Neighborhood Spotlight: Kevington

Neighborhood Spotlight: Kevington

The Kevington neighborhood in South Fayette Township is named for the developers' son, Kevin.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

Homeowner Association:

Kevington HOA

Management Company:

To be determined

Built:

2017–present

Number of Homes:

12 single-family houses, with 5 lots remaining

Builders:

Dan Ryan Builders, Kamyk Custom Homes, Bring your own builder

Street:

Nicole Drive

Location:

Former farmland along Hickory Grade Road, near Bowman Road and Parks Road

HOA Top Issues of Interest:

Code Enforcement, Development, Stormwater

Fun Fact:

Developers Mearl and Diana Kamyk named the neighborhood Kevington after their son, Kevin, and the plan's street after their daughter, Nicole. The Kamyks are residents of South Fayette Township, and their children graduated from South Fayette High School.

Website:

kamykcustomhomes.com

Nicole Drive is named for the developers' daughter, Nicole.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY

Neighbors get to know each other in 17-lot plan

South Fayette couple established Kevington in country setting

By Andrea Iglar

Kevington residents tend to appreciate spacious homes and smaller neighborhoods.

When Zasha Shary Pilsner and her husband, Matt, were expecting their second child and looking to upsize their home, they happened upon Kevington, a 17-lot neighborhood along Hickory Grade Road in South Fayette.

They liked the idea of a larger home and sizable yard—but in a neighborhood with fewer homes overall.

“The other place that we lived, it was a lot bigger and we really didn’t have a sense of community there,” Zasha Pilsner said. “So when we saw[Kevington] was a lot smaller, and we saw that there were kids outside, we were drawn to it.”

Twelve homes are built in the 17-lot Kevington neighborhood, on Nicole Drive along Hickory Grade Road. The Southern Beltway and Route 50 are visible at top left.

Drone image courtesy of Kamyk Custom Homes

Ryan Gilbert, whose family relocated from a much larger housing plan, said living in a neighborhood with only one road, Nicole Drive, helps make Kevington a tight-knit community.

“The kids have friends on the street, and you get to know your neighbors a lot better with one street versus having 200 homes in a big community,” he said.

Twelve families—with roughly 25 children among them—have built in Kevington so far. Five lots remain available, for sale by owners Mearl and Diana Kamyk.

The unusually small development is the vision of the Kamyks, who are 30-year residents of Oak Ridge Road in South Fayette.

In 2006, they purchased 20 acres of former farmland along Hickory Grade Road, near Bowman Road and Parks Road, intending to live on the hilltop site themselves. Eventually, they decided to develop a small neighborhood instead, with spacious lots and preserved woods.

Mearl had established his construction business, Kamyk Custom Homes, in 1987, so the Kevington project wasn’t a huge stretch, but it was challenging—especially during pandemic-related work shutdowns in 2020.

Even so, Diana said it’s a “rewarding and satisfying feeling” to see people living in Kevington today.

“This is where they’re going to raise their families,” she said. “It almost gives me goosebumps.”

South Fayette resident Mearl Kamyk, left, and Diana Kamyk are the developers of Kevington.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

The property formerly had a cattle and dairy farm and a horse stable, Kamyk said. Her deed research shows a dozen owners since 1862, starting with J. Jordan and followed by WilliamBowman in 1872 and Henry and Adelaide Frick (assumedly the famous Pittsburgh industrialist and his wife) in 1901.

Other landowners were John and Mary Yankovic (1921), MargaretMcNillin (1924), Flora Parks (1962), Henry and Mary Gallina (1978), James and Mary Benning (1980), McClusky (1992), Joseph and Anita Durkin (2004) and Gerald and Bridgett Renz (2005).

The Kamyks eventually removed the existing farmhouse and barn, with pieces of the 1800s-era barn being sent to rebuild a historical barn in Washington County.

This is where they’re going to raise their families. It almost gives me goosebumps.

—Diana Kamyk, Kevington developer

Given the history of the land and the wooded natural surroundings, the Kamyks found it important to preserve several acres of woods and keep green space between homes. Each lot is at least three-quarters of an acre, with spacious front, rear and side yards and wooded areas in the back.

Gilbert said he and his wife, Jessica, value the extra space for their 7-year-old twin boys and 5-year-old daughter.

“In a lot of the new developments now, every house is stacked on top of the other, so the general space was attractive,” Gilbert said.

The Southern Beltway is visible from certain parts of Kevington, but residents said they don’t notice the highway from their homes, and its proximity is convenient for traveling to Pittsburgh International Airport.

Pilsner said the location, spaciousness and views in Kevington benefit not only her immediate family, including daughters Madison, 3, and Mia, 1, but also her relatives when they visit from Ecuador.

“I have a big family and they tend to visit a lot, so it’s just nice to be able to provide people with the space to be comfortable,” Pilsner said, adding that her relatives love watching the evening sky from the Kevington hilltop.

“The sunsets are phenomenal,” she said.

Overall, her neighbors feel like extended family, with kids hanging out together and adults helping each other.

“It’s very welcoming," Pilsner said. "And especially if you have younger kids, it’s very nice to know your kids will have someone to play with.”