Construction could begin this year on the first of 164 homes on an abandoned New Stanton farm, part of which abuts Interstate 70.
Broadview Estates LP of Wexford wants to build the homes along Broadview and Marginal roads on 86.8 acres owned by the Smail Farm Limited Partnership of Hempfield, according to plans presented to municipal officials.
Site preparation and construction on the first of five phases could begin this fall, with lots and three- or four-bedroom homes available for sale in the spring, said David A. Lucci, a landscape architect with Victor-Wetzel Associates of Sewickley, which is involved in the project.
The first phase would consist of 46 homes, with the development of the other phases dependent upon the market conditions, Lucci said. The housing plan will be built by Maronda Homes.
“There is a lot of site preparation to do — the earth-moving, the installation of utilities,” Lucci said.
The Hempfield address of Leroy G. Smail is listed as the address for the Smail Farm partnership. He could not be reached for comment.
The farm property was listed for sale at $949,000 and had been under a sales agreement with Broadview Estates for almost a year, said David Reese, the real estate broker handling the sale.
The proposed development is a significant project for the borough, which has a population of about 2,160, said Jeffrey McLaughlin, borough manager.
“You build all this infrastructure and (New Stanton) becomes an attractive place,” Reese said. Developers like to say that “build the infrastructure and get out of our way,” Reese remarked.
Broadview Estates is part of Leslie Road Associates of Wexford. John Berarducci, vice president and chief operating officer of Leslie Road Associates, declined to comment and referred calls to the company's real estate department. No one there responded to a request for comment.
A spokesman at Maronda Homes' Pittsburgh office could not be reached.
New Stanton council scheduled a public hearing for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday on the request to rezone two portions of the farm property, 10 acres in all, from residential to a general business district.
Rezoning the two parcels will allow the developer to build units on smaller lots — 60 feet wide instead of 90 feet, as required under the residential zoning classification. The smaller lots will be consistent with lot sizes in other phases, Lucci said in the application for the rezoning.
To improve access to the site, the developer plans to rebuild narrow Broadview Road, McLaughlin said. Roads within the plan will be built to borough specifications. Traffic control measures, such as islands and crosswalks, will be installed, McLaughlin said.
Plans include sidewalks and a small park, McLaughlin said.
About 5 acres will be set aside as open space, according to the rezoning application.
Mayor Ronald Echard said the proposed housing development will fulfill a need for more residents in New Stanton. The borough's comprehensive plan found New Stanton needs to increase its population, Echard said.
Increasing the population will make the town more attractive for businesses, Echard said.
Joe Napsha is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-5252 or jnapsha@tribweb.com.
