Residents wary about townhouse proposal
Some Shannon Heights residents remain concerned about a proposed townhouse development, even though the contractor has agreed to adhere to municipal guidelines.
Developers got the green light from the Penn Hills Planning Commission to proceed with eight more townhouses or "garden apartments," bringing the total development to 42 units, to be marketed in the $150,000 price range.
Last June, developer Joseph Reginella and the Pelone Land Co. received approval from Penn Hills council to build 34 townhouses on about 12 acres of property — with the municipality's conditions attached.
What the developers are seeking now involves the rezoning of eight acres of adjacent land they intend to purchase to the southeast of the originally proposed development.
"Right now, it's just a big hole in the ground, which we plan to use as a fill area for 45,000 cubic yards of earth that we'll be excavating," Reginella said, explaining that the new property acquisition will allow for about eight more townhouses as well as a stormwater-retention pond.
While the planning commission made a positive recommendation with a 4-0 vote Tuesday, the matter now must go to municipal council for final approval.
After residents launched a petition drive last year that included a list of concerns about the original proposal for a townhouse community on a wooded hillside above Verona Road, Reginella assured municipal officials that a 50-foot conservation zone will remain intact.
Those residents still are concerned about the possibility of a "cut-through" road that ties into Shannon Heights Road.
"We will maintain the buffer zone and we have no intention of connecting to Shannon Heights Road," said Richard Territ Jr., one of the surveyors on the project.
Even though the zoning is stricter now than it was, some residents want more assurances that their property values will be protected.
But until all the units are sold, there are no guarantees that some of them will not be rented, said resident Debbie Mazzei of Shannon Heights Drive.
For that reason, some residents have requested that a wall or some other barrier be put up at the terminus of Shannon Heights Drive.
When the first request for the 34 townhouse units was brought forward last June, municipal planning officials pointed out that the developers were actually seeking a more restrictive zoning classification, since previous zoning would have allowed for a 10-story high-rise apartment to be built in the area.
But Ridgely Drive resident Robert Shuder believes his worst fears are being realized with the development.
"Forty years ago, the lay of the land was one of the reasons we decided to settle up here in Shannon Heights," Shuder said, adding that the buffer zone will not be an effective deterrent to any intruders.
"I say we should barricade the end of Shannon Heights Road, so we don't have to hire a police officer or build a guard house," Shuder said.
Edie Mainiero said the planning commission hasn't addressed anything but construction-related issues, rather than matters such as property values for existing homeowners.
"What kind of residents are we talking about?" Mainiero asked.
Reginella explained that he "cannot violate anybody's civil rights." And while the 1,700-square-foot townhouses with two-car garages would not qualify for Section 8 federal housing subsidies, if they don't sell at $150,000, they will be marketed as upscale rental units.
"I don't think any developer is going to want to go out and market these units to drug addicts," said planning commission Chairman Al V. Papa Jr.
"Mr. Reginella is not going into this to lose money," Papa said. "As for this development having a deleterious effect on the housing values, I think just the opposite will occur, that this should have a positive effect on those values."
Karen Rafalko, one of the residents who launched the petition drive and drafted the stipulations that Reginella agreed to follow, said the developer, the contractor and the residents should all be working together to build a sense of trust.
Planning commissioner Trent Griffith believes that such a development should galvanize the community.
"Why, all of a sudden, do we want to build a wall between the old and the new?" Griffith said. "This is a positive, and a great way to attract professionals. We should be applauding this gentleman."
Planning Commissioner Sara Kuhn takes a more cautious approach, saying that residents simply want to make sure their investment and current way of life is protected and preserved.
"I think they're concerned because right now, it's an unknown," Kuhn said.
