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Municipalities outline school plan concerns
Source:
Cranberry Eagle
Written by:
Jared Stonesifer
Published:
March 3, 2010
CRANBERRY TWP — An engineering firm representing Cranberry Township and Seven Fields recently sent a letter to the engineering firm representing the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh that outlines concerns about a recent traffic study commissioned by the diocese.
That traffic study is one of the first steps in a long process to bring a Catholic high school to Butler County.
If built, North Catholic High School would hold more than 1,200 students and would be on the north side of Route 228 near Cranberry's border with Seven Fields.
Seven Fields manager Tom Smith said the engineering letter is a critique that both municipalities felt needed to be done to "lay the blueprint of what we see is going to be needed to be mitigated by the diocese in order for the project to move forward.
"This is a starting point with both municipalities that shows our concerns about the project and the impact it would have on surrounding roads," Smith said. "Basically it outlined how we feel we need to proceed in this development to truly utilize the process of smart growth."
The letter, sent by the engineering firm Herbert, Rowland and Grubic, outlined several additions and suggestions for the dioceses' engineering firm, Trans Associates. Trans Associates sent its traffic study to the state Department of Transportation after it was done in November.
Trans Associates recommended the construction of an additional westbound lane on Route 228 between High Pointe Drive and Franklin Road to help deal with traffic for the school.
However, the municipalities' letter suggested the diocese consider building an additional eastbound lane between those roads to make a four-lane road.
The letter also asked the diocese to specify the formula it used to determine how many students would be drawn from what geographical locations, which is important information to be used to determine what roads need to be widened or fixed for the project.
Smith previously disagreed with the diocese assertion that a majority of the school's population would come from Allegheny County and other areas west of the school.
He expects a majority of traffic for the school to come from other parts of Butler County. He said motorists traveling west on Route 228 would encounter significant traffic headaches that need to be addressed while the diocese is focusing mainly on traffic traveling east on Route 228.
Jason Kratsas, director of engineering for Cranberry, said the letter isn't so much a critique of the dioceses' current plans but more of a way to "open up dialogue to better understand what the issues are going to be and then how to deal with them accordingly."
Kratsas said both municipalities were somewhat concerned the diocese didn't submit a land development application before commissioning a traffic study. That concern was one of the components that spurred the municipalities to draft their letter.
The process might be a bit out of order, he said, but diocese officials have been in contact with both Cranberry and Seven Fields about having more in-depth discussions.
Smith said he received a call from diocese officials about an hour after he emailed the letter to them. They agreed to a meeting next week for the diocese, Cranberry and Seven Fields, although a time and date haven't been set.
A call to the Rev. Kris Stubna, secretary of education for the diocese, on Friday was not returned.
Proposals call for the high school to be in Cranberry, but the plan would require access roads onto Mars-Crider Road and High Pointe Drive, both of which are owned by Seven Fields.
No timeline for the school has been set because construction is contingent on the diocese raising money. The school is expected to cost about $60 million.
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