Mayview State Hospital Land Reuse Task Force

Mayview State Hospital Land Reuse Task Force

Minutes of July 16, 2008 Meeting
Dietary Bldg, Mayview State Hospital 

Attendees:        

Senator John Pippy -
Mark S. Mansfield – Upper St. Clair Township
John Paul Jones – PA Dept. of General Services
Deborah Takach – South West Communities Chamber of Commerce Board
Roy Kraynyk – Allegheny Land Trust
 Chris Goswick – Allegheny County Planning Dept.
Deron Gabriel – Commissioner, South Fayette Township
Rich Kuppelweiser – COO, Mayview State Hospital
Tom Stevenson – real estate attorney and former state representative
Mary Fleming – CEO, Health Choices

Senator Pippy opened the meeting with an announcement that the next meeting, to be held in September, will take the format of a public hearing to give individuals and organizations the opportunity to provide testimony on reuse of the land.  Those wishing to testify will have to register in advance.

Rich Kuppelweiser provided an update on the status of the closure.  He said that everything was on target for the scheduled closure date of December 31, 2008, and the transfer of the forensic unit was on schedule as well.  One ward of the hospital will be closed on July 30^th, leaving four remaining wards.  The forensic unit currently has three wards with 60 patients.  475 employees remain at Mayview, with over 200 still needing job placements.  The goal is to have all former staff placed in a new job by the end of this year.  He also stated that the greenhouse building was recently closed.

John Paul Jones explained further about the Commonwealth’s Real Property Disposition Plan, on which Mayview is listed.  He mentioned that DGS had amended the plan concerning Mayview to prevent the sale or disposition of the property until the Task Force had reached a conclusion and made recommendations as to its use.  He also mentioned that the General Assembly needed to vote on and approve the plan before any funding could be released for the necessary “due diligence” items that are generally conducted on properties for sale.  These include but are not limited to surveys, appraisals, and environmental assessments.

Dan Cessna, District Executive for PennDOT’s District 11 Office, provided information about transportation projects in the area.  He began by stating that no major projects were slated for the area; only routine maintenance would take place, along with the resurfacing of US 19 and I-79 and the continuing work on the nearby I-79 interchange.  Once the property has been sold or transferred, PennDOT will work with the new owner to determine if any upgrades need to be made to the access roads leading to the property.  New turning lanes or traffic lights may be required.  In addition, they will check the surrounding roadways to determine how traffic might be impacted.

Task Force Member Deron Gabriel asked about PennDOT’s coordination with the Turnpike Commission on the Southern Beltway project.  Mr. Cessna said that it was his understanding that the plans were moving forward but he was uncertain about the funding.  He noted that the project will have a significant impact on I-79.

Senator Pippy asked about a potential timetable for transportation projects once the property had been purchased.  Mr. Cessna said that would depend entirely on the developer; the process can take several months to a year or longer.  Senator Pippy then asked about the radius that the Department would use to determine roadways that might be affected by development on the Mayview property.  Mr. Cessna replied that there is no set mileage.  The engineers would examine traffic patterns and go from there.  He said generally speaking the roadways in this area are already at capacity, and it would not be unlikely for modifications to be needed as far away as the I-79 interchange, depending on the use of the property.

Roy Kraynyk gave a Power Point presentation on the role of the Land Trust and made recommendations concerning the use of the Mayview property in light of its geographic and environmental characteristics.  Highlights included:

• A description of the Wingfield Pines property, a Land Trust property, which is located across the street from Upper St. Clair’s new park.  The property is being treated for abandoned mine drainage and served an important role in the recent flooding of Chartiers Creek, retaining more than 50 million gallons of water, thereby saving millions of dollars in potential damage.
• An overview of Trust properties in the area.
• Information about the role that tree-covered slopes play in preventing rainwater from reaching the ground, thereby mitigating flood damage.
• Recommendations for the property, maintaining that whatever is placed there ultimately should not aggravate existing flooding and overflow problems, should not include or involve development on flood plains or steep slopes, and should not create additional sources of runoff.  To that end, Mr. Kraynyk suggests parceling out steep slopes and floodplains or putting conservation easements on them, limiting impervious surfaces to what is currently there, and restricting the removal of woodlands.
• Recommending that the Task Force seek input from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and to create a process that can be used as a model for the future disposition of state property.

 At this point, the floor was made available for public comment. 

• One individual asked Mr. Kraynyk if he knew how steep the slopes were on the side of Chartiers Avenue.  Mr. Kraynyk said that he did not but suggested that DCNR probably had that information.
   
