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Politics & Government

Oakmont Council Notebook: Jan. 13 Meeting

From a Light Rail system to the Hulton Bridge construction, the residents and council members of Oakmont had much to talk about this month.

Here's a roundup of items discussed at the Oakmont Council Jan. 13 meeting:

Light Rail

Council members attended a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation meeting regarding a commuter train system that will be added to the Oakmont community.

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The funding is in place and construction will begin in two years. When this construction starts, officials said cross streets—such as Pennsylvania Avenue—could close. 

There will be a stop in Oakmont, however, there will not be a rail station. The light rail system will begin in Arnold and come straight through to Oakmont before heading into the City of Pittsburgh.

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There will be nine trains in and out of Pittsburgh every day, according to officials. A horn will sound at every intersection.

Officials said the top concern is pedestrian safety, given then there is a walking trail parallel to the tracks.

Hulton Bridge Plans

The new date of completion for the Hulton Bridge is December of 2016. The construction company will be removing the old bridge and constructing a new one.

The break down of the time frame includes one year to install the piers, one year to install the deck, and even more time for demolition of the old structure. The building estimate is set at $84 million. Construction is set to start in the fall of 2013. The bridge will be out of commission completely for only two weeks during this construction.

Allegheny County Property Assessments

Several Oakmont residents expressed their growing concerns regarding the Allegheny County property assessments that were just completed. 

William DeTurck presented a case showing that there is a lack of consistency among the reports, and is looking for the council to provide the public of Oakmont with more information. Also, DeTurck asked that residents of Allegheny County appeal the new 20 percent increase on county taxes downtown.

STOP

A recommendation was made for stop sign to be placed at the southeast corner of Delaware Ave and Third Street. The sign is currently in place for the 30-day trial period, and a decision will be made shortly for whether or not the sign will be made permanent.

Shade Trees Causing Uproar

Oakmont resident Nathan English said he is being unfairly charged for the removal of a tree near his property.

A tree—planted by the borough—was causing termites in English’s home, so he requested that it be removed. The tree was removed in May 2011.

English later received an invoice charging him for the removal, and is disgruntled since it was not his decision to plant the tree in the first place.

English said the borough should not plant trees it cannot maintain. Council explained that the trees are valuable to a community.

Street Smarts

A letter written by Jason Corna concerning Oakmont’s safety and welfare on the streets was presented to council.

Corna, broker of record for Edgewater Realty and the Edgewater at Oakmont housing development, said he feels that the lack of parking on College Avenue between Cedar Way and Allegheny Avenue is causing the area to be accident-prone because motorists are illegally parking, therefore causing road congestion.

According to the letter, Corna said he has personally witnessed near accidents. Just last week, a delivery truck backed up and knocked over a new light fixture due to the lack of ordinance on the street.

Skating Around the Issue

A letter was presented that was sent in by Deborah Carlberg concerning the ongoing issues of the skating rink at Riverside Park.

Although Carlberg stated she feels it was a wonderful idea to have an ice skating rink in the park, but the rink hasn't been open because of warmer-than-usual temps. The park has been closed because of weather and lack of ice.

Carlberg said children have been unable to play in the park, and the community could not utilize the park unless the conditions were ideal for ice-skating.

Residents said they feel that the park needs to be for everyone all of the time. Also, there was a concern that there are times that residents cannot enter the park due to the gates being closed. Council members clarified that there is one gate on Second Street that is open.

Park Renovation Projects

The tennis courts and running track have been lined in preparation for the maintenance and renovations in the spring. Once the weather clears and school sports seasons wrap up, the project will be completed.

2011 Accomplishments for Police Department:

Compared statistics to 2004, the Oakmont Police Department has made a noteworthy shift.

According to Mayor Bob Fescemeyer, there were 200 arrests made in 2011, a 30 percent increase since 2004. The department has handled this significant increase without cutting back on community service and with the same amount of manpower, he said.

The officers also have maintained tremendously successful programs i.e. “Cops for Kids.” Oakmont’s proactive officers and presence of the police are deterrents to the criminals in this community, according to Fescemeyer. In 2011, the Oakmont Police Department also received a $20,000 grant for new radios.

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