This past construction season witnessed Council’s continued planning work on several important infrastructure projects including the Grove Road Bridge, reconstruction of the tennis courts at Hamilton Park and Shannon Station. Additionally, Council completed the Borough’s annual Road Improvement Program and finished the corrections of structural deficiencies in the third of the Borough’s five watershed areas.

2009 Road Improvement Program (RIP)
In 2009 Castle Shannon completed its annual Road Improvement Program, with Victor Paving addressing the following road segments: McRoberts Rd. from 3374 to Trance Dr.; Lindenwood Dr. from 905 to the end of the road; Castle View Dr. from Sleepy Hollow Dr. to the ENX site; Clara Ave. from Lyndell St. to Middleboro; Gene Dr. from Blossom Hill to the Borough line and Killarney Dr. from Library Rd. to the animal hospital.

Although the initial estimated cost for these improvements was over $200,000, we anticipate significant cost savings as a result of previous proactive maintenance operations on road sub-base conditions. These preventive measures have decreased this component in our yearly RIP significantly.

In 2010, in keeping with previously identified investment levels in order to maintain our 26 miles of Borough roads, we will conduct a two tiered road condition inventory. This will involve utilizing our previously developed improvement schedule and a visual determination by the Department of Public Works.

Council is anticipating a proposed award date of mid March 2010. Council continues to take early action on bid proposals, which in turn tend to deliver better prices from vendors.

Administrative Consent Order (ACO)
As we have indicated in previous editions of the Borough’s newsletter, the ACO is one of the biggest, if not the biggest challenge, that Castle Shannon and over 80 other communities in Allegheny County face for at least the next 10 years.

In order to structure deficiency corrections, the Borough has been divided into five Watershed areas.

• Watershed One - the Killarney Area subsystem: The final project cost for this watershed was approximately $2.4 million.
• Watershed Two - the Havlock/Sleepy Hollow Rd. subsystem: Final sewer repairs cost $732,470 and manhole rehabilitation cost $241,450 for a total of $973,920.
• Watershed Three - the Grove Rd./Mary Pl. subsystem: Final costs were: Sewer Repairs-$ 460,980 and Manhole Rehabilitation-$ 295,950. Total cost was $756,930. To complete the structural deficiency corrections in the first three watersheds, approximately $4.1 million dollars was expended on construction costs alone.
• In Watershed Four, the Port Authority/Mt. Lebanon Blvd and St. Anne St. subsystems, all CCTV requirements have been completed in house and line deficiencies have been graded by the Borough engineers. Initial construction estimates are approximately $930,000.
• In Watershed Five, nearly all CCTV activities have been completed with deficiency correction scheduled after pipe line grading. Initial construction estimates are approximately $1.3 million.

The above costs indicate the tremendous financial burden associated with these projects. Although Council issued a $5 million bond in 2006 to assist with the mandated deficiency corrections, further debt financing will be necessary to complete these federally mandated upgrades.

We continue to strive to keep our compliance costs as low as possible. Nearly all of the necessary CCTV activities are done in house. Additionally, we continually look for opportunities in early project scheduling, joint bidding and other areas where municipal cooperation will minimize repair work costs.

Due to the nature and the magnitude of this activity, it is my intention to provide annual updates in the Newsletter on the progress we are making in our ACO work components.

Shannon Station
After nearly 12 years of work, it appears that the long awaited Transit Oriented Development project slated for the large Port Authority Park and Ride Lot on Castle Shannon Blvd. (Shannon Station) may actually become a reality.

Significant county and state support has materialized to assist with the parking deck development allowing the start of Tax Increment Financing negotiations between the Borough, Allegheny County and the Keystone Oaks School District. This should be the final public sector component in this extremely complex and exciting project.

As this project progresses developments will be reported in the Newsletter.

In 2009 a variety of long-standing capital projects were undertaken to address community infrastructure maintenance in Castle Shannon.

Borough Council strives to maintain a “hands on” approach with these issues to ensure public input and involvement.

The Borough’s annual Road Improvement Program along with the sanitary sewer line upgrades function in an inter-related process that improves the efficient provision of municipal services and addresses the community’s environment, health and safety.

Borough Council views these challenges as potential opportunities and is committed to their successful resolution.

On behalf of Mayor Baumgarten and all members of Borough Council, we wish all residents a safe and joyous holiday season.

      Thomas C. Hartswick
      Borough Manager