Neighborhood Spotlight: Hickory on the Green

A sign for Hickory on the Green sits along Alpine Road.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

Homeowner Association:

Hickory on the Green Homeowners Association

Built:

1993 to 1997

Management Co.:

Community Management Professionals, LLC

Number of Homes:

99

Home Type:

Townhouse

Developer:

F. Lynn Foltz

Street:

Clubview Drive

Location:

Bordered by Hickory Heights Golf Club, Alpine Road and Interstate 79 in South Fayette Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

HOA Top Issues of Interest:

Development, Roads & Safety

Maintenance:

The homeowner association hires contractors to cut the grass, shovel snow from communal parking pads, and maintain the roofs and gutters for all units. Residents are responsible for shoveling snow from their driveways and sidewalks.

Fun Fact:

A total of 22 home resales occurred from 2019 to 2021. Most of them were in 2020, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Website:

hickoryonthegreen.com

All of the townhouses in the neighborhood are located along Clubview Drive in South Fayette.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

Hidden Gem

Hickory on the Green residents enjoy privacy and convenience

By Andrea Iglar

Hickory on the Green residents say the neighborhood is a hidden gem.

The 99-townhouse community, off Alpine Road in South Fayette, is convenient to shopping, parks and highways, while also retaining a quiet charm.

Tracey Valko, a lifelong township resident, downsized six years ago and moved to Hickory on the Green.

“What I really like about this community is it has its own little niche,” she said. “We’re nestled in this little hollow.”

Part of Clubview Drive encircles a grassy island with a neighborhood gazebo and Little Free Library.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

The entire neighborhood lines a single street, Clubview Drive, a long cul-de-sac that is bordered by Hickory Heights Golf Course to the north and Alpine Road and Interstate 79 to the south.

Despite its similar name, Hickory on the Green has no affiliation or direct access to the golf course or to the nearby Hickory Heights neighborhood.

Hickory on the Green is close to Washington Pike and Fairview Park, and it’s a quick drive to I-79 near Bridgeville and the new Southern Beltway interchange at Route 50.

Ms. Valko—who grew up on County Line Road and previously lived in Hunting Ridge and Saddlewood—appreciates her proximity to grocery stores and restaurants on Washington Pike and the convenience of jumping on the Southern Beltway to go to Pittsburgh International Airport.

“Everything you need is right here,” Ms. Valko said. “I feel very fortunate.”

Hickory on the Green contains 99 townhouses.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

Mary Jo Gross, president of the Hickory on the Green Homeowners Association, moved to the neighborhood eight years ago.

When she first had visited the neighborhood it was spring, and she was impressed by the visual appeal of the community.

“Everything was so green, the trees were blooming, and that was my very, very first impression,” Ms. Gross said. “I thought all the homes were well kept. Visually it looked very nice, and that continues to be the case.”

Trees blossom along Clubview Drive in the spring.

Submitted photo

Over the past three years, 22 homes in the neighborhood have changed hands. In 2020 alone, resales spiked to 13.

Donna Luczko greets every newcomer.

As a 14-year resident and chairperson of the Welcome Committee—one of the homeowner group’s eight committees— Ms. Luczko personally chats with new neighbors and invites them to join social clubs and attend events.

“I’m excited to tell them all the good things about the area and about our neighborhood and what kind of activities we have,” Ms. Luczko said. “When people are leaving, I like to stop and wish them good luck also.”

Social activities include the annual “hello summer” Sundae Sunday ice cream social and “goodbye summer” hotdog social; a holiday light-up event; restaurant outings; and card, book and lunch clubs.

Neighborhood gatherings usually are held outside near a gazebo, where a Little Free Library book exchange also is located. There is no clubhouse or communal indoor space.

Whitt Lobdell, right, visits with his daughter and grandchildren.

Submitted photo

In addition to social events, residents engage in community service and charity-driven activities.

They clean up litter along Alpine Road, donate food to the South Hills Interfaith Movement, collect donations for the Washington Area Humane Society and donate gift cards to a women’s shelter.

“We are involved not just in our neighborhood but the broader community,” Ms. Luczko said.

Vera Henry, left, and Micheline Stabile collect animal shelter donations in the fall.

Submitted photo

Built from 1993 to 1997, Hickory on the Green began mostly with retirees but has evolved to include a variety of people, including children, working professionals and even a set of adult twin sisters.

“I’m happy that it’s a nice mixture of ages and families and singles because I think that makes for a stronger community,” Ms. Luczko said.

Wendy S. Bell (not the TV/radio personality) moved from Mt. Washington to the golf course side of Hickory on the Green in 2003.

“It’s quite a bit of room, so when people said that they came here to downsize—I did—I found that it was pretty much the same amount of space that I had in my house,” she said.

About half of the townhomes feature back decks overlooking trees, and beyond that, the golf green.

Units on the golf course side typically have a spacious, three-level floor plan with a finished basement, two bedrooms and a loft on the third floor, and main-floor living/dining with a kitchen, laundry area, and primary bedroom and bathroom.

A resident for 19 years—and an officer of the homeowner association for most of that time—Ms. Bell plans to stay in Hickory on the Green.

“Once you’re involved, then you want to stay because it’s what you’ve made as your community,” she said.

“You have an investment in it, and you know the people and you like your neighbors.”