Although the Clarion Borough Council submitted the preliminary paperwork necessary to move forward with the proposed Second Avenue project, the board made it clear that the initial construction plans laid out by the Clarion Blueprint Community are in no way final.
At the meeting, August 2, the council assured the public of its intentions after listening to Second Avenue resident, Terrance Bean, who first voiced his concerns about the plans and presented his own findings to the board.
Bean, who attended the initial meeting on June 20 and was unsatisfied with the takeaway, walked the length of the proposed project himself (which would run the length of Second Avenue from the Clarion Township line at the Clarion Cemetery to Liberty Street) and noted the potential impact to the residential properties along the way.
Bean also questioned Blueprint Community member Theron Miles, when Miles explained (at the June 20 meeting) that the need for six-foot sidewalks was a necessity for student safety.
“Myself, and no one I know of, has ever heard of an incident with students walking on those (current) sidewalks,” Bean said, adding, “The bigger risk is actually the cars leaving the school which have nearly hit me.”
Bean continued, “The question is, is there a demonstrated need for it or are we trying to come up with some kind of way to get sidewalks? Because if we are saying that the students are at risk, every day for twice a day, then Madison Road on both sides of Second (Avenue) is packed with kids when school lets out. (The kids) are not using the sidewalks, their walking on Madison.”
Bean further added, “Why is there a rush to do this now? It was stated the (application process) opens again in two years, why can’t we wait and at least finish the park first?”
Borough Council President Carol Lapinto thanked Bean for his comments and explained how the application was only in its preliminary stage, and added that borough treasurer and projects manager Todd Colosimo had estimated that the current cost of the project stood at $2,288,800. Lapinto said that it would ultimately be the borough’s decision on the finalization of the project.
Colosimo added, “The big point here is there no’s part of this proposal that’s been formally approved. All of the design elements have to be gone over by the borough. If the borough intends to go forward with the project, and we intend to say, at the $1.5 million construction cost, we got to trim quite a bit. There’s gonna be things on this budget now that would have to be gone.”
Council member Andy Montana, who, along with Colosimo and a representative from the EADS Group, toured Bean’s property and after assessing it, confirmed that the construction would drastically impede onto Bean’s property. Montana said he asked the EADS Group representative if going with the planned sixty-foot right-of-way was required, and the EADS Group rep confirmed that it was not required, and said adjustments to the construction was permitted.
“I checked ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements for sidewalks and its only 36 inches.” Montana said.
“I really think what (the borough council) should do, is make a date or two, to walk up and down second avenue with borough residents and get their take on everything and open a lot of eyes, because it really opened mine.”
Lapinto then added, “Everything that went into this (project) was not prepared by the borough, it was prepared by Theron Miles, and when our engineers looked at it and walked it, they said they saw no reason for sidewalks at the cemetery.”
Chief Administrative Officer Linda Lavan-Preston also further elaborated about the cemetery portion of the project, which also includes the six-foot sidewalks on both sides and fencing along the cemetery, and stated that the borough engineers suggested an alternative to the work, would be to simply have a crosswalk from the cemetery over to the park, saving the borough approximately $250,000.
“Just because everything was turned in the way it was presented to us, I don’t think it will end up that way.”
In other news, the council:
– Announced a second meeting to be held, August 15, at the Clarion Free Library.
– Approved United Way of Clarion’s special event request for their annual 5K race on September 30, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
– Denied the request for tax forgiveness to Whiskey Row, LLC’s purchase of property of dry cleaning building on Liberty Street.
– Approved to hire Derek Holt as a part-time Police Officer at the rate of $16 per hour, contingent upon successful completion of background checks and exams.
– Approved Terra Works, Inc., pay application number six in the amount of $3,990 for contract 2021-3 Multi-Site Storm Sewer Project, with payment contingent upon review and approval of the pay application by the project engineer and submission of required project documentation by Terra Works, Inc., to Clarion Borough.
– Announced Clarion County EMS Task Force Meeting to be held on Aug. 10, at 6 p.m. at the Clarion County Complex, Learning Center in Paint Township.