Plans fall through at former Mayview site
The developer of a proposed subdivision that would have placed 620 housing units at the site of the former Mayview State Hospital in South Fayette Township withdrew its request for a zoning change to accommodate the project.
In a letter to the township commission dated Oct. 19, Anthony Faranda-Diedrich, vice president of neighborhood development for Charter Homes of Lancaster, said the property owners – Mark and David Aloe, entrepreneurs who have worked in the coal industry – are unwilling at this time to provide the time extensions necessary to complete the rezoning process started this summer.
“Given delays in the zoning amendment process, it is not possible for us to meet deadlines for obtaining zoning and development approvals under our agreement of sale with the owner,” the letter stated.
“Additionally, the land owner believes the election results in November may provide an opportunity to overturn the recently passed drilling ordinance, and as a result drill on the site in the future rather than sell the property to us.”
Faranda-Diedrich said Charter believes the Nov. 3 election, where three of the incumbent commissioners – Joseph Horowitz, Raymond Pitetti and Lisa Ann Malosh – are up for re-election has “changed the landscape” for the proposed development.
In May, the commission amended the gas and drilling ordinance to limit gas drilling in areas zoned industrial. Previously, the ordinance allowed drilling on land zoned for commercial, industrial, business, or where economic development is planned.
Commissioner Jessica Cardillio-Wagenhoffer called the Charter letter in poor taste and said there is no other interest in the Mayview property.
The impact of the residential project, dubbed Hastings-A Great American Neighborhood in South Fayette, has been a topic of debate in South Fayette for nearly two years.
Charter said last month that Hastings would add around 400 more students to the South Fayette School District, which is growing at a rate of 100 students each year.
The district, meanwhile, said Hastings would generate 600 new students, stretching its resources.
The township wanted to hire an independent consultant to study the effect, a move that could have postponed zoning changes even further. South Fayette is in the midst of a $34 million expansion at the high school, which is tentatively set to begin in January.