improve its appearance.
November 20, 2009 Early this year, when the Thomas Family announced their plans to develop their properties near the intersection of Boyce Road and Washington Road (Route 19), they said that they were entering a 'fast track' process with the township to rezone the property from residential to Special Business (SB) or Neighborhood Commercial (C1). They expected that the rezoning might be completed by December 2009. Nothing about the process has been fast. The traffic study took longer than expected. The township took longer than expected to form its Focus Group. The Focus Group has met just once. The traffic problems along Boyce Road are serious and complex. So far, neither the township nor the Thomas Family have proposed a plan to address them. Although the process is going slowly, it is going forward. If you have an opinion about this issue, please remember that your opinion has no effect unless you tell it to the township. Please do it right now. See the contact information below.
October, 12, 2009 The Thomas family owns two plots of land at the intersection of Boyce Road and Washington Road / Route 19. Both plots are zoned residential. The developers are seeking to rezone the property on the north side of Boyce for office or retail development, because overhead power lines make a residential development problematic. The developers have suggested that a pharmacy (e.g., Walgreens), a bank, or a medium-sized grocery store (e.g., Trader Joe's) might be part of the development, with offices behind. Assisted living might also be a possibility, but apparently is not being considered seriously at this time. The Township has set up a focus group to study the feasibility of various types of development at the corner of Boyce Rd and Washington Road / Route 19. The first meeting was held recently (October 9, 2009). This is a brief summary of the discussions. A traffic study has been done. The report is here on the website for you to read. Traffic counts were obtained on Wednesday, April 29, from 7:00-9:00 am and 4:00-6:00 pm. The traffic engineer doesn't know what might be built, so the study considers five scenarios: purely commercial development, purely residential development, and a mixture of both. The study concludes that significant additional residential or commmercial development is sustainable without requiring major changes to Washington Road / Rt 19; Boyce Road would require two additional turn lanes, longer queuing lanes, and a traffic light near Fairgreen Drive / Boyce School Road. The focus group discussed the report at the meeting, and the fact that the existing volume of traffic plus any extra is a problem. There was some concern that the traffic study may understate the actual traffic, or how much additional traffic will be generated by the residential development planned on property behind Boyce Middle School. The possibility of 'cut through' traffic through the neighborhood was acknowledged. The township says that it wants to make sure that anything that might be built there is right for the area. It is aware that whatever is built there will be there for a very long time and wants to get it right. However, the township is also receptive to the possibility of additional tax revenues. The focus group will not be responsible for any rezoning or planning permissions; it is purely a discussion group. Changes to the current zoning and any planning decisions will be dealt with by the appropriate township departments. If you have any views about this please contact me and I will make them known to the members of the focus group. If and when this reaches a rezoning/ planning stage we will post dates and times of the meetings on this website.
- Judith Browne
October 2, 2009 The township has formed a focus group to discuss the changes which may be made to the Boyce Rd/ Route 19 corner opposite to Deerfield. The homeowners association has been given a place in the group. DMHA President Judith Browne will attend the first meeting Friday, October 9. That is all we know at the moment but Judith will keep the neighbourhood up to date via the website as more becomes known. If you have any comments please contact Judith by email at 'president at deerfieldmanor dot com'.
February, 2009 The Thomas family and the Township of Upper St Clair have begun a 'fast track' rezoning process to change property at the entrance to Deerfield Manor from residential to commercial. If they are successful, the rezoning could be completed by the end of December. The Homeowners Association wants to hear your opinion. Please contact your street representative or Judith Browne, President of the Homeowners Association, to let us know what you think about this proposed change.
Updated November, 2009 The Homeowners Association's approach to the proposed development near the intersection of Boyce Road and Washington Road (Rt 19) is guided by the following three principles.
The Homeowners Association is concerned about the traffic consequences of new development along the north side of Bocye Road between Boyce Middle School and Washington Road (Route 19). This section of road is badly congested at some times of the day; the traffic study rates it 'E' on a scale of 'A' to 'F'. The long queues of traffic that now form on Boyce Road make it difficult, and occasionally hazardous, to enter and exit the neighborhood at Thorntree. Some development scenarios would require adding two more turning lanes on Boyce Road, creating a superhighway feel at the main entrance to the neighborhood. There is a risk of increased 'cut-through' traffic along Millwood, Redfern, Pinetree, and Circle as people seek a shortcut from Boyce Road to Washington Road (Route 19) during peak congestion. The Homeowners Association is also concerned about how the land between Washington Road (Route 19), Boyce Road, and Thorntree Drive (where the little house now stands) can be developed without harming the neighborhood. It is impossible to enter and leave that parcel from Boyce Road or Washington Road (Route 19), so the traffic entering and leaving any new development will do so from Thorntree Drive. The intersection at Boyce Road and Thorntree Drive is already difficult. It is likely to become more difficult, and there is a risk of 'cut through' traffic along Thorntree, Pinetree, and Circle. The traffic problems are very significant. Neither the township nor the Thomas Family have offered a plan for addressing them. The Homeowners Association would prefer development consistent with the current residential status of the properties on both sides of Boyce Road. Single-family residences, condominiums, apartments, and assisted living would all generate light traffic. The Homeowners Association would accept offices similar to Summerfield Commons. However, the Special Busines (SB) zoning that allows Summerfield Commons also allows pharmacies (e.g., CVS, Walgreens) and other forms of light commercial development (e.g., Trader Joe's). The Thomas family has expressed interest in 'higher traffic' SB businesses, whereas the Homeowners Association would prefer 'lower traffic SB businesses, such as in Summerfield Commons. In addition to traffic, the Homeowners Association is also concerned about how the proposed development will affect the look and feel of this part of Upper St Clair. The intersection of Boyce Road and Washington Road is the sourthern gateway to Upper St Clair. It is important to the town's image that this intersection not look like an extension of Peters Township. We seek development that is consistent with the town's "clean and green along 19" image, and that maintains Boyce Road as a green corridor along the town's southern edge.
What change is proposed? What is SB zoning? What type of development is planned? Is rezoning likely? Are there alternative zoning classifications? Isn't the traffic bad enough? Won't this increase traffic cutting through the neighborhood? Is there concern about development adjacent to Boyce Middle School?
What is the Homeowners Association doing about this? How can I make my opinion known? Scott Brilhart, Director of Community Developmentand Matthew Serakowski, Township Managerand Your Township Commissioners (they work for you) |
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