Oops, there goes $25K

Our commission is out of control. Why did they give $25,000 to the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board for a preservation guide, and then decide to scrap the whole idea? Mt. Lebanon opts to forgo mandatory homeowner restrictions 

Let me begin by saying the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board is a farce, This is the group who wanted Rae Avenue to be restored with brick. Mt. Lebanon sewer project should solve neighborhood flooding

The vote was 4-1, with Commissioner John Bendel dissenting.
He said his preference would be to restore one of the streets affected by the project, Rae Avenue, with brick, as it currently is paved. That option, though, would have cost some $343,000 more than restoring Rae with asphalt.
“I believe that there’s value in preserving our brick streets,” Mr. Bendel explained. He acknowledged the additional expense but added, “I think it’s important for us to begin a process to preserve the character of our community as much as we can.”

I went to the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board in 2014 prior to Wildcat Field destruction, highlighting the fact that putting down artificial turf on a historic field, located in the Historic District, and described in the Historic District application as one of the last green spaces in Mt. Lebanon, is not preserving the character of the field. I was ignored. John Bendel was the commission liaison to both the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board, as well as the commission liaison to the Mt. Lebanon Sports Advisory Board.

Virginia Manor is in Ward 1, John Bendel's ward. Rae Avenue is in Ward 1, John Bendel's ward. Twin Hills is in Ward 1, John Bendel's ward. John Bendel is considering spending over $80,000 to hunt down the remaining deer in Mt. Lebanon. Does anyone see a pattern here?

Sorry, but I had to walk out of Citizen Comments UPDATED 2X

What is the expression?
"This is bullshit and I am going home. I'm too old for this."
                                                         -T. Kelley

Boy, can I relate, Tom. Only thing is that I am a taxpayer and volunteer.

Here are my comments, and I will put up the commissioners' and manager's responses once I calm down.

There are four points I would like to make. So that I don't run out of time, I would like to read through them, and will wait for a response to all four points.

1. Some clarification please. We have been told on numerous occasions that if we have a question within the municipality, we should contact the PIO for information. I'm finding that is not the case when I needed assistance with the Brewfest poster. I never received any kind of acknowledgement or assistance from the Public Information Office. Should I be contacting my non-responsive commissioners, our municipal manager who has his hands full with RTKs or keep trying to contact the PIO?

2. I want to comment on Mt. Lebanon Advisory Boards.
I had contacted the Historic Preservation on several occasions concerning the historic Wildcat Field and the turf project. I received this response from Bill Callahan on 7:31.14

"As much as is possible, I separate my professional duties from my volunteer position on the HPB. My role as a member of that Board is, to the best of my abilities and within a volunteer framework, to provide technical expertise and, hopefully, the benefit of over 25 years’ experience in the field."

Fast forward to the August 18, 2014 Mt. Leb. Historic Preservation Board
