Robb Hollow Park is a dump

The following letter headlined in the 11/16/11 edition of the Almanac.  I am reprinting it here since the Almanac does not archive its letters.

Robb Hollow Park is a dump

I feel compelled to respond to the Oct. 12, article, "ML mulls what to do with leaves in Robb Hollow Park."

Tom Kelly, director of public works, is stated as saying the annual composting taking place in a Mt. Lebanon, "park" is a "conservational activity." While there is validity to his remark, I know of no other community that operates a composting facility within public grounds, clearly identified as a park.

To even call Robb Hollow a 'park' is a travesty for Mt. Lebanon taxpayers. Once upon a time, someone spent taxpayer money to erect a picnic shelter and built a fire pit in a remote location of Mt. Lebanon that not many knew existed and even fewer bothered to visit. The shelter fell victim to neglect and was eventually demolished.

For the unfamiliar, Robb Hollow 'Park' consists of several dirt paths winding through a wooded area that lead to the composting dump, a torn down shelter and an oft-used fire pit. The location is secluded and the police appear reluctant to patrol the area on a consistent basis.

Unlike other public space in Mt. Lebanon, and primarily for that reason, it has become a clandestine spot for underage drinking and recreational drug use, occurring after the 'park' closes at 9 p.m.

The area is strewn with cases of empty beer cans and frequently, smoldering ash in the fire pit. Coupled with the obvious hazards of open flame surrounded by decaying leaves, the entire location is a complete disgrace.

For Mr. Kelly to trivialize this matter by saying, "one or two families moved into the area, realized there was a composting facility behind their homes and they wanted the activity to stop" is appalling.

There are a number of private residences on Robb Hollow Road that have been subjected and forced to endure the stench and noise generated by the composting and leaf dumping since its inception. Many of these individuals have lived there for decades, some their entire lives, and are 2nd and 3rd generation owners. They have watched a previously well maintained property and driveway turned into an access road (owned by Mt. Lebanon) fall into disrepair and become overgrown.

They have also witnessed incidences of illegal dumping on those same grounds. Their calls to officials are frequently met with indifference and dismissive attitudes. A fleet of dump trucks haul debris nonstop beginning at sunrise and continuing until late afternoon on a daily basis, including Saturdays, for most of the year. It can best be described as being trapped in a perpetual construction zone. The obtrusive sound of the vehicles is exceeded only by the acrid smell emitted from the rotting leaves, which permeate the entire neighborhood. During the composting period homeowners are unable to keep windows open or sit outside, the smell so caustic it burns your eyes and throat.

Hardly the idyllic vision one has about living in our fine community and certainly not what residents pay premium taxes for. The community has spoken against this misuse of public space and yet the leaf dumping continues.

Our tax dollars are paying Mr. Kelly to find an amenable solution. It is his job to work for the public and resolve this issue to our satisfaction. I am confident Mr. Kelly lives nowhere near the compost dump. If it were in his backyard, I'm most certain the operation would cease immediately.

Luanne M. Palazzo

Mt. Lebanon