Peters Township Council authorizes $5 million payment for Rolling Hills land
Peters Township has taken a final step toward acquiring part of the former Rolling Hills Country Club property off East McMurray Road.
Township council Monday voted to authorize payment of $5,537,500 for about 90 acres, which represents slightly less than half of the club’s land. Peters Township School District is poised to acquire the remainder.
The municipal portion will come from a bond issue that township officials expect to close on by Nov. 4.
“Rather than wait until our next council meeting, which will be the second Monday in November, we would like to be in a position to make this payment prior to that date so that we can take possession of that property,” township manager Paul Lauer said. “Given that it requires the expenditure of a substantial sum of money, I thought it would be appropriate that council authorize that payment prior to the date.”
The payment will be in the form of a check made out to Hollinshead, Mendelson, Bresnahan, Nixon & Finnegan, the downtown Pittsburgh law firm hired in March by the township and school district for special real estate counsel services. The firm, in turn, will sort out the purchase details.
Council on Monday also authorized two other measures with regard to the former Rolling Hills property.
The township awarded a $26,000 contract to Wind Ridge Engineering of Richhill Township, Greene County, to perform a boundary survey of the entire property, a measure that is necessary for future subdivision and development. The school district is footing half the amount.
Although the township submitted requests for proposals to locally based firms, municipal engineer Mark Zemaitis cited Wind Ridge’s experience.
“They’ve done a lot of work here in Peters,” he said.
To the Rolling Hills property, council voted to award a contract not to exceed $11,500 to RSSC Architecture of Pine Township for an assessment of the former clubhouse.
“I think it’s important that once we take possession of that building, we understand what it is we purchased,” Lauer said. “That’s what this contract was intended to accomplish.”
The clubhouse is part of the land being purchased by Peters Township, a portion that also includes Rolling Hills’ swimming pool. The township has expressed interest in developing a public pool at the site, while the school district is pursuing the possibility of construction of a new high school.