Bridgeville Borough to Finalize Settlement with Bedner Estates

After heated discussion at Monday’s council meeting, Bridgeville Borough is one step closer to a settlement agreement with the developer of Bedner Farms Estates.

Council voted 6-1 Monday to authorize borough manager Lori Collins to assist with finalizing settlement terms for an agreement between Bridgeville, Bender Farms Estates, and Upper St. Clair Township—a motion borough solicitor Richard Ferris said means that the settlement agreement itself was “accepted with some massaging needed.”

The exact written wording of the motion is unclear, but Ferris said council’s acceptance of the settlement was part of the vote per an executive session discussion.

“It was sort of clumsily stated because nothing was written down. We went into the executive meeting and you can’t vote in an executive meeting because of Sunshine Laws. It is just for discussion,” Ferris said on Tuesday afternoon. “The major terms of the settlement are clear and have been understood and that’s what [council] voted on last night. Substantially, the settlement was approved, and some additional details will be added later by the borough manager.” 

Councilman William Colussy voted against the motion.

Phil Sbrolla, attorney for the borough’s insurance company, said the contours of the settlement agreement are in place and are effectively approved per the vote taken on Monday, but that some finalization of terms and language still is needed.

Per Sbrolla, the general agreement is as follows:

• Bender Farms Estates would be allowed to tap a sewer line in Bridgeville Borough for 33 homes in the development, all of which are located in Upper St. Clair.

• In return, the Bedner Farms Estates developer would pay Bridgeville Borough a sewer impact fee totaling $70,000. The first $25,000 would be paid within the first 90 days of executing the settlement agreement, and then a certain amount per home would be paid as the homes are built until the remaining amount is paid.

• The Bedner Farms Estates developer would extend Main Street to the Bridgeville Borough/Upper St. Clair line, removing the tree that currently stands in the undeveloped roadway. 

• Service fees to ALCOSAN for the shared sewer line would be charged to Upper St. Clair. ALCOSAN charges municipalities based on the number of residents attached to the line, and Sbolla said there initially was a concern that Bridgeville would have to pay the service fee for those 33 homes. However, he said, ALCOSAN would charge USC the service fee for those homes per the settlement agreement.

An injunction hearing on the matter is scheduled for July 16, but Sbrolla and Ferris each said that the hearing might not be held if a settlement is finalized sooner. 

The meeting also included a heated discussion about an ordinance passed by Bridgeville Council between 1949 and 1951 that allows Main Street to be opened to the Upper St. Clair border. Chartiers Valley Patch will publish a more detailed article about that discussion and the ordinance this week.

To read more about plans for Bedner Farms Estates, the lawsuit filed against Bridgeville Borough, and a discussion about the situation with Upper St. Clair's township manager, click the highlighted links.