Peters hires Reed Smith for bond counsel for Rolling Hills property purchase
Peters Township Council agreed at its April 25 regular meeting to hire the Pittsburgh law firm of Reed Smith to act as its bond counsel as it examines ways to finance the acquisition of a portion of the shuttered Rolling Hills Country Club.
Peters will pay Reed Smith $10,500 plus expenses.
The township is negotiating with developer Laurel Communities, a residential development company that includes Marty Gillespie, the president of Heartland Homes, which was acquired by NRV Inc. in 2013, a move that brought it under the same corporate umbrella as Ryan Homes. It is not clear whether Horizon Properties, a major developer at Southpointe, is still involved in the project. Horizon could not be reached for comment.
Michael Silvestri, Peters Township manager, said after the meeting that the township is in discussions with the developer, but hopes to move quickly on the project. At this point in time, the township has decided not to use eminent domain, he said.
Silvestri said the township, which has partnered with the Peters Township School District in the Rolling Hills venture, is interested in half of the 190-acre property. He said preliminary lot lines have been drawn. The township has also appointed appraisers, according to township administration notes.
If the township is successful in acquiring a portion of the Rolling Hills property, it will likely be used for recreational purposes. The school district, meanwhile, has indicated its share of the property could be used for a new school.
In other matters, Susan Deegan, a resident of Braeburn Drive, publicly asked council to consider making the intersection of Braeburn Drive and East McMurray Road safer. She said school children tend to wait for busses on the intersection’s traffic island and she is concerned about safety issues.
“You should consider changing it to a full access intersection,” said Deegan, the mother of three. “It would be in the interest of public safety.”
Councilman Frank Arcuri, however, said if the intersection was made full access, then the traffic island would have to be removed.
“If you change the intersection, you’re still going to have issues,” said Peters police Chief Harry Fruecht. “The kids should never be allowed on the island.”
On a separate matter, council agreed to hold a public hearing June 20 on its final draft of the proposed Conservation Residential and Mixed Use ordinances, which have been recommended for approval.