Plans for Excela orthopedic center move forward

Members of Hempfield's planning commission agreed Wednesday to forward preliminary site plans for an Excela Health orthopedic center on to township supervisors for approval.

If supervisors approve the plans, Excela Health will come before the planning commission again with more details before a final site plan is approved, said Solicitor Rachel Yantos.

Health system officials plan to build an orthopedic medical mall off of Mt. Pleasant Road on 43 acres along Weatherwood Lane, close to the township's border with Greensburg and South Greensburg.

The plan calls for a 96,000-square-foot building surrounded by 503 parking spaces, leaving trees and grassy areas closer to homes in the area intact. The health system purchased the parcel in March for $3.75 million. A portion of soil contaminated with arsenic as a result of past surface mining operations will be removed from the site, officials have said.

A traffic impact study and a stormwater management plan associated with the project are pending.

Other outstanding items in the plan include naming the road at the complex and adding specifics about a walking trail proposed on the site.