Neighborhood Spotlight: Parkes Farm Estates

Neighborhood Spotlight: Parkes Farm Estates

The neighborhood sign for Parkes Farm Estates, at the intersection of Hickory Grade Road, Sharalyn Drive and Parkes Farm Drive, is decorated with an image of horses. A kiosk over the sign is topped with a horse-themed weathervane.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

Homeowner Association:

Parkes Farm Homeowners Association (incorporated 2003)

Management Company:

EM Malone

Built:

2003–2007

Number of Homes:

110

Home Type:

Single-family

Builder:

Ryan Homes

Location:

Former farmland spanning both sides of Hickory Grade Road, near Rolling Hills Ranch horse farm

Streets:

Hickory Grade Road, Sharalyn Drive, David Drive, Parkes Farm Drive, Christine Court, Lindsay Lane, Bella Danyelle Court

HOA Top Issues of Interest:

Code Enforcement, Communications with Township, Stormwater & Ponds

Fun Fact:

Ryan Homes built Parkes Farm in the "classic community" style. Homes have at least four bedrooms, side-entry garages, poured concrete pad driveways, roof gables and sidewalks.

Parkes Farm Drive crosses Hickory Grade Road in a country setting in South Fayette Township.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

HOWDY, NEIGHBOR

Horse ranch, country setting draw residents to Parkes Farm Estates

Neighbors band together to complete community projects

By Andrea Iglar

The beauty of horses scattered among nearby hills has attracted many residents to the scenic location of Parkes Farm Estates.

The neighborhood is nestled a short distance from Rolling Hills Ranch, a 75-acre horseback trail-riding outfit along Hickory Grade Road in South Fayette Township.

Horses from Rolling Hills Ranch gather near a fence along Hickory Grade Road in February.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

Matt Swider, who moved from Mt. Lebanon to South Fayette in 2005, fondly remembers the first time his family visited the neighborhood to look at home lots.

“We fell in love with the area and Parkes Farm,” Swider said. “I was just really taken aback on the drive in, on Hickory Grade with the horses there. It’s just a beautiful road. And we still enjoy that ride.”

Horses frequently graze and neigh near the intersection of Alpine and Hickory Grade roads. About a half-mile west, white wooden fencing along Hickory Grade leads to the entrance of Parkes Farm, which spans both sides of the road.

Michelle Brandebura, left, walks her dog, Ellie, with neighbor Jana Lyons on Parkes Farm Drive during a sunny winter day.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

The neighborhood sign, at the intersection of Hickory Grade Road, Sharalyn Drive and Parkes Farm Drive, is decorated with an image of horses. A kiosk over the sign is topped with a horse-themed weathervane.

Each of the 110 single-family homes in Parkes Farm generally has at least four bedrooms and a lot size ranging from about a half-acre to more than an acre.

“We liked the fact that there were large lots and space in between neighbors,” Swider said. “And we liked the fact that there was just a ton of young kids in the neighborhood. We had a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old at the time, so they made a lot of great friends over the years.”

Mary Ellen Westfall tosses a beanbag as Ronald Proctor stands by during a July Fourth party on Sharalyn Drive.

Submitted photo

Seven-year resident Jana Lyons said the neighborhood children are active with “lots of lemonade stands and cotton candy and sno-cones.”

Her children, Ava, 14, and Aiden, 12, visit neighbors to play on their roller hockey court.

Michelle Brandebura, a resident for 15 years, built the court a dozen years ago at her home on Lindsay Lane for her twins, Jackson and Tyler, and she invites neighborhood kids to join the fun. The 16-year-olds are now sophomores on the South Fayette hockey team.

Neighbors hold various events throughout the year, including games, meals and Fourth of July celebrations.

But one of the biggest splashes in the neighborhood in recent years has been a stormwater basin improvement project.

Josh Stein points out improvements to a stormwater basin behind his house in Parkes Farm Estates.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

In cooperation with South Fayette Township, the Parkes Farm Homeowners Association (HOA) worked to clean up and improve a stormwater detention basin behind Josh Stein’s home on Christine Court.

Detention basins capture water from rain and snow and gradually release it back into natural waterways. The structures reduce flooding and erosion, and help keep streams clean.

The basin in Parkes Farm had not been maintained for about 14 years and was malfunctioning, causing flooding on multiple properties.

“We were under the impression that it was the township’s responsibility to maintain these; in actuality, it’s the HOA’s,” Stein said.

Stein, a homeowner association board member, said when the township notified Parkes Farm that the basin needed to be fixed, neighbors volunteered to address the issue collectively.

Jonathon Casillo, left, Noah Scheel and Tristan Bedillion dispose of debris they cleared from a stormwater basin near Christine Court.

Submitted photo

In 2021 and 2022, adults and teens banded together to remove overgrown foliage, brush and debris. Afterward, homeowners worked with township staff to ensure they made the correct repairs, improvements and aesthetic enhancements.

Stein, a resident since 2009, said the team effort not only saved Parkes Farm money but also encouraged neighbors to build friendly relationships amid their busy lives.

“They decided to contribute some of their time here, and that’s a big deal," he said.

Mike Casillo, a 15-year resident, said Parkes Farm often uses community labor to keep costs low. For example, residents maintain the neighborhood sign and fencing themselves.

White fencing for Parkes Farm runs along Hickory Grade Road.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

He said HOA fees are about $120 a year. Regulations in Parkes Farm are geared toward openness and consistency to help maintain property values, Casillo said.

The HOA board members—Casillo, Stein, Jennifer Burnett and Nicole Putignano—aim to address compliance issues in an efficient, friendly manner, Casillo said, noting neighbors generally “don’t want a heavy-handed HOA.”

“We try to do the face-to-face thing,” he said. “We knock on the door, we have a conversation, and that’s how we tend to resolve most of our issues. Generally speaking, people are pretty responsive.”

Overall, Parkes Farm enjoys a solid sense of community.

“Everybody really has that South Fayette pride,” Stein said. “It’s a great place to raise a family. It’s a great school district, a great neighborhood. It’s just a great place to be.”

Horses from Rolling Hills Ranch graze on the hillsides along Hickory Grade Road.

Photo by Andrea Iglar