Adams goes from rural to suburban
ADAMS TWP — Adams is changing from "a predominantly agricultural" township to a "suburban bedroom community."
This change, quoted from the township Web site, has been happening since the 1980s. But the past five years have included construction or planned construction for at least 15 new neighborhoods ranging from 35 to 100 units, not counting the two largest developments, Heritage Creek and Adams Ridge.
Residents have mixed feelings about development. Some have objected to the change for the traditionally rural township, while others see it as positive.
"Some residents look at it as negative," said supervisor Herbert Kaufman. "But many see the positives. It brings new businesses, economic growth and more jobs here."
As the township has grown, traffic has increased, necessitating more traffic lights along the Route 228 corridor. The lights have made traffic slower, but now there are fewer accidents, said Kaufman.
While there are positives to growth, Kaufman said supervisors and residents will always strive to keep parts of Adams rural.
"There are pieces we would rather not see grow," he said.
Controversy on Adams' growth spans everything from a complaint of too much light flooding the area of the new municipal building to the decade-old dispute over the Cranberry and Adams township border, according to past meeting minutes.
Those minutes record the building boom here.
The most symbolic story of progress in Adams is the new $2.5 million municipal building at the corner of Three Degree and Valencia roads.
The 24,000-square-foot building was completed in fall 2004 after being in the works since 1996.
Construction began in 2002 on the building, which was designed by architect J. Gabriel Kaclik. It houses administrators, the township police department and space leased to the Adams Township Water Authority.
As the population grows, so does the need for recreation.
"There is this issue coming up, as more residents come here. There will be a driving need for more park and recreation space," said Kaufman. "We want people to know we're aware of that, and it's on the agenda."
In the next five years, the population will grow. When housing plans now under construction are complete, more people will call Adams home.
The largest housing development in the township actually began in 1990, but has been added to significantly in the past five years.Adams Ridge covers about 500 acres and has about 2,500 units, including rentals, townhouses and single-family homes developed by Adams Ridge Inc. The community features a clubhouse, tennis courts, ballfields and walking trails.Single-family homes start from about $220,000, and townhouses begin around $175,000.More recent is the Heritage Creek development currently under construction.Construction began in 2002 on the 92-acre development near the corner of Route 228 and Crider Road.Developed by Chris Kaclik, Heritage Creek will host about 86 single-family homes and about 115 townhouse units when it is complete. Single-family homes there are about $300,000, and townhouses are about $200,000.About 40 of the single-family homes are complete, along with about half of the townhouses. The first resident moved there in October, said realtor Nancy Kaclik, Chris' wife.The development features a community center and a pool, but location is its most important draw."This is certainly a high-growth area. Real estate sales are always good," Nancy Kaclik said. "This location is definitely prime for commuters. It is a highly sought-after area, and I would expect (sales) to continue and even pick up."Supervisor Kaufman said new residents usually come from the Cranberry or North Hills areas."A lot of people think these are people moving in from out of state, but a lot are coming from (the) Pittsburgh (area)," he said.Most of the recent new housing plans are adjacent to the Adams Ridge plan. There is significant growth along Brickyard, Myoma and Three Degree roads.While it is not the largest residential development, a 60-unit condominium complex in the Treesdale development is worth noting.Those condos will take up the last parcel in the 1,400-acre development on the border of Adams and Pine townships. The condos were approved in August. Construction in Treesdale began in 1990.The Cranberry/Adams border dispute began in 1998, when Cranberry developer Rocco Viola filed a petition in the county court putting a 90-acre parcel he is developing in Adams instead of Cranberry.The townships are finally nearing an agreement that establishes a jagged new border. The dispute is not quite over, but as of last summer it appears Cranberry lost 121 acres in the agreement.
Probably the most controversial retail plan is a 450,000-square-foot shopping mall being constructed on 44 acres near Route 228 and Mars-Crider Road.Supervisors rejected the plan, which was first proposed in 2002, because they felt it did not mesh with the character of the neighborhood, according to township minutes.Numerous residents of the Hidden Oaks and Adams Ridge plans, which are adjacent to the mall, opposed the project. Residents at meetings said the mall would lower their property values.Early in 2004, a Butler County judge overruled the supervisors. Monaca-based developer Charles Betters is developing the mall, which features five buildings under the latest plans.So far, construction has not begun, but the land is being prepared for building, said Don Graham, the attorney representing Betters. He did not know when the construction of buildings would begin.Retail development has sprouted in the Heritage Creek development. The Springfield Grille and four other commercial buildings provide service-oriented businesses. In those buildings, where space is still to be leased, there is a dentist, orthodontist, physical therapist, bank and other offices.Seven Fields Towne Center, two three-story office buildings connected by an atrium on Seven Fields Boulevard, was built in 2004.About 102,000 square feet of office space is available in the buildings, which do not have any tenants yet.The center sits behind a 13,813-square-foot Eckerd Drug Store, which was also built in 2004.A PNC Bank branch that came to the township in 2005 is billed as southwestern Butler County's first "green" building. The "green" distinction means the building is environmentally friendly and energy-efficient.Township supervisors in 2004 approved preliminary plans for the Heritage Creek Shoppes, a mix of specialty retail shops on 33 acres across Route 228 from Heritage Creek Drive.About a dozen buildings will be on the site, including a high-end furniture shop, a bank, a national restaurant, a pharmacy and office space. The shops will take up about 130,000 square feet of space.The shopping center will be anchored by a specialty grocery store, The McGinnis Sisters Special Food Stores. The company, owned by sisters Bonnie Vello, Sharon Young and Noreen Campbell, already has a store in Brentwood, Allegheny County, and one in Monroeville.The new McGinnis store will be between 15,000 and 20,000 square feet. It will employ about 50 full-time employees, with additional part-time help.Existing buildings on the site have been demolished, and some land work has been done, said Young. But she does not know when construction will begin.She said focus groups and interviews revealed a demand for a farmer's market-type location here.The sisters chose the site because Adams is a growing community."Our locations in Brentwood and Monroeville, you know, you can't fit another house in there," she said."We're doing this especially for our children," said Young, who said she and her sisters will eventually need to retire from the business."This is a tough market out there, and we're trying to prepare them for it. We need to secure something for them, so that the business can grow," she said.
