Plan Calls for Connecting Turnberry and Two Circle Drives

A plan to connect the two Circle Drives will be heard by Upper St. Clair commissioners.

The township planning commission voted Thursday to recommend a revised preliminary subdivision for Deerfield Manor Plan No. 9 that calls for connections between Turnberry Drive, Circle Drive in Upper St. Clair and the nearby street of the same name in Peters Township.

A public hearing is scheduled for the commissioners’ meeting on Monday, Aug. 6.

The planning commission previously recommended a plan that would have maintained cul-de-sacs at the end of all three streets. by splitting their votes 3-3, with one abstention.

Under the revision, developer Williamson & Jefferson Inc. intends to build five new single-family homes, instead of the 10 proposed in the previous plan.

The threat of eliminating the Turnberry Drive cul-de-sac has drawn numerous residents to express their objections at public meetings. That continued Thursday, with three Turnberry residents speaking.

Bill and Connie Karis joined Kim Gompers in citing concerns about neighborhood safety if the streets are connected, particularly with regard to the Circle Drive in Peters Township. They contend that more motorists would use Deerfield Manor as a cut-through between Route 19 and Boyce Road.

The first plan submitted by Williamson & Jefferson for Deerfield No. 9 called for a connection between Turnberry and the northern Circle Drive. Bill Karis, in particular, questioned why the Peters Township street is part of the new plan.

“There’s no logic as far as the benefit to Upper St. Clair to put it through to southern Circle,” he said.

Gompers said she is concerned about the traffic impact of new Peters Township development, especially a to be built at Circle Drive and Route 19. She also contended that most Deerfield residents would prefer the status quo to having better access to points south.

The township’s public improvement code “encourages connectivity of streets to reduce traffic volumes on individual street and to promote multiple points of access to residents,” according to a letter to township community development staff from Mark Magalotti, senior manager for Trans Associates. The civil engineering consulting firm, which specializes in transportation, reviewed the Deerfield No. 9 plan for traffic impact.

The planning commission approved recommendation of the plan by a 4-1 vote. Approving were members Joel Helmrich, David Wade, James Sekela and Todd Burlingame. Marvin Haddix voted no. Scott Slagle and Robert Stevenson were absent.