On Thursday, Jackson Township supervisors granted preliminary approval to a proposed apartment building across from Northgate Plaza.

The apartment complex, proposed by David L. Frydrych and Audrey G. Frydrych Inc., is planned to house 48 units inside of a four-floor building on 3.753 acres situated just off Route 19 north of Zelienople.

Ed Moore, project manager with Sheffler & Company Inc., described the complex as having the apartment building situated in the center of a parking lot containing the required number of parking spaces.

To the northwest of the building will be two parking garages, which will have the capacity to hold 10 vehicles each for a total of 20 spots.

Because the location of the Frydrychs' proposed development — behind Beer 4 Less and the former Pizza Hut site and adjacent to Creekside Commons — is currently landlocked, Moore said a new public road will be constructed, connecting the complex to the state highway. The proposed road is unnamed.

The new apartment proposal also comes with pedestrian connectivity, Moore said, with a sidewalk along the proposed public road as well as pedestrian areas within the complex itself. The Northgate area of Route 19 is the site of proposed interventions to make the area more pedestrian accessible in the 2021 budget.

There will also be a retention pond on the property, located to the south of the building on the Creekside Commons side.

Changes approved

Supervisors also approved a proposed change to the Seneca Trails residential development in the southern tier of the township.

The change was minor in the grand scheme of the 130-acre development. Rather than the townhouses facing Gudekunst Road, those townhouses will instead have their front facades face the rest of the plan, with the rear sides facing Gudekunst.

Budgeted expenses

The board further gave assent to the proposed $7.3 million budget for 2021.

As with the other municipalities to thus far pass a budget for next year in the area covered by Harmony Fire District, Jackson Township did not include any millage increase in the 1.5-mill fire tax in 2021.

That tax hike had been requested by the district to help fund the construction of a new station, but supervisors had questioned the economic necessity of some of the items proposed in the construction bill. Additionally, Harmony Borough noted that the department seemed to shy away from the increase after electing a new slate of officers.

Jackson's budget also expects a roughly $400,000 surplus in 2021, with the township's finances not as affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated business shutdowns as Cranberry, which projected a $1 million drop in revenue and budgeted for that purpose.