Oakmont Bakery parking lot moves to next phase for consideration

He Oakmont Bakery Proposed Parking little by little it is making its way towards reality.

Oakmont’s planning commission recommended the council approve a conditional use of the property at 815 Allegheny Ave.

The parking plans have been a popular debate among community members. Town Manager Scot Fodi said the town office had received about 40 correspondence through the township’s online communications form.

“I won’t use the words ‘pro’ or ‘anti’ (parking), but it’s more about considering access and egress,” Fodi said.

Some residents spoke at the meeting about how the lot will affect traffic.

Plans call for the township to vacate a 99-foot-long, 24-foot-wide section of land along Cedar Way. The lot occupies about 105 feet of land along Allegheny Avenue and extends about 150 feet to Cedar Way.

The alley between the bakery’s current parking lot and the proposed parking lot would be integrated into the properties. The plan would allow drivers to access the parking lot from Archie Street.

Archie Street resident Katherine Doas said that while she is not opposed to the parking, she is concerned about access to the parking lot from Archie Street.

“As you all know, Archie Street is a short, narrow street that is no stranger to congestion,” he said. “Archie has a high volume of both vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The street has regular traffic, school, public and parks.”

He said there are three nearby businesses that use the road and school buses run on the street every day, and there is more traffic on game days at nearby Riverview High School. Vehicles can park on both sides of the street.

“Everything you said is true,” said James Joyce, chairman of the planning commission.

Melinda Turner suggested that the parking lot be used only by employees so that traffic would not be so congested. This is because employees will be in the bakery for hours at a time instead of the round trips that customers make throughout the day.

“This will create more traffic flow,” said local business owner Meg Burkardt. “By flowing the two batches, things will spread out a little bit. There will be a lot of traffic there. We all know it. There is no way to make it go away, but there is a way to improve it. … I think this is going to help.”

Christopher Doas, another Archie Street resident, said the street is congested every day. He said that while he supports parking, he believes it is not necessary to include an access point to Archie Street.

Oakmont Bakery owner Marc Serrao said he thought the proposed parking would be a win-win option.

“I don’t think all the traffic will come out on Cedar Way, but I understand the concerns of residents and people who have children,” Serrao said. “Right now, most of our traffic is going to Third Street, which is directly across from the school and the (Riverside) park.”

He said the parking lot is intended to relieve pressure on Third Street and presents a safe place for customers and employees working early or late to park their cars when it’s dark.

“I really thought that because we are bringing some of our traffic up instead of down, where the residents, the school and the church are, it would be a win-win for everyone,” Serrao said.

Joyce said his first impression of the lot was similar to Serrao’s. He thought it would relieve some of the traffic on Third Street. Joyce said he and other members will continue to talk to council members and residents to see if there is a way to avoid traffic congestion on Archie Street.

According to Ken Howard, director of field services and municipal representative for Bankson Engineering, the lot will have 49 stalls and five access points. It was proposed to the city council in June.

Howard hoped to get approval from the planning commission as well as the property’s land development plan at the same time.

But County Attorney Jacob Leyland said the township needs a letter from the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development about the development of the land before it can act. And it will also require separate public hearings before the council on the conditional use approval and on the land development plan.

Leyland said they will be set for November.