Bethel Park residents voice concerns over proposed housing plan

A developer’s plans to build a new neighborhood of single family homes prompted about 15 residents to attend a municipal committee meeting and voice concerns over stormwater management, traffic and safety.
The 9.75 acre property between Stoltz and Library roads is currently a wooded area with one house and nearby residents said they figured it was only a matter of time before someone developed the property.
Briwood LLC of Canonsburg plans to grade the land and build the infrastructure to support a neighborhood of 25 new homes. Dan Ryan Builders will then build and sell the houses. Two roads that currently end at the property line, Willow Terrace and Holly Hill drives, will extend into the property and end in cul-de-sacs.
Municipal council is expected to approve the plans at its regular meeting Feb. 8.
The area tends to have some problems with flooding and residents were concerned the development would make it worse. However, Bethel Park engineer Jean Statler thinks the opposite will happen because plans include a water retention pond, which should alleviate flooding.
“It should help the situation down there because the pond will hold back more of the water than what drains there now,” she said.
As part of the developer’s agreement, which will be negotiated later, the developer will pay the municipality some money up front to maintain the pond once construction is complete and Bethel Park workers will then take over maintenance of the pond. Bethel Park maintains water retention ponds in other neighborhoods and Jerry Duke, municipal planner, said he prefers that arrangement because Bethel Park can ensure it is maintained to the municipality’s standards.
Other residents said they were concerned about damage heavy trucks would do to the roads, but those roads will be bonded and any damage will be repaired after construction is complete. Others worried about the safety issues posed by the construction workers who will be in the quiet neighborhood for about 18 months.
Bethel Park Police Chief Timothy O’Connor said he could increase patrols in the area to ensure residents’ safety.
As governed by Bethel Park ordinance, crews will be able to work at the site from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays to limit disturbance to nearby residents.
In another matter, council received an update on plans to remodel the community center from the municipal architect, Mark Edelman of EPM Architecture. The floor in the kitchen and other areas is buckling, so Bethel Park plans to repair that and make other improvements to the building.
Edelman believes that water seeped under the building and into porous shale, which is found throughout that area. The shale expanded and caused the floor to buckle and non-load bearing walls to move. Some doors cannot be closed in that area due to the ground movement.
To fix it, Edelman said contractors will have to remove the concrete slab and the shale, pour a new slab, and finally, replace the floor. To ensure the problem doesn’t recur, workers will install a drainage system to get rid of any water before it becomes an issue.
Since the floor needs to be replaced in part of the building, plans call for replacing the tile in the hallway throughout the building, to give it a fresh look and match the new tile. Other plans call for remodeling the main restrooms, reorienting the reception desk and repurposing some rooms.
Cost is estimated at $524,000. Work may start in the fall.
The project was funded through a $9 million bond issue that will also pay for the construction of a new public works building. To pay for the debt, council raised the property tax rate by about eight percent this year.