I haven't had the stomach to look at the bids summary. I am still recovering from the SAB wish list which was discussed at the end of Discussion Session Part 1. John Bendel submitted the Sports Advisory Board's #1 capital improvement recommendation which is sidewalks at the Tennis Center. OK, that's reasonable. But #10 is a larger multipurpose athletic facility to include basketball/gym in a new building separate from Wildcat/Middle Fields.
During Citizen Comments last night, a resident who is involved with Mt. Lebanon Youth Sports explained why he was against the artificial turf project at Middle and Wildcat Fields. We simply cannot afford it as a community. We are not as affluent as we once thought we were. According to Pittsburgh Business Times, here are the rankings of Upper St. Clair, and two zip codes in Mt. Lebanon.
The Almanac's June 18, 2014 editorial Keep Mt. Lebanon's field turf natural suggests that "To rip up perfectly usable natural fields and replace grass with artificial turf is just another example of the current trend of local communities wanting to “keep up with the Joneses.” As pointed out last night, we are not in Upper St. Clair's or Peters Township's league. We need to look at Bethel or Dormont.
Update June 24, 2014 12:28 PM Pittsburgh Business Times does not include Mt. Lebanon's 15216, 15234, or 15226 zip codes. They did not make the top 50 zip codes with the highest average net worth in the Pittsburgh region.
Update June 24, 2014 4:50 PM I requested a copy of the Sports Advisory Board wish list. Adding a price tag of $4,000,000 for the multi purpose athletic facility brings the SAB Capital Projects Worksheet total to over $9,000,000. This does not include the Toxic Turf Project at Middle and Wildcat Fields. Or the $4,000,000 Aquatic Center. Or the High School Sports wing. Or the $74,000 trophy case. Or the future turfing of the Rock Pile. Or the High School Tennis Courts. Or the Rifle Range. Who says we hate sports?
P.S. Or the new Bocce Pools a.k.a. the Bocce Courts in the No Flood Zone
28 comments:
I want to clarify that Base Bid #2 includes irrigation, which is not recommended if using Geoturf. Geofill, a different organic infill product requires irrigation.
Elaine
Don't forget about 15216. :-)
There are five zip codes for Mt. Lebanon, including my zip code 15234, which some have referred to us as "The Ghetto."
Elaine
Slumset Hills would argue that one. 216 doesn't even get the Almanac.
I'm happy in "The Ghetto" but I would like people to stop walking through my yard but that is a different discussion.
Why do we need to build a large, multipurpose athletic facility? In the June issue of mtl magazine there is an article on the renovation of the Cool Springs Golf and Sports Complex. Phase II of the project is to include a 138,000 square-foot indoor sports center with two multi-purpose fields for baseball, volleyball, soccer and football. A fitness center may also be added. Why should we build another facility with taxpayer money when Cool Springs is so close by? Recently on this blog a parent of an athlete said that he would use a private facility if one were close by. Well, look no further than Bethel Park. This sounds like a perfect solution to me. Instead of wasting more hard-earned taxpayer dollars for athletic uses let the athletes use private facilities and let's use our tax money on real infrastructure needs, such as roads, sewers, sidewalks, etc. Some of our roads are in such bad shape that they could be mistaken for something you would find in a third world country. Let's get our act together before it's too late.
Exactly 2:03.
Whenever there is a perception that there is money to be made in something - private business will step up to the plate and make the investment to make money.
Now that such a business venture is underway our "hey, it's not our money" commissioners want to take customers away from the Bethel business.
Elaine - those aren't bocce courts. They've been converted into reflective pools where one could ponder the risks of tire crumbs.
So, we've presented evidence of the turf hazards, others oppose the spending and yet our commissioners STILL state they will award thee contract to turf.
So the question becomes, what can we do to stop this ludicrous project?
Blogging,attending commission meetings, putting up signs and writing to the commissioners isn't working.
We need a way to stop this!
Here's the thing, 7:21 PM. They have the advantage because I see them peeking on this blog. Anything we write, they read it. It is a wonder they are getting any work done!
I have some things going on, but I am not going to write it here.
If anyone has some suggestions of their own, email me at EGillen476@aol.com
Elaine
Lol!!!!!!!! A little paranoid.....
Yes Dave... Because the sorry excuses like the likes of YOU!
I was checking to see if the Wildcat bids were added to the municipal website and they have been added. Thank you.
I had missed these documents that were added at the end of May and the beginning of June.
