Quaker Valley High School project takes major step forward with Leet commissioners' approval

After outlining more than a dozen conditions, including a new one publicly introduced just prior to the vote, the Leet commissioners approved land development plans for a proposed Quaker Valley High School.

All five commissioners voted in favor of the proposed 167,000-square-foot school on Oct. 22.

It is planned on district property that straddles Leet Township, Edgeworth and Leetsdale, but the school will be in the township.

“This was a very complex, exhausting and expensive matter for our small and quiet township and entire community to have to put before us what seemed to be a never ending period of time,” said Commissioner Martin McDaniel, board president.

“We heard from very qualified and credentialed professional and legal consultants that the township and (the district) retained. Tonight, the decision of the board was not made lightly.” Instead, he said it was mande on the basis that the project met the objective requirements of the subdivision and land development ordinance.

The vote took place at what was a continuation of a special meeting Sept. 30, at which the commissioners requested that the school district create pedestrian access to the upper section of the site near the Quaker Heights neighborhood.

They also want the district to monitor the stability of the hillside along Camp Meeting Road.

The additional condition that was formally added just prior to the vote involved a portion of Camp Meeting Road, which is owned by Allegheny County. The county has agreed to vacate a portion of the land near what will become one of the school’s entrances.

McDaniel said that space will be donated to the township and maintained by the district. It’s a decision that came about through discussions with the township and district officials within the past few weeks.

The commissioner’s approval also was contingent upon the 15 conditions previously set by the township planning commission in August.

The planning commission’s recommendation came with those conditions, including a highway occupancy permit and other approvals from Allegheny County, a developers agreement and stormwater agreements with the township, various state approvals — including those from the Department of Environmental Protection — an agreement with the Leet Township Municipal Authority regarding a sewer system, and ensuring a design engineer would oversee construction efforts.

The township planning commission is a recommending body. The township commissioners have the final say.

Township officials asked about electronic hillside monitoring to help remediate risks. They suggested the use of inclinometers — sensors that go into pipes and measure the magnitude of slope, tilt, elevation and possible movement, among other factors.

Charlie Gauthier, district director of facilities and administrative services, said Quaker Valley has agreed to have eight to 10 of those devices installed and monitored for at least two years with data and testing available to township engineers.

The walkway to Quaker Heights is in the design phase.

“I’m very pleased (with the commissioners’ decision), but there is still lots of work to be done with all the third-party permits,” Gauthier said. “We believe we’ve done the correct thing throughout the whole process.”

Next steps in the project process also include preparing a request for proposals for contract managers.

Gauthier said the requests are expected to be prepared within the next few weeks and likely advertised by the end of November.

Multiple school board members and district administration attended the meeting.

The next school board meeting is set for Oct. 29. It’s a combined committee and legislative session. The school board usually has a committee meeting where members discuss topics and set the agenda for their voting session. This month’s committee meeting was canceled so district officials could attend the township meeting.

Gauthier does not anticipate any votes on matters pertaining to the proposed high school project to take place at the school board meeting.

The current high school was built in 1926 and has been renovated several times.

School district officials set the maximum building construction costs for the proposed high school at about $72.1 million and the maximum project cost at $105 million.

School board finance committee chair Geoff Barnes said expenses are still within the approved financial plans despite having its engineering, design and legal teams at multiple township meetings and legal proceedings.

“We’re still anticipating meeting all of our budgetary obligations,” he said. “Nothing’s changed.”

District Solicitor Donald Palmer and Superintendent Tammy Andreyko released statements after the meeting thanking the planning commission and township commissioners for their careful consideration of the project.

“This approval marks the beginning of an exciting phase for the district, and we are eager to begin site preparation and move toward construction of the new high school,” Andreyko said. “We express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who was been involved in this process and thank you in advance for your support as we continue on this transformational journey.”

The goal is to have the school open June 2027.

Down slope concerns and legal issues

Leetsdale resident Bill Jasper spoke at the meeting on behalf of about 50 residents who live downhill from the proposed school site.

He has repeatedly raised concerns about those homeowners not being able to acquire landslide insurance, and requested the district add them to its insurances.

District Solicitor Dan Gramc said such insurance additions are not required via township ordinances or by the state, but assured township leaders the district has at least $10 million in insurance to cover any incident that may occur.

“We’ve very confident based on our engineers and (township) engineer that reviewed what we proposed, there’s not going to be a problem,” Gramc said.

Jasper said after the meeting that he feels not enough was done to scrutinize the project.

“What never really got truly assessed was risk,” he said. “You can put a building under water and protect it from fire. That’s kind of the same argument they’re saying here. If you spend enough money on engineering, you can probably solve problems at least on paper. The real issue that they have here is the execution. There are so many known, unknowns that are identified in the geotechnical reports.”

Jasper was one of the people who last year appealed an Allegheny County Court decision that negated a township zoning hearing board denial of Quaker Valley’s plans.

A Pennsylvania appellate court on Jan. 26 affirmed a decision by the lower court that said that the Leet Township Zoning Hearing Board did not have the authority to deny the district’s application to build and instead was attempting “to control development issues.”

Those concerns, the three-judge panel wrote, should be addressed later in the land development and permitting phase of the project.

Jasper said he has not decided if he will challenge the commissioners’ decision.

McDaniel said he is not concerned about legal challenges.

“I am confident we have not erred on our quest to adhere to the law,” he said. McDaniel also commented on the district’s cooperation and negotiation throughout the project plan review process.

“They are a part of the community,” McDaniel said. “They’re not just a private developer who is going to build something and leave. It’s for their children. I don’t think they would want something that’s dangerous or unsafe. I think everyone was honest with each other and the give-and-take.”

More information about the project is available on the district’s website under the Blueprint QV section of the “District” tab.