Farrell council is asking residents who live in the HOPE VI redevelopment area not to sign documents that ask them to give up 5 feet of their property along alleys.

Dr. Kimberley Richards, executive director of Southwest Gardens Economic Development Corp., asked council about the letters Monday. She said she had received calls from area residents asking her about them.

Council members said they had not heard of the letters, sent out by Falbo/PennRose Joint Partnership, Pittsburgh, until Ms. Richards brought them up. City Manager LaVon Saternow said the city received a copy of the letter Friday.

Falbo/PennRose is working with Mercer County Housing Authority to build new public housing apartments, apartments for rent at closer to the market rate and homes for sale in Farrell. Part of the project is to build and improve alleys that go through the area.

Solicitor Stephen Mirizio said the letter appears to be a standard request for a temporary construction easement. Homeowners would allow construction vehicles onto their properties as long as their properties are restored to the condition they were in before the work, or improved, he said.

An accompanying document that residents are being asked to sign states that the grade of the property might be changed. Mirizio said that only city council can change an alley, including the grading.

"They can't do that," he said. "They have no right to change the grade."

Mercer County Housing Authority Executive Director L. DeWitt Boosel said the letters were standard requests for temporary construction easements.

"We're not asking anybody to give up any property on a permanent basis," he said.

While there is no intent to change the grading between private property and the alley, developers were looking to make a smooth transition between them, Boosel said, adding that he was not aware of any legal concerns.

"If there's a legal issue, we'll have to deal with that," he said. "We'll comply with whatever we need to do."

Boosel, reached at home, said he could not remember how many letters went out. He said one party has declined to allow the easements, which will make it more difficult to do the work.

City officials said they will contact the authority today.

"They're forcing the city's hand to do something about this to protect our citizens," Mirizio said.

Dr. Richards asked that the city tie any permission for use of property to a commitment from Falbo/PennRose to improve recreation.

Dr. Richards said developers are limiting recreational improvements to building a walkway to Rosetta Ragster/Southwest Gardens Park, and possibly building a tot lot playground near the Steel City Terrace Community Center.

The developers also have bought the former Kedron Street basketball court from the city and plan to build apartments on it.

"PennRose is asking people to give up property, but Penn
Rose isn't doing anything for residents," Dr. Richards said.