Business View Civil and Municipal l December 2022

71 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 Moon Township was formed in 1788 and is one of the first townships formed in Allegheny County. In 1942, the federal government built the Greater Pittsburgh Airport in Moon. It was used as a military installation during World War II. Through the years the airport has expanded into the modern-day Pittsburgh International Airport. Moon Township is a community with vast open space for its residents to enjoy. The township is recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a ‘Tree City USA” community for its dedication to planting and maintaining trees. “We are blessed to have five parklets and three parks. All of our park areas have trails that connect throughout the township, and they also connect to a larger trail system, the Montour trail system is a rail to trail project that connects Pittssburgh to Washington DC,” says Dawn Lane, Moon Township Manager. Moon Township’s management team works closely with the Allegheny Land Trust and the Hollow Oak Land Trust, which purchases property to extend the trails and create Open Space. Over the next three years, management from the township and agencies will be working towards creating a trail system that will connect our parks and make Conservation Areas accessible to residents and visitors. As the township is in a prime area for an easy commute to work while providing access to ample green spaces, Moon has a lifestyle offer many Americans want. In turn, this has meant there’s now a boom in property development. Township management worked with a committee to create a new Zoning District that encourages mixed use development. The new Zoning District is called the Market Place Boulevard TND District. This district has development guidelines for architectural design and materials and design requirements. It also has the flexibility to allow for mixed use, which results in a sustainable community. “Our largest current construction project in Moon is the Village at Marketplace. This neighborhood is a mixture of single-family attached and detached homes totalling 440 units,” says Scott Brilhart, Assistant Manager and Planning Director of Moon Township. In addition, a 336 apartment development with 10 3-story buildings, a pool, clubhouse, office, fitness center. The neighborhood is planned as a grid network with interconnected roads and will offer residents a community center and pool. Also, as part of the master plan, other project developers will erect office developments, retail offerings, an assisted living facility and hotels. The area currently has a restaurant, which will be incorporated into the new developments. While the area has been earmarked for development since the 90s, with developers building big box retail outlets, it somehow didn’t equal investments into residential until recently. Moon also has several residential plans that are under construction, with estimates of over a thousand units. Brilhart elaborates on the extensive plans for residential homes, “River Ridge is a townhouse development that the township approved and will consist MOON TOWNSHI P