Sewickley Academy hopes to upgrade athletic facilities

Sewickley Academy officials believe a revamped athletic complex with synthetic turf, lights for night games and various other upgrades will make the school more competitive.

“We really want this to be a collaborative, cooperative venture with the community and the town,” Head of School Ashley Britwell said at a tour of the Beaver Road site in Edgeworth Sept. 8.

Britwell said enrollment has been declining over the past 15 years to the point where the private pre-K-12 school has less than 600 total students.

A rework of the nearly 10-acre property may entice more families to move to the area.

“My mindset is if we succeed and thrive, the community thrives and vice versa,” Britwell said. “It’s about how do we remain competitive with our peers, Shady Side Academy, Winchester (Thurston School), Ellis (School). How do we continue to attract student-athletes to Sewickley Academy?

“Being able to attract those students fundamentally affects our enrollment. If our enrollment is growing, then we’re attracting more families to the region. Property values do well. We support local businesses, but we need your help in making sure that Sewickley Academy continues to grow and is a prestigious institution in this town.”

The site currently has tennis courts, a small concession stand, natural grass soccer and baseball fields and no lights or walking trails.

The academy is working with firms Lga Partners, Gateway Engineers, JTSA Sports and LaQuatra Bonci Associates.

Some preliminary designs were on display at the Sept. 8 visit.

They showed the removal of the tennis courts for larger synthetic turf soccer and lacrosse fields. A turf baseball field would replace the current grass soccer field. A smaller practice field would be in between making the total play area about 700 by 300 feet.

Existing concessions and seating would be removed and replaced. There would be elevated seating behind home plate and stretching close to the dugouts, giving it a more professional baseball field look.

“We want to give them the best of the best,” athletic director Win Palmer said. “They deserve it.”

Plans also include a playground between the bleachers and baseball seating for younger children not playing in the games. There is no such area currently.

A new stormwater management system with underground tanks and a rain garden in the parking lot will be installed if plans move forward.

Palmer said there were at least six games and multiple practices within the past year that had to be canceled due to flooding and drainage.

The new turf would also meet WPIAL standards and allow for more playoff game potential.

“Everybody now plays on turf (and) everybody plays under lights,” Palmer said. “We can find an exception here or there, but most of our competitors are doing so. In lacrosse, 100% of our away games are played on turf under lights. We’re looking to do is provide the same opportunity for students here that they’re getting at other schools.”

A new walking trail encompassing the property would also provide educational opportunities for students, academy officials said.

Several residents expressed concern for what they called the historic Miller House, a two-story home built in the 1800s.

Resident Gail Murray said it and a Blacksmith’s House nearby were important components of a significant 19th-century estate known as Newington.

“It’s a historic landmark for this area,” Murray said. “It’s in good condition. We take pride in our historic structures. In Edgeworth, there are no historic ordinances. Unlike the historical districts in Sewickley, land owners (here) can tear down homes.”

She asked academy officials to find a way to preserve the Miller House and seek parking solutions elsewhere.

Mike Cevarr is part of Preserve Edgeworth, a group of about 40 or so borough residents with similar concerns about the aforementioned homes.

He said the proposed development would also cause traffic and environmental problems at Little Sewickley Creek.

“With increased seating and increased usage, this traffic intersection is going to be horrible right here,” Cevarr. “Safety of pedestrians, especially kids (is very important). You’re going to have three busy intersections in a row.”

Cevarr told academy officials he does not feel as if his group is being heard and they are ignoring its concerns.

Academy chief financial officer Dave DeNardo said resident feedback is key to the planning process, and nothing has been finalized.

Plans were submitted to the Edgeworth planning commission on Aug. 10.

Revisions since then include the removal of an indoor athletic complex for a smaller field house with new restrooms and a concession stand.

Academy officials are expected to go before the planning commission with revised plans Sept. 14.

Edgeworth manager John Schwend said on Sept. 8 that plans could go before council at its Sept. 20 meeting depending on what happens at the planning commission meeting.

However, it is more likely to be on council’s Oct. 18 agenda based on the timeline in the municipal planning code, Schwend said.

Academy officials are hopeful to have the new fields ready by next fall.

They still need to get state and Allegheny County permits, along with borough council approval.

Academy officials repeatedly declined to disclose how much the project would cost, noting ever-changing supply chain issues and material price fluctuations.