Sep 12, 2016 2 min read

The owners of the former Rolling Hills Country Club sent a letter to Peters Township officials Monday saying they will not fight the condemnation proceedings the township and Peters Township School District filed against them last week in Washington County Court of Common Pleas.

Peters Township manager Paul Lauer told council at its regular meeting Pinehurst Land Partners, a consortium of developers led by F. Daniel Caste, wants the Board of View to determine the value of the property.

The township and the school board approved condemnation proceedings last month after talks with Pinehurst failed to negotiate a sales price after weeks of talks. Pinehurst acquired the former country club, which includes 190 acres in late June for $8.7 million. Members of Rolling Hills now belong to Southpointe Golf Club.

The township will do a bond issue of $9.76 million to finance the acquisition of 93 acres at Rolling Hills. The remainder of the bond issue will be used to finance a new ladder truck for Peters Township Fire Department, which will cost around $1 million. Lauer said he does not expect the township’s payment for the Rolling Hills property to exceed $7.5 million.

Based on population growth projections, Peters – the largest municipality in Washington County – is expected to have a deficit of recreational space by 2025 and is looking at using its portion of Rolling Hills for parks, playgrounds, gymnasiums, swimming pools and indoor recreation centers.

The school district, on the other hand, is looking at using 97 acres at the site for a school campus that could possibly include a new high school to replace the aging Peters Township High School, which sits on the other side of East McMurray Road. The district has applied for PlanCon Part C funding from the state to help finance its share. Shelly Belcher, a district spokeswoman, said the state has not yet acted on its request.