Council negotiating settlement over turning lane

Company makes compromise offer

Peters council on Feb. 12 authorized the township’s administration to negotiate a settlement with a company that wants to build a senior living facility over the installation of a turning lane at the site.

Waters Senior Living Holdings LLC of Minneapolis seeks to build the facility in the McMurray Town Center area. It would have up to 130 units on about four acres at Friar Lane and Valley Brook Road.

Council in December voted to require a traffic study at the site to determine if a turning lane is warranted there or if it would be needed simply because of the development. Council determined that Waters would be responsible for the turning lane’s construction.

Waters subsequently appealed council’s decision to Washington County Court of Common Pleas.

Township manager Paul Lauer said the traffic study has been completed and it was determined there is enough traffic to warrant a turning lane before the the building is constructed.

Mr. Lauer said that Waters has proposed an alternative to constructing the turning lane and instead is willing to pay a fee of 23.68 percent of its cost, which is estimated at nearly $50,000. The township would then include the project in its capital improvement costs.

“Personally, I think this is a good compromise,” he said.

Council tabled any action on the conditional use decision regarding the turning lane until after a settlement is officially reached.

In other business, township engineer Mark Zemaitis addressed the township’s three-year street resurfacing plan as well as the 2018 resurfacing plan.

Mr. Zemaitis said the township plans to pave about 18 miles of road over the next three years. He added more than 21 percent of the township’s roads have not been paved in at least 15 years.

About $1.25 million is budgeted for the 2018 road program. Streets included in this year’s resurfacing plan include:

• Sunset Lane from Pleasantview to Terminus

• Franklin Drive from Skyview Drive to Locust Drive

• Old Washington Road from Carol Drive to Route 19

• Sugar Camp Road from Church Hill Road to McIntosh Drive

• Thompsonville Road from Elm Grove Park to Snowberry Circle