UPMC has presented plans for a much smaller medical facility in Jefferson Hills than initially planned.

While the health care giant still seeks to build a 63-bed hospital in the borough, some of the outpatient services initially planned for the medical center proposed near the intersection of Elliot Road and Route 51 will instead be housed at an outpatient facility opening in West Mifflin later this year, representatives told the Jefferson Hills planning commission on Jan. 27.

“It’s still a 63-bed hospital with an outpatient component. That outpatient component is now smaller,” said Roger Altmeyer, director of community project development for UPMC. “It’s still the same hospital component that was on the original plan, what has changed is the outpatient. A good portion of that is moving up the street.”

The latest plans submitted to Jefferson Hills for the hospital include a footprint of 57,000 square feet, as opposed to a 72,000 square feet building initially planned, engineer Mark Reidenbach said. The plans indicate the hospital will be four stories.

Representatives from UPMC, operating under the name AUUE Inc., are moving forward with plans for the hospital, seeking approval on a land development application from Jefferson Hills, despite the borough’s zoning hearing board stripping them of a zoning permit for the project last year.

UPMC is appealing that decision in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.

After receiving a zoning permit in 2018, AUUE Inc. submitted a land development application with Jefferson Hills. AUUE Inc. must secure land development approval from the municipality — along with other permits — before it builds the hospital.

When 104 Jefferson Hills residents challenged the zoning officer’s issuance of a permit for the project, a stay was issued on the land development application. However, when the borough’s zoning hearing board rendered a decision in September in favor of the residents, the clock on the land development plan started ticking again.

Thomas Ayoob, legal council for AUUE, has sought a “general tabling” of the land development application until the zoning permit issue works its way through the courts.

Borough leaders have said that is not how they typically operate, and instead planning commission members agreed to extend the deadline for the application’s review period until April 21, as long as progress was being made on plans for the project.

Daniel Stuart, of Marcus & Shapira, which is representing the 104 residents, asked planning commission members on Jan. 27 not to lose sight of the big picture.

“You have a land development application for a use that the zoning hearing board said is not permitted. I know that is not lost on anybody. I just think that as you go forward with your review of this and the resources being devoted to it, keep in mind not to put the cart before the horse,” he said. “You can’t do step two until you do step one. You can’t build a hospital where the zoning hearing board says you can’t build a hospital. That’s all going to play out on appeal.”

Ayoob told planning commission members that if they proceed with the land application process, he trusts that they won’t recommend denial of the project in the end based on the zoning use not being allowed — as that all is playing out in court.

Borough engineers had numerous questions and comments on the latest plans submitted by UPMC for the land development application.

Reidenbach read questions engineers had related to the plans out loud for more than 30 minutes ranging from stormwater management to parking, roads and traffic.

Jon Sweringen of Fahringer, McCarty, Grey, Inc. in Monroeville which is working with AUUE Inc. offered responses to some of the questions.

“The effort that’s being undertaken is meaningful and substantial and will continue to be meaningful and substantial to address comments that we’ve received so that you will have before you a plan that will be capable of being voted upon,” Ayoob said.

Planning commission members tabled the plans for further review next month.

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