Politics & Government

15-Year, $24-30 Million Roadway Project Among Items Discussed at Tuesday Night's Baldwin Borough Meeting

Also, council members propose a ban on Marcellus Shale drilling, and Borough Manager John Barrett gives an update on Glass Run Road work.

Former Chesapeake Steak & Seafood Property

The property of 1965 Streets Run Road, formerly operating as the Chesapeake Steak & Seafood restaurant, became a cause for concern for Baldwin officials recently when those officials learned of several trucks possibly using the property as a storage space.

Borough officials do not know whom the trucks in question belong to, as there are no defining logos or markings on them.

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Borough council member Bob Collet asked if the could investigate the trucks.

Baldwin police Chief Michael Scott said that he had heard that the owner of the property wanted to remodel the restaurant to repurpose it as “an Irish bar” and that some of the trucks in question may be being used for that remodeling.

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Collet said that the property owner would need a permit to do that, but Scott said that the owner is of the opinion that a permit is not necessary since the plans are only to remodel an existing structure.

Borough Manager John M. Barrett said that he would contact the property owner. The Allegheny County Assessment website lists that owner as Karen Russo of Belle Vernon Borough.

Danger at Streets Run Road/Prospect Road Intersection

Council member Edward Moeller voiced his concerns for the safety of drivers at Baldwin’s recently remodeled Streets Run Road and Prospect Road intersection.

The bridge at that three-way intersection allows drivers coming from the south on Streets Run to make a right turn to remain heading north on Streets Run without stopping. However, drivers coming to that intersection from Prospect who wish to turn left to head north onto Streets Run or stay straight to head south onto Streets Run must stop.

Because drivers coming from the north on Streets Run do not have to stop for any other drivers at that intersection—regardless of their destination—and because drivers coming from Prospect may elect to turn left onto Streets Run, drivers staying straight at that intersection to get onto Prospect must also stop.

Moeller said that the primary safety issue at that intersection stems from vehicles turning right onto Streets Run that are failing to stay in their lane. Moeller said that those vehicles are using the wide, striped-painted shoulder of that intersection to turn right onto Streets Run while the vehicle ahead of them is stopped before heading straight onto Prospect.

Because drivers turning left from Prospect onto Streets Run may see a stopped vehicle facing them in the opposite lane, they may proceed without ever seeing a vehicle turning right from behind the stopped vehicle.

This is where a crash could easily occur.

“The striping (on the shoulder) has been driven on so much,” Moeller said, “the striping’s almost gone.”

Council member Larry Brown said that the wide shoulder at the intersection is for infrequent use by large trucks making difficult turns, not for use by smaller vehicles.

Baldwin Mayor Alexander R. Bennett Jr. said that the borough is considering installing rubber bumps on the shoulder to act as a hindrance for ordinary vehicles while still allowing large trucks to use it. 

No action was taken on Moeller’s concern, but the borough will further investigate possible solutions.

15-Year, $24-30 Million Roadway Project

Council President Michael Stelmasczyk motioned for the borough to establish a committee composed of Collet and fellow council members David M. Depretis and John Ferris to work with Barrett and engineer Larry Souleret for the purpose of advising the entire council on roadway maintenance issues.

Stelmasczyk said that the civil-engineering and surveying firm Lennon, Smith, Souleret Engineering, Inc., recently concluded a comprehensive study of Baldwin’s roadway system.

The results of that study provided a cost estimate of $24-30 million from the borough to repair its roads over a 15-year period.

“The question is, now, ‘How do we move ahead on that?’” Stelmasczyk said. “How do we prioritize that list (of roadway issues) and fit it into a budget? How much do we want to budget each year?”

Stelmasczyk expressed hope that the proposed committee could answer those questions.

“I think this committee should also even look at other proactive maintenance things that we could do to the roads once they’re finished,” he said. “This committee can do that and come back with several recommendations for council—how much to budget, how to fund that.”

The $24-30 million cost estimate may increase over the years, as the estimate does not factor in inflation.

Collet preferred that Stelmasczyk’s proposed committee included every council member rather than just a select group given the importance of the issue.

Stelmasczyk said that a smaller committee would “streamline” the process of finding solutions.

“We’re all going to be in on it anyway,” Stelmasczyk said, noting that any recommendations by the proposed committee would be eventually be put to a vote.

Bennett said that Collet’s opposition to the size of the proposed committee “has a lot of merit,” but Bennett also pointed out that the council very often relies on similarly sized committees and sometimes one-person reports to inform the council on other issues.

“We do that all of the time,” Bennett said.

By a show of hands, the council agreed to form the three-person committee. Only Collet opposed.

Borough Solicitor, Rep. Kortz on Marcellus Shale Drilling

Baldwin Solicitor Stanley B. Lederman advised the council that it has two ways to prevent Marcellus Shale drilling in its borough if it wishes to do so: “a zoning approach or through an outright ban.”

