Indiana Township residents may have to wait at least two months before action is taken on a proposed 172-unit planned residential development.
Mars-based Weaver Homes is the builder of the planned residential development (PRD) situated at the intersection of Cove Run Road and Field View Lane. Its developer is called Cove Run Road Acquisition LP.
The plan is to build 94 single-family homes and 78 townhomes of at least two units each on a 98-acre parcel that is surrounded on three sides by state game lands.
The property also abuts Emmerling Park, which last year doubled in size after the township purchased nearly 60 acres of undeveloped commercially zoned land from D&D Supply.
Supervisors declined to take action on the project June 10 following a nearly three-hour public hearing.
Solicitor Irving Firman said the township has 60 days to act from that evening.
He said no additional evidence will be considered as the public hearing has closed.
However, the township will be accepting findings of fact, conclusions of law and other legal arguments through June 24.
June’s public hearing was a continuation of a two-hour public hearing May 13.
More than a dozen speakers took to the podium both nights to implore their elected officials to reject the plan.
Resident Michael Quinn said the development would better reflect the township’s character if it was reduced to about 80 single-family homes on 60 acres.
“This is a monstrosity,” Quinn said June 10. “They don’t give a crap about Indiana Township.”
Resident Leon Banta, a retired Marine who spoke last month, once again called on supervisors to have courage and reject the PRD.
He spoke about its potential environmental impact on waterways and salamanders, and could not understand why a company would cram in housing surrounded by game land.
“We have so much to lose here and nothing to gain from this,” Banta said.
Resident Jonathan Spatz said the PRD looks nothing like other Indiana housing developments and suggested eliminating the townhomes.
“It would change the nature of Indiana Township if you go through with this development as proposed,” Spatz said June 10. “Without the townhomes, it might make some sense. It might not.”
Several other speakers also expressed concerns about wildlife, traffic and safety during hunting season.
Developer responses
The township accepted written comments and questions for the developer a few weeks leading up to the June hearing.
Brett Schultz, vice president of development for Weaver Homes, said there were 28 pages of emails. Some had single statements and questions while at least one had 52 questions.
Topics included stormwater management, flooding and Deer Creek Watershed protections, traffic and roadway impacts, housing mix and density, the state game lands and environmental resources and the Miller Jr. natural gas well pad.
Schultz said the nearest proposed residence is about 1,200 feet from the well pad, exceeding applicable setback requirements.
The PRD shows seven stormwater management sites on the property. An approved erosion and sediment control plan will be required during construction.
Schultz also noted a Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory review was completed and identified no impact to threatened or endangered species.
Jennifer McCracken of Gateway Engineers last month said she collected traffic data at the Cove Run Road and Field View Lane intersection as well as a few others connected to the development on March 4.
She said the study showed a minimal impact to delays getting in and out of the area.
McCracken, a licensed traffic operations engineer, testified this month that the study methodology was done to industry and PennDOT standards. The study also was coordinated with township engineer Dan Slagle, according to McCracken.
“We looked at the two high peak periods of the day,” McCraken said. “That is standard practice. The responsibility of a traffic impact study is to look at what the impacts are with the development.”
Some residents said the study does not consider Fox Chapel Area School District student drop-offs and arrivals.
The developer also plans to pay a $1,589 traffic impact fee for the township to use for intersection upgrades, McCracken said.
Attorney Donald Graham of the Cranberry-based firm Dillon McCandless King Coulter & Graham also represented the developer.
He said plans were modified to address comments, among them concerns about cul-de-sac length and lack of greenspace.
New drawings show two cul-de-sacs on the northern section of the plan instead of one.
“We’ve addressed them the best we can, and we believe that the plan is fully compliant (with all ordinances) at this point,” Graham said.
One of the changes to the plan was to create an estimated one-third of an acre pedestrian throughway between sections of townhomes for possible recreation. There also were alternatives for front and rear setbacks to the properties.
The recommended plan for the township supervisors’ consideration involved reducing the maximum front yard setback from 20 feet to 10 feet to create more rear space for driveways and parking.
Slagle said the move was recommended by the planning commission.
“This is an innovative approach for building access,” Slagle said after the hearing.
He said the PRD meets all other ordinances outside of the setback request.
The township supervisors and the developer’s team declined to comment after the public hearing.