The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

July 16, 2008

Lakeview-area trail project hasn’t hit roadblack yet

By Joe Pinchot

MERCER COUNTY — Mercer County Metropolitan Planning Organization may have redirected money intended to help pay for a trail between Sandy Lake and Stoneboro, but the project is far from dead, organizers said.

Although Parke Wentling of Mercer County Trails Association and Lee McCoy of Sandy Lake Conservancy spoke of being shocked and surprised by the MPO’s decision in May to pull federal funding for the trail and give the money to the Shenango Valley Bikeway project, they spoke before the MPO Tuesday with tones of optimism.

“It will get done sometime in the future,” McCoy said.

The trail project has been around for years, and the conservancy had received a $283,000 grant for the work.

However, federal rules have changed, said Daniel Gracenin, executive director of Mercer County Regional Planning Commission. The federal government no longer allows transportation enhancement grants to sit around for years until the money can be spent.

The Bikeway project turned out to be more costly than anticipated and was ready to go to bid, MPO members said in explaining their actions.

The conservancy was going to lose the money anyway if it wasn’t spent this year, Gracenin said.

Gracenin said he knows the rules change hurts small organizations that have to rely on volunteers to deal with legal and technical issues, when a municipality could choose to hire engineers and lawyers to handle the technical work.

The MPO’s action killed the project as far as the MPO is concerned, but there is nothing stopping the conservancy and the trails association from continuing to work, and they could apply for TE funds in the future.

McCoy said the project had been delayed recently in trying to set the path around the industrial section of Sandy Lake, which required extensive discussions with business owners. He said he believes the discussions have led to a better proposed path than was previously planned.

“It’s a great trail,” he said.

McCoy asked for a letter from the MPO outlining its decision-making process so he can explain to conservancy members what happened.

Wentling said trail planners should have been notified of the impending cut.

Wentling, noting that the bikeway project’s low bid came in below PennDOT’s estimate, asked if that additional money can be reassigned to the Sandy Lake-Stoneboro trail.

Mariah Hanson of PennDOT said the additional money will be eaten up by inspection fees.

“Right now, there is no money to be put back into your project,” she said.

Text Only
Local News
  • Recycling program a bit too popular

    The  county’s effort at going green by encouraging recycling in rural areas has been a tremendous success by most accounts, but isn’t without a few glitches. In Wilmington Township, residents often only have a window of a few minutes to get cardboard recyclables in before the bin is full, prompting a discussion among Mercer County Commissioners Wednesday morning.

    May 25, 2012

  • District will tap reserve fund

    Reynolds school directors plan to fill a $374,567 hole in the 2012-2013 budget with money from the district’s fund balance.

    May 25, 2012

  • School board mulls change to sports chaperone policy

    In order to comply with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, the Sharpsville Area School Board is looking to adjust a chaperone policy it implemented six months ago.

    May 25, 2012

  • Afternoon crash hurts 3 high school students

    Three Jamestown High School students were injured – one seriously – when their pickup left a roadway in southwest Crawford County and crashed into a tree Tuesday afternoon.

    May 24, 2012

  • Board sells some, holds some

    Brookfield Board of Education members voted Tuesday to accept only the bids for the elementary school and the middle school, for a total of $97,050.
    The decision came after an hour-long executive session.

    May 24, 2012

  • Levey: Kohl’s project died with school vote

    Stripped of the necessity of voting for a tax incremental finance plan by Hermitage School Board’s unwillingness to participate, Mercer County commissioners said Wednesday they would like to meet with school board and Hermitage city officials to discuss other ways they can help Levey and Co. build a retail development in the city.

    But Levey spokeswoman Jeffrey A. Mills said there is nothing to discuss.

    May 24, 2012

  • Warden expects hectic season at county jail

    With the unofficial start of summer just a few days away, Mercer County Jail officials are preparing for a busy season.

    May 23, 2012

  • Levey officially drops TIF request

    Levey & Co. has officially ended its request for a tax incremental financing plan to build a retail development anchored by a Kohl’s department store.

    May 23, 2012

  • Grant will pay to fix 12-15 homes



    The City of Farrell will be able to fix up about a dozen homes in the city thanks to a $300,000 HOME grant from the state.

    May 23, 2012

  • Hard budget choices yet to come


     
    Hermitage School Board has been fortunate in many ways during the economic downturn that has been so hard on many other schools.

    May 23, 2012