• Sue Caffrey had a question for Mr. Jones regarding the acreage; she wanted to know if the 335 acres he had mentioned previously included the wetlands and/or areas that had been parceled off.  Mr. Jones replied that he wasn’t sure but he knew that a new survey needed to be conducted.  She also wanted to know if the due diligence process would include an historical or archaeological survey.  Mr. Jones said that he knew that the PA Historical and Museum Commission had been to one of the Task Force meetings to testify and that he assumed they would be getting involved and doing their own survey.  Ms. Caffrey then asked about undermining.  Mr. Jones said he didn’t have any information on that at this time.  Ms. Caffrey responded that South Fayette Township would in any case require an evaluation to determine the location of abandoned mines on the property when it is sold.  When asked about asbestos and building status, Mr. Jones answered that the DGS would determine the quality of the structures in their survey but clarified later that the Commonwealth would not actually be doing any demolition or asbestos removal on the property.
   
• Senator Pippy responded to a question about the Task Force’s intended timeline.  He stated again that the next meeting would be in September; following that, there would be one or two more informational meetings.  The Task Force would then have a discussion and make recommendations hopefully by the end of this year.
   
• Sue Caffrey commented about the traffic impact of two upcoming projects in South Fayette: the Newberry project and the business park at Washington Pike and Alpine Road.  She also mentioned that the township has specific guidelines regarding development on or around steep slopes and flood plains.  Senator Pippy responded that he hopes to have the township make a presentation in one of the remaining meetings about what they would like to see on the property.
   
• In response to a question about the proceeds of the sale of the Hospital property going toward mental health services, Senator Pippy mentioned that he was in support of that idea but that the Task Force could not take action on it.  The General Assembly would need to pass legislation to that effect.
   
• Christine Michaels, executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Southwestern PA, read a written statement regarding the desire to receive the prevailing land value in the sale of the property and to see the proceeds of the sale placed into an account dedicated to the support of citizens with serious mental illnesses from the five county area that Mayview served.  She then submitted the statement for the Task Force’s record.
   
• Sheila Rankin, a community service provider, stated that she seconded the comments made by Ms. Michaels.
   
• Carol Horowitz of the Disability Rights Network wanted to know if legislation could be introduced to require the sale of the property for a specific amount?  Senator Pippy responded in the affirmative.  Ms. Horowitz then asked how the bids might come in and expressed concern that a municipality could buy the property at a reduced price.  She also asked how the Task Force will make recommendations.  Senator Pippy responded that in the past it’s been by majority consensus.
   
• Paul, a peer counselor, asked who will be responsible for regulating the bidding and if a floor price could be set.  Mr. Jones responded that the DGS Disposition plan shows three types of bid processes that are generally used by the Commonwealth.  He said that very often a minimum is set but that an appraisal has to be done first.
   
• Eileen Hayner commented that she enjoyed Mr. Kraynyk’s presentation and believed that the state should take over the property for watershed use and transfer any proceeds to the mental health community.
   
• The Rev. Sally Jo Snyder of the Consumer Health Coalition reiterated the comments made by NAMI SWPA and asked that the Commonwealth ensure that fair market value is received for the property.
   
• Ann Aleppa, a peer counselor at Three Rivers Center for Independent Living, noted that she hopes that everyone can come together and support funding for the mental health community.
   
• Maureen, a resident of Upper St. Clair, asked what had happened to the proceeds from the sale of Woodville and Western Center.  Senator Pippy noted that the proceeds from the sale of ALL state property go into the General Fund as revenue streams for the annual budget.
   
• Megan from Mercy Behavioral Health asked for support of House Bill 1448, Representative Frankel’s bill to dedicate the amount of the proceeds from the sale of Mayview to the mental health community.  She also noted that she opposes the proposed amendments from Reps. Maher and Rapp and recommends the passage of HB 1448 without amendment.
   
• Danielle, a caregiver for a family member with mental illness, recommended that all the proceeds from the sale of the property go toward the mental health community.
   
• Carol Horowitz spoke again and noted that she hopes any money dedicated from the sale of Mayview would not replace existing mental health funding in the budget.
   
• Charlotte Frederick from WIPC asked for more information about the budget process.  Senator Pippy responded and noted that the mental health community along with the Task Force and others would need to sit down and determine which line item the funding should go toward, as there are a number of line items in the budget that relate to mental health.
   
• An individual asked Mr. Kraynyk how much of the property would be lost if the recommendation was made to sequester the steep slopes.  Mr. Kraynyk responded that at a glance it looked like 15% of the property was comprised of steep slopes and 10-15% of it was floodplains.
   
• Another individual asked what it meant that the state would be retaining the mineral rights.  Mr. Jones responded that it was customary on all state properties sold for the state to retain the mineral rights.
   
• Jessica Seabury from the Consumer Health Coalition asked the Task Force members to join with her and the mental health community in fighting to get the legislation passed to dedicate the Mayview proceeds to mental health.
   
• Sue Caffrey reminded everyone that South Fayette would be reviewing the zoning for the Mayview property in the coming months and invited everyone to take part and comment on the zoning/planning process.