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Neighborhood Spotlight: Saddlewood Condominiums
Neighborhood Spotlight
Saddlewood Condominiums
South Fayette Township
Homeowner Association:
Saddlewood Condominium Association
Management Company:
Rj Community Management
Years Built:
1999–2002
Number of Homes:
72 (attached buildings with 2 to 8 units each)
Home Types:
2- and 3-story condominiums (townhouses and patio homes)
Builder:
JND Properties
HOA Top Issues of Interest:
Community involvement, development, safety
Location:
Former Dernosek family farmland along Washington Pike
Streets:
Sundance Drive, Sundial Lane (each is a cul-de-sac)
Private Amenities:
Nature trail, green space, parking pads
Fun Fact:
The condos were built in conjunction with the single-family homes of Saddlewood next door, but now they are managed separately.
Website:
Starting over in a Saddlewood condo
Condominium residents offer 'life changing' social support to neighbor
By Andrea Iglar
Two years ago, Lauren Sniegocki moved to South Fayette Township as she was mourning a monumental loss.
Her husband, Mark, had died suddenly at age 63, leaving her with an overwhelming list of responsibilities, including selling their house in the Laurel Highlands and finding a new place to live.
A friend and real estate agent lined up homes to view in the Pittsburgh area, and when Sniegocki visited Sundance Drive in Saddlewood Condominiums, she felt right at home.
Then after only a few months, neighbors gathered outside and threw her a surprise birthday party, including a cake iced with a bouquet of flowers.
Now, Sniegocki has written a memoir, “Until We Meet Again,” about loss, grief and starting over in Saddlewood. Publication is anticipated this year.
“My experience of coming into this neighborhood was life changing for me,” Sniegocki said.
“All of these neighbors, they just welcomed me with open arms at a time when I needed new friends badly, and every single one of them was there.”
Two of those friends were Arthur “Bart” Bartrug and Jennifer Bartrug of Sundance Drive, who organized the birthday surprise.
When the Bartrugs moved to Saddlewood Condominiums 10 years ago, neighbors tended to keep to themselves. But the COVID-19 pandemic changed that.
In 2020, the Bartrugs created an outreach program to check on the well-being of neighbors, establishing a text-messaging platform and organizing outdoor gatherings.
“That really transformed into a much greater sense of connectedness, community and caring for your neighbors,” Bart Bartrug said. “Now people drive down the street and they’re waving and talking to each other.”
Today, many neighbors continue socializing. They organize parties, holiday events and happy hours. Some enjoy walking groups, while others participate in a lunch club. They help each other with pets, mail, garbage cans and other neighborly tasks.
Chuck Steinmiller, president of the Saddlewood Condominium Association, enjoys walking with his Labrador retriever, Princess Leia, on the neighborhood’s sidewalks and nature trail.
The features that initially drew him and his wife, Patty, to their patio home on Sundance Drive in 2019 were the layout, the location and the low maintenance.
Homeowner association fees cover snow removal on sidewalks and driveways, grass and landscaping care, periodic window washing, seasonal screen installation and removal, exterior painting and other maintenance.
“Everything outside the house is pretty much taken care of,” Steinmiller said. “It’s amazing how much is done for the residents.”
Both neighborhood streets, Sundance Drive and Sundial Lane, have a cul-de-sac and direct access to Washington Pike, near the Cecil/Washington County line.
Township Public Works plows and salts Sundance Drive, but the homeowner group owns and maintains Sundial Lane.
All of the homes in Saddlewood Condominiums are attached units, but they vary in layout and amenities.
Steinmiller said his home provides the option for single-level living, with a spare bedroom and bathroom in the upstairs loft and plenty of storage.
Other units have a balcony or patio, and each unit has a one- or two-car garage.
Lynne Huber said her husband, Fred, is one of the longest tenured residents, having purchased a Sundance Drive condo 22 years ago. They both love the layout and spaciousness of their three-level home.
Huber said the units have flexibility, and each resident does something different with the top-floor loft. She uses it as the primary bedroom and sitting room. On the main level, she enjoys a gas fireplace.
“It’s the flow of the place that makes it so beautiful,” Huber said. “We just love it here. We don’t ever want to move.”
Saddlewood Condominiums and its sister neighborhood of single-family homes, Saddlewood, were built on former farmland where the Dernosek family had kept cows.
When condo construction began in 1999, Dan Dernosek, who is superintendent of Public Works, had horses grazing in a pasture opposite the neighborhood. These views inspired the Saddlewood name.
Dernosek no longer boards horses on his 12 acres, but he makes hay in the pasture across from the condominiums.
Huber said when she first moved to the community, she would walk to the end of Sundance Drive and feed apples and candies to the horses.
“These horses had a sweet tooth,” she said. “If I took peppermint, all I had to do was rattle the paper to unwrap the peppermint, and they would come running.”
Overall, Saddlewood condominiums offer a unique range of housing options and neighbors willing to lend a hand, Bartrug said.
“It’s a great community,” he said. “It feels like home.”
