Shaler commissioners formalize agreement between Mt. Alvernia developer, residents

The dispute between residents of a Shaler neighborhood and a Pittsburgh-based developer came to a civil and uneventful resolution this month.

Commissioners on May 13 unanimously approved an ordinance that includes the agreement reached between the Hawthorne Neighborhood Association and Q Development, which is working on a $100 million redevelopment of Mt. Alvernia.

Once the campus of the Sisters of St. Francis, Mt. Alvernia straddles Shaler and Millvale.

In 2019, the sisters sold the property, which also includes a chapel and residence halls. Aside from the Mt. Alvernia Day Care and Learning Center, the campus has remained vacant for more than five years.

The nearby cemetery remains the property of the sisters.

After having announced their agreement in April, the final public hearing at the Shaler commissioners meeting was brief.

“It’s been said,” said Charles Perego, attorney for the neighborhood association.

Q Development Principal Rick Belloli said he was excited to check the box and have the project move on to its next phase, which he said includes figuring out the financing followed by 18 months of architectural work.

The agreement addresses neighbors’ concerns including traffic and parking congestion and impacting the character of their neighborhood by capping the number of apartments that could be there.

Q Development will cap the number of dwelling units on the Shaler side of the property at 200, down from 250. There is no limit on the Millvale said, where the number is expected to be around 125.

No new apartment buildings would be permitted, except for the potential replacement of St. Clare Hall. If it is demolished, it could be replaced with a new building no more than four stories tall and 50 feet high with a floor area of no more than 50,000 square feet, consistent with St. Clare Hall.

While not in the ordinance, Q Development and the neighborhood association are expected to stay in communication with each other as the development plans are prepared, with Q reviewing them with the residents before filing with the township, said Tim Rogers, acting township manager.

Belloli and Perego each acknowledged that.

Township officials commended the parties for coming to a civil resolution.

In other business

• Commissioners approved buying 12 automated external defibrillators for $24,000.

They will be placed in 10 of the township’s parks, with two each in Fall Run and Kiwanis. Parks having one each will be Denny, Duss, Ellen Hughes, Farrell, Fawcett Fields, Richter, Stoneridge and Tim Rogers Field.

Boxes to hold the AEDs may cost an additional $1,000 to $1,500, according to the township. That cost would not be incurred where they can be mounted in a building or church.

Describing the devices as “the latest and greatest,” one of their features is that they connect to the cellular network and call 911 upon being activated, said Eric Schmidt, chief of Shaler Hampton EMS.

There is an option for Spanish voice prompts, and a child mode.

• A residency requirement has been removed for Shaler management and public works employees.

Instead of being required to live in Shaler, the requirement is now to live within 10 air miles of the township building on Wetzel Road.

Police officers are required to live within 25 air miles.