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Newbury ‘back at square one again’ with development

By Jacob Calvin Meyer staff Writer jmeyer@thealmanac.Net 3 min read
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Tensions were high for one South Fayette commissioner during a discussion about Newbury Market during the board’s regular voting meeting Nov. 15.

Commissioner Gwen Rodi became heated during a discussion about an amended developer’s agreement between the township and Newbury.

While construction for TopGolf has already begun at Newbury, the development received a shocking blow in late September when its agreement with UPMC for a hospital as its other anchor tenant fell through.

According to solicitor Robert Garvin, the agreement needed to be amended to remove any reference to UPMC but contains the same “milestones” for Newbury.

Rodi understood the legal requirements but was frustrated with the lack of “accountability” for Newbury.

“By taking UPMC out of there, that takes any leverage we had out,” Rodi said. “So we can have another developer’s agreement that has the timing and everything stated in there, but we’re back to square one again. That was the whole purpose of doing this developer’s agreement to give us some leverage to make sure that things were getting done at Newbury.”

Garvin explained that it was necessary legally to remove UPMC from the agreement.

“Legally, it’s hard to say to a property owner that you have to build something,” Garvin said. “We have timing requirements in here, and if they aren’t met, we’ll come back and say that (Newbury) is in violation of (the) developer’s agreement. I think that’s the position we’re going to have to take.”

Rodi said Newbury is putting the township and the board in a “very difficult position.”

“At the end of the day, people look to us as the leaders of this community to start ensuring that the businesses start happening, and that’s where I’m at with this,” Rodi said. “I understand that we have to do this, but I just don’t like how this is going.”

Just before the vote passed unanimously, Rodi looked at Brett Malky, president of EQA Landmark and Newbury’s developer, in the audience and said, “I want to see accountability. I want to see something happen. I need it done. We need it done as the community.”

Malky said after the meeting that Rodi is passionate about the community and that she has “the best interest of South Fayette at heart.”

“We are both residents of South Fayette, and we both have the best interest of the community in mind. She’s a great champion of the community,” Malky said. “We will control what we can control. We didn’t expect UPMC to end the agreement, and all we can do from here is act in the best interest of the community.”

Also during the meeting:

  • The board also unanimously voted to swear in Rebecca Sray during the December workshop meeting Dec. 6 to fill in the last month of Jessica Cardillo’s term. While Cardillo’s term ends at the end of the year, she decided not to run and resigned from the board in October after moving out of the township. Sray, a Democrat, defeated Republican Kelly Fritz in the November election.
  • The township presented a $1,000 check to the Historical Society of South Fayette. As part of the township’s 175th anniversary summer series, Community Development Director Andrea Iglar said the focus was on the township’s history.

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