05/27/14 Revenue Projections for Wildcat/Middle Fields
Clarification of the 5/27/14 Revenue Projections for Wildcat/Middle Fields
Elaine
As I said in the original post, we need to be comparing ourselves to Dormont. They're passing us by too. Castle Shannon light rail plan on track
All the commissioners seem to be concerned with is our kids playing in the rain.
Elaine
Mt. Lebanon could profit from the Castle Shannon project by developing the already used, but neglected walking path that runs from the Rite-Aid stop up to Luna and the new and popular Hitchhiker mini-brewery.
Done right it could make the currently FOR SALE lots along Castle Shannon Blvd attractive and ripe for private development.
It might even stir interest in our own TOD behind the hotel.
Unfortunately, our short-sighted, single-minded commissioners will spend our available seed money on turf. Too bad they can't see that increasing tax generating development puts them closer to an indoor rec facility.
Artificial turf that needs replaced every 8 years at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars just sucks up discretionary money.
2:22 I'd bet Brumfield hopes the owner tries to build his trailer park again. If not, his second choice would be for a 24 hour Denny's like joint.
Seriously— turfing a single ballfield (and it IS a single ballfield when it is used for soccer or lacrosse) is the best use of overcollected taxes????
Who does it serve, who does it benefit?
Everyone, or just a few people's kids specifically?
Does anyone really believe there is a multitude of eager home buyers out there thinking... 'you know Mt. Lebanon's going to turf a ballfield... I think I'll offer an extra $1,000 on that house we looked at?'
If you believe that, there is a bridge on Horsman Drive I want to sell you... AGAIN.
Honestly, I wouldnt complain if there were a 24-hour breakfast place in Lebo. Not a Dennys but like a real diner like the Dorstop in Dormont. Whoops, there we go again mentioning the community we're supposed to ignore.
The commissioners really do have their heads in the sand. Rather, they have their heads buried in crumb rubber. Every community around is striving to improve. Here we're striving to appease.
A 24 hour eatery would be infinitly better than the vacant Pizza Hut or lot at the corner of MTL and Castle Shannon Blvds.
What keeps these properties and the Washington Road/Bower Hill property undeveloped?
If there is such a huge demand for the Lebo life one would think businesses and home/condo builders would be clawing over each other to build here.
Maybe they don't find lacrosse fields as exciting and worth the tax burden as some commissioners do.
9:33 AM, Chuck Bachorski, the resident who said we couldn't afford this project and brought up the PBT data to the commission said it perfectly. When you enter Mt. Lebanon from any direction, we look bad. We have the Zamagias property on Washington Road, the LA Fitness property on Castle Shannon Blvd., and Public Works on Cedar Blvd. When you leave Mt. Lebanon and enter Dormont, you see their new light rail plan. Who are we kidding?
Elaine
Ourselves, Elaine?
Don't forget the empty BP station on Rt. 19, the vacant lots off Sleepy Hollow by St. Winifred's and the undeveloped lots between Country Club and McNeilly.
For a supposedily built-out community there sure is a lot of undeveloped Land waiting to be taxed higher!
Of course, the commission will focus on spending millions on developing the Lebo T Stop because its a whole lot easier making current property owners pay higher taxes than it is to get private investors- who are pretty savy when it comes to making money or losing it- to invest here.
It is unfortunate that we have a community to lazy to think things through and will instead happily hand there hard-earned dollars to people like our current commissioners.
exactly how many mt. lebanon children play in YSA-sponsored sports?
exactly how many residents do we have over 65?
can you connect the dots?
Here are some Mt. Lebanon census data.
Elaine
10:50 the numbers add up to nothing.
It is plainly obvious that the $1,000,000 turf investment is specifically target at a very small number of young athletes.
Plus, 10:50 it is not like artificial turf benefits kids that play tennis, basketball, volleyball, golf, etc.
It's even questionable if turf is better for softball and baseball.
$1,000,000 this year and $400,000+ every 8 years is solely for lacrosse and soccer.
Now whom do you think has a personal interest in kids playing those sports?
How many of you get up and start exercising when the iPhone commercial airs? You pro-turfers probably don't even know the significance of that commercial. Ask your parents about "Chicken Fat." No artificial turf back then.
Elaine
If you look closely at that iphone commercial the soccer is natural grass!
Now why would they use something so un-crown jewel?
Cuz maybe its better?!!!!
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