South Hills Village redevelopment plans approved
Upper St. Clair commissioners voted at their April 1 meeting to approve modifications to township code, allowing redevelopment plans for South Hills Village to move forward.
As part of the redevelopment, two modifications were requested, both related to a proposed Life Time Athletic facility.
Upper St. Clair requires a 100-foot setback between principle structures and the property line. The applicant was seeking a 66-foot setback to provide more functional parking.
The second modification requested was the waiving of Upper St. Clair’s requirement of three dedicated loading berths for a 120,000 square-foot building. While athletic equipment would be delivered prior to opening, the applicant said the business would not need a loading dock as deliveries would come through the main entrance or pool deck.
Adam Benigni, Upper St. Clair’s director of planning and community development, said that after reviewing plans presented during the public hearing at the board’s March 4 meeting, township staff recommended approval of the modifications. Benigni said the modified setback requirement is no detriment to public use, and because the facility will not receive large deliveries, staff recommended waiving the loading dock requirement, provided the use as a fitness facility remains the same. If the building use changes in the future, loading docks could be required.
Commissioner Robert Orchowski voiced concerns about having no loading docks at the facility, specifically about the possibility of delivery trucks causing traffic delays. Representatives from Simon Malls said that most deliveries would be food for the kitchen or chemicals for the pool.
Plans for the mall focus on three areas: the former Sears Automotive building, Sears, and the food court.
The area of the Sears Automotive building will become the home of Life Time Athletic, a luxury athletic resort with a 120,000 square-foot building and almost 40,000 square-foot pool deck.
The former Sears store will have a portion of the lower level filled in, with the remainder of that level housing stores that would access the lower level of the mall. On the upper level of Sears would be a bump out area and outward facing retail shops on the exterior of the building.
On the opposite side of the mall, plans call for part of the food court to come off to allow for additional parking closer to the mall entrance, along with outer facing retail shops.
In other business, the board recognized Upper St. Clair High School senior Jake Slinger for his WPIAL Wrestling Championship in the 285-pound weight class. Jake, who plans to wrestle for George Mason University, also took second in the state at the same weight class.
The board also issued a proclamation to Library Director Helen Palascak, recognizing April 7-13, 2019 as National Library Week in Upper St. Clair.