2 new developments planned in Cranberry
CRANBERRY TWP — Two new developments could be on their way to the township, as well as changes to the way in which such developments are zoned.
Township supervisors on Thursday are expected to vote on two development proposals, the details of which were given during last week’s meeting.
The first — a planned residential district called the Goehring Road PRD — proposes 67 single-family homes built on a 37.4-acre property on Goehring Road next to North Boundary Park.
The PRD would have one access point at Goehring Road and would have no access to North Boundary, according to Ron Henshaw, director of planning and development services.
However, a trail would connect the development to the park trail. The development would also have sidewalks and be connected with Franklin Ridge.
Henshaw said the development would have a few modifications, including streetscape enhancements, streetlights and seating and viewing areas at the stormwater ponds. It would also feature more narrow driveways at the request of the township planning commission.
“This development will be in compliance and then some,” Henshaw said.
During a public hearing on the matter one resident questioned the proposed development’s lack of access to North Boundary and the potential impact on traffic. Jason Kratsas, director of engineering, said officials were concerned that such an access would serve as a cut-through, creating more traffic than the expected 100 trips per day developers have said are being planned for.
A second development by Nuvo Self Storage would see a three-story, 90,430-square-foot miniwarehouse constructed at 20709 Route 19.
The self-storage facility would be built on a 2.23-acre lot next to The Cranberry Eagle, with a shared driveway. The facility would have no outdoor storage and would be surrounded by an 8-foot-high opaque fence.
Henshaw said township conditional use requirements indicate such buildings be constructed to look more like office buildings than warehouses. The project will have the township’s sidewalk requirement waived along Route 19, as the area is “topographically challenged,” Henshaw said.
Instead, the company will make an $18,500 contribution toward an access and circulation project through Community Park.
The developments come as township supervisors work to revise requirements for PRDs to address streetscape enhancements, street lighting and sidewalk green space with benches in the developments. The revisions are being made after some of the requirements were found to be redundant.
Henshaw said some developments, including the Goehring Road plan, have already addressed changes in the PRD requirements, including streetlamps. He said the goal is to create a traditional look for the communities, while also reducing long-term maintenance costs.
“We think ... that this makes for a more solid PRD ordinance,” Henshaw said. “We think it’s good for the long haul.”
No comments were submitted as part of public hearings on the storage facility and the PRD ordinance. Township supervisors will vote on all three proposals at their next meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
