Council OKs turning lane near senior living facility

Peters council on Monday granted conditional use approval for traffic improvements, including the installation of a turning lane at the intersection of Valley Brook Road and Friar Lane in Peters near the site of a proposed senior living facility.

Council also approved a settlement agreement with the Waters Senior Living Holdings of Minneapolis, which seeks to build the facility in the McMurray Town Center area. It would have up to 130 units on about four acres.

Council granted the conditionaluse and settlement by a 4-2 vote. James Berquist, David Ball, Robert Lewis and Gary Stiegel Jr. voted in favor. Frank Arcuri and Monica Merrell voted no. Frank Kosir Jr. abstained.

Council in December voted to require a traffic study at the site to determine if a turning lane was warranted there or if it would be needed simply because of the development. After the study confimed the need for a turning lane, 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. Because the settlement was reached, that appeal has been dropped.

Under the settlement, Waters will pay about 24 percent of the cost of the turning lane in the form of a traffic impact fee of about $119,800. In turn, the township will add the traffic improvements to its capital improvement projects budget.

Township manager Paul Lauer called the settlement “fair and equitable.”

“I’m not surprised a left turn lane is needed,” said Ms. Merrell, who voted against the measure.

Conversely, Mr. Berquist said, “I think [Waters has] been certainly amenable in working with the township.”

In other business, council granted final plan approval to Brookwood Village, which will be a 20-patio home development on about seven acres on Brookwood Road. The developer is Cortes Builders Inc., and the homes will be single-family detached patio structures on lots ranging from 0.20 acres to 0.24 acres in the township’s mixed residential overlay district.