Feb 16, 2016 By Kate Drozynski 3 min read

The South Fayette Township Board of Commissioners meeting was abuzz Feb. 10 with talk of an easement that would allow for the potential construction of a road leading from the Walnut Ridge development to a steep, as-of-yet undeveloped plot of land. The road would bisect a portion of swamp land behind the development – land that developers Dick Herrington and John Means say was promised to existing and potential homeowners as designated green space.

“The homeowners purchased their lots on the understanding that they would have access to this park area,” said a Walnut Ridge representative. “And now there’s a potential road that could be build at any time in the future over what would be park land.”

The proposed road would allow for connectivity between the Walnut Ridge development and any future developments that may be built on the adjacent land. Walnut Ridge developers argue that land is unusable because of its steep slope.

However, South Fayette Township engineer and planning officer Mike Benton said that future development is feasible.

“The property to the north is very similar to the Walnut Ridge property,” Benton said. “If you look at the contours, it’s very similar. And the monumental, earth-moving task that those guys took on was inconceivable before.”

A future road could also create access for emergency vehicles to enter the Walnut Ridge development from more than the single point in the current plan.

After lengthy deliberation and comment from both sides, the board passed a motion to approve the plan as presented, which would not include the easement for the potential future road, subject to the conditions of the township engineer and enter into a development agreement.

Development of the Beacon properties in the Abele Business Park was also discussed at Wednesday’s meeting. A representation of a four-story office building that would overlook I-79 was presented to the board. Site plans and minor subdivisions were approved.

Also approved was advertising for bids for the 2016 paving program, which would resurface or seal over 11 miles of road in the township. The target to receive bids from contractors is April.

Sgt. Jeffery Sgro was also recognized at the meeting for his contribution as South Fayette School Resource Officer in the school district. Sgro patrols the South Fayette campus, providing a police presence, controlling traffic and managing parking.

He developed Project Pride, which encourages students to make good decisions, avoiding dangerous situations and substances. He was elected as president of the Pennsylvania Association of SROs in 2015. He’s presented as the state SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) conference and has been asked to present at the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board conference in March and discuss the roles of SROs in school in the prevention of underage consumption.

“We couldn’t ask for a better representative of the police department to the school,” said high school principal Aaron Skrbin.

Sgro accepted his recognition from Police Chief John Phoennik.

“The relationships that we get to build with the students and the faculty and the community are just great,” Sgro said. “And it shows really, especially in times like today when we see so many things on the news that are so negative, that police officers can have a positive impact. And that is what we’re here to do.”