Quaker Valley area residents tour proposed high school site in Leet, school opening pushed back
Share this post:
Quaker Valley School District officials gave a tour of a proposed high school site in Leet to a group of area residents, while legal challenges to a zoning issue continue in Allegheny County Court.
The school district wants to build an estimated 167,000-square-foot facility on about 150 acres of land off Camp Meeting Road. Project costs were estimated between $90 million and $100 million. About 650 students would eventually be enrolled.
The property straddles Leet, Edgeworth and Leetsdale. About 30 people walked the grounds Aug. 2.
They were led by district director of facilities Charlie Gauthier, along with BSHM architect Kate Spires and Phillips & Associates principal Geoffrey C. Phillips.
“This is an important project for the residents of this area,” Phillips said. “To be good stewards we are having tours of property and answering any questions people have without some formal format. They are a little more comfortable (in this setting) to be able to do that. A lot of people haven’t seen it. We had four (tours) last year.”
Tour guides fielded questions about stormwater management, access and amenities.
Phillips said there would be rain gardens to filter out debris and sediment. Water would be stored in underground detention facilities and be let out at a slower pace minimizing flooding concerns while keeping some water in the ground.
“There’s existing erosion problems along the drainage course along Camp Meeting Road,” Phillips said. “There’s a lot of erosion that’s going on due to a high volume of water that’s being released from upstream. Not from this property, but from other properties.”
The proposed stormwater management of the site would mitigate those problems, said Phillips.
He noted crews had drilled 100 holes on the site to analyze its topography and get soil samples. There is about 10 feet of soil on top of about 30 feet of sandstone sitting on a layer of claystone.
Spires talked about walking trails and how the engineering team has to “balance the desire for community access and safety of the school.”
The school, itself, would be about 300 to 400 feet off of Camp Meeting Road, and about 300 feet from what was called a “performance field.”
The field would be green space and used for sports like soccer. No stadium is planned for the site.
Officials said they have yet to decide what to do with a three-story brick home that sits next to the proposed field.
Spires also took questions about future district growth and the possibility of adding classes to the school.
“The building could really flex with time,” she said.
Gauthier said the closest neighbor to the school is about 800 feet down a hillside with visibility blocked by numerous trees.
“We don’t want our neighbors to see what we’re doing or be a nuisance to them,” Gauthier said.
Tour participants included a couple of school board members, a pair of neighbors from Bell Acres, folks who live downhill from the property and Larry Castner of Aleppo.
“It’s helpful to actually view the property that people have been talking about for so long,” Castner said. “I had not been up here before. If they’re going to build a high school up here I’d like to see what’s going on. I think there’s a lot of debate going on, and it just helps to kind of draw your own conclusions.”
Project planning began several years ago.
The preliminary plan for the school would use 47 acres for the building and grounds. The site already has 10 acres cleared out, but the district wants to leave a lot of landscape as a buffer.
Legal battle delays plans
No further construction is expected for a while, as the district remains in a legal battle after the Leet Township Zoning Hearing Board denied the district’s special exception request for the school.
The township’s board on Feb. 9 denied the district’s application. Its main reason was the lack of an emergency access road for police fire and EMS.
District officials had said they did not object to the idea, but that it would be more suitable in a land development plan and not an exception application.
Quaker Valley’s 45-page appeal was filed in Allegheny County Court on April 12.
A virtual status conference took place June 16 with Court of Common Pleas Judge Joseph James and attorneys representing the district, the zoning hearing board, and a small group of petitioners that support the board’s denial.
Legal teams were given 60 days to file briefs to further make their case. Documents are due Aug. 15.
District officials had hoped to have the new school built and ready for students by the 2025-26 school year.
Those dreams have since been altered to have construction begin in 2025 with doors being opened in the fall of 2027.
“Everything got pushed back because of zoning,” Gauthier said. “I’m hopeful that the judge gives us the approval and look forward to continuing the design of the project, and working with our architectural team and engineering team and get the project done.”
Teams are still in the preliminary design phase of the school, which focuses on the big picture of academic programs, classrooms, cafeteria and student dining, gymnasiums, science and art spaces as well as site organizational relationships and access.
Several tour participants said they are in favor of the project, but still have some concerns.
“I think a new high school is necessary,” Castner said. “I think there’s still some open questions about the design that they still haven’t worked out. I’ll reserve judgement until I see the final (plans).”
Take a tour Aug. 11
The district offered a tour in June.
Another one is scheduled for Aug. 11. Attendance is capped at 40 people.
“It’s been good getting people up here that are curious about the project and learn information about it,” Gauthier said. “When you have too many people you can’t really talk with everyone. Last year it was 15 people per group. Next summer we’ll probably add some more (tours).”
Gauthier said people can contact the district at 412-749-3600 and request a visit of the site.
Quaker Valley has given project updates at previous school board meetings, as well through the Blueprint QV section of the district’s website, qvsd.org.