close

Senior apartments likely coming to Bethel Park

By Cara Host 3 min read

Bethel Park Council will likely approve plans to build an apartment building for senior citizens at the Dec. 14 meeting.

The planned three-story building at the corner of Limestone and McMurray roads will have about 135 one- and two-bedroom apartments reserved for people 55 years old and older who are capable of living independently.

The developer, Clover-Lancaster Group, wants to start construction in the spring and work should take between eight months to a year to complete. YMCA currently owns the lot.

The municipal planning commission approved the plans last month with a few conditions and it’s now up to council to ratify that decision. The developer is meeting the conditions, which include submitting plans for landscaping, stormwater management, van accessible stalls in the facility’s garages and a traffic light at Limestone and McMurray Roads.

The traffic light concerns some nearby residents, who attended a hearing on the development plans Dec. 2. The residents expressed concern that the light would make it more difficult to access their driveways.

“This light is needed even without a development,” said Jerry Duke, municipal planner.

The traffic from the senior housing facility is projected to be minimal. However, traffic impact studies of that area revealed a need for a light and the state Department of Transportation has had plans to place a traffic light at the intersection.

There are no immediate plans to install turning lanes at the intersection, but as part of the development plans, land at that corner will be available to widen the intersection in the future, Duke said.

Council President Tim Moury said he would like municipal planners to review the traffic in the area six months after the signal is installed and make any necessary adjustments to benefit the people living there.

The senior housing facility will have two entrances and exits, one on Limestone Road and the other on McMurray Road.

It will also have an extensive sidewalk system that will connect with the nearby Montour Trail. Kurt Meeske, senior real estate developer for Clover Group, said the impact on the bike trail should be nil during construction and after construction, access to the trail should be improved due to the sidewalks.

Clover, which is based in Buffalo, N.Y., manages senior living facilities in Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. The average age of residents living in those buildings is 78 and most buildings offer a variety of activities for retired people as well as transportation to shopping districts and doctors’ appointments.

In another matter, council floated $9.2 million in bonds that will pay for a new public works building as well as renovations to the community center. Council agreed to incur the debt and raise property taxes by .21 mills as part of the 2016 budget, which the board adopted last month.

The interest rate on the bonds is about 3.24 percent and Bethel Park will make payments on the debt over the course of the next 30 years.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $/week.

Subscribe Today