Dek Hockey Details Ironed Out

Oakmont officials continue with plans to build a new dek hockey rink at Riverside Park.

During a special meeting last week, council authorized the borough engineer to draw up specifications for the relocation of a baseball field and the addition of the dek hockey rink. Once those are complete, officials OK'd administration to seek bids for the project.

Council and the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation teamed up to build the new rink at the park. The Pens awarded the borough an $80,000 grant for the project.

The rink is expected to be located on the upper field (where the baseball field closest to the park and parallel to Riverview High School currently sits). The baseball field will be shifted 80 feet toward the center of the field and 20 feet toward the river to make room for the dek hockey rink.

Some borough and school officials had been concerned about the proximity of the rink to the baseball field, and the new baseball field to other track and field events (such as javelin and shot put).

Oakmont Recreation Board member Tom Bland said scheduling will be the key to making it all work.

Councilman Tim Favo also suggested moving the shot put over to the area by the Second Street park entrance to free up some space on the field.

Riverview Athletic Director Bob Kariotis said he would try to work with the schedule as much as possible to prevent all sporting events to occur at the same time. He also said a common runway could be located in between the baseball and softball fields.

"When there's a baseball game, the javelin gets thrown toward the softball field, and when there's a softball game, the javelin gets thrown toward the baseball field," he said. 

Bland said Riverview Athletic Association games will be moved to the Creekside Park fields when they are complete later this year.

Councilwoman Elena Colianni said officials need to iron out details before the situation becomes a "scheduling nightmare." She suggested forming a subcommittee to help.