“If you are going to do it through a zoning (ordinance),” Lederman said, “what you’re saying then is, ‘We are going to allow Marcellus Shale drilling and extraction in the borough, but these are the parameters around which you can do it.’ And once you do that, given the relative infancy of the industry … you create an avenue to not be able to exclude it.

“An outright ban is based upon the public’s right—each individual citizen’s right—to clean air, clean water, health and safety, which is guaranteed to them under the Pennsylvania state constitution. Whatever you do opt to do, you’re never written in stone. You can ban it today and allow it tomorrow depending on the technology and studies and facts that each individual member of council comes to believe concerning the pros and the cons of allowing that sort of drilling activity to become vital for the borough.”

Lederman said that whichever avenue Baldwin Borough opts to take, its decision is “subject to court scrutiny.”

Lederman said that many municipalities in Pennsylvania have banned Marcellus Shale drilling over pollution concerns, while many others are permitting the drilling.

“Most of those (approving municipalities), for the most part, are those with a significant amount of open land.”

Moeller did not wish to make any motion regarding Marcellus Shale drilling, instead suggesting that borough residents be able to vote on the issue specifically, possibly this November.

“I think something like this is something that our residents should be more involved in,” he said. “I’m not sure if I’m for or against it, but I’d like to know how our residents feel … I think that this is going to be such a major issue that to have it thrown on our seven (council members’) shoulders right now is a touchy situation.”

Stelmasczyk expressed his dissatisfaction with state government officials’ lack of guidance on Marcellus Shale drilling.

“I can’t believe that an industry like Marcellus Shale is able to deal with each municipality in western Pennsylvania differently because each municipality could have different ordinances … If the state would weigh in on this, if the legislature would weigh in on this with some kind of standard regulations, you might start to see some progress or some improvements.”

Stelmasczyk also said that he disagrees with the ban of impact fees on Marcellus Shale drillers.

“With all due respect to Mr. Moeller,” Stelmasczyk said, “I am in favor of a ban, and I would be in favor of something a little sooner than (a) November (referendum).”

At that point, Ferris pointed out that , who represents the 38th Pennsylvania House of Representatives District, which includes parts of Baldwin Borough, was in attendance.

On invitation, Kortz approached the council and said, “If you want my personal opinion, it’s like the wild, wild, West out there.

“There’s nothing going on. Our governor (Tom Corbett) and the majority party (Republicans) ha(ve) said, ‘Let these guys do what they want,’ basically. We (state Democrats) can’t do anything. We’ve tried. There’s some bills out there to put a moratorium on this. We did pass one last year. As soon as the governor took over, he pulled it …

“You’re right; we need to have impact fees. There are so many issues surrounding this. I want to see us be productive, and I want the jobs and all that stuff. But, we gotta do it responsibly. We’re just not being very responsible right now, and the other party’s not letting us get any bills through to try to do this.

“It’s sad. It’s really sad … 

“I think you (municipalities) really have to do something, because our hands are tied at the state. They’re not letting us do anything.”

After Kortz finished speaking, council member John Conley motioned for Lederman to prepare an ordinance banning Marcellus Shale drilling in Baldwin Borough.

Conley’s motion was approved, 5-2, with only Moeller and Collet opposing.

Moeller stressed that his “no” vote was based on his desire to have borough residents vote on the issue instead.

In an interview with the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch after Wednesday night’s borough meeting, Conley said that his trepidation concerning Marcellus Shale drilling comes from research that he has done on it, including watching the 2010 movie GasLand.

“I think they’re (Marcellus Shale drillers are) going to ruin the water system in Pennsylvania,” Conley said. “That’s what swayed me—the movie GasLand. I think everyone should see the movie.”

Some local libraries are carrying GasLand.

Bring Your Old Prescription Drugs for Proper Disposal

As he stated at a previous borough meeting, Scott shared that the Baldwin Borough Police Department will be participating in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Association’s upcoming National Take Back Initiative, aimed at reducing pollution caused by the disposal of drugs.

People may still bring prescription drugs that they no longer need to the borough’s auditorium on Churchview Avenue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30; however, the effort has now been expanded to start immediately.

Anyone interested in disposing his or her old drugs—just pills, no liquids—can now do so at the police department anytime from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“It used to be we would pour our expired medication down the drain,” Scott said on March 15, “but now, we have the concern of what’s in the water system.”

Glass Run Road Update

Barrett said that the Pennsylvania American Water Company informed him that its current work on Glass Run Road, , should be completed by “mid-May.”

Kortz Again

At the end of Wednesday night’s meeting, Kortz accepted the council’s invitation for public comment to urge council members to attend a town hall meeting that he, Rep. Marc J. Gergely and Rep. Harry A. Readshaw will be holding at the McKeesport Area High School auditorium on Thursday, May 5, from 7 to 9 p.m. to organize opposition to Corbett’s proposed state budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year.


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