Court Battle with Bridgeville Ongoing Over Bedner Estates in Upper St. Clair

Bedner Estates developers can start building single-family residences in Upper St. Clair Township as soon as they want, township Manager Matthew R. Serakowski said.

When construction will actually start is yet to be seen, however, as the developers may choose to see first how a legal battle with Bridgeville Borough officials plays out.

The Bridgeville Council has voted not to open Main Street to Bedner Estates, citing worries about traffic and safety on the residential road, and that has prompted Bedner's developers to sue Bridgeville over the matter.

"As far as Upper St. Clair's concerned, it has been decided," township Manager Matthew R. Serakowski said regarding the Upper St. Clair Board of Commissioners' decision in April to approve Bedner's plan. "We've granted approval."

At a township meeting on Monday night, six of seven township commissioners voted "yes" to also approve the Bedner Estates developers' Sewer Planning Module application to the Department of Environmental Protection, further clearing the developers' path to build at the former Bedner's Farm site at 1427 Cook School Rd. (Commissioner Donald P. Rectenwald Jr. abstained.)

"What the board took action on (on) Monday night is completely separate from the appeal that is going on downtown," Serakowski said.

Serakowski said that the Bedner developers are not applying specifically for a street-connection permit in Bridgeville but rather for "a utility connection via a street-opening permit."

In order to ultimately be able to use utility lines in its location along Cook School Road, Bedner Estates developers must come to some sort of an agreement with Bridgeville.

Upper St. Clair has had representation at court proceedings between Bedner Estates and Bridgeville, Serakowski said, "to protect its previous approval interests."

"What is before Common Pleas Court is between the developer and Bridgeville Borough," Serakowski said. "This was not initiated by Upper St. Clair."

The Bridgeville Council's next public meeting will be held on July 8 at 7 p.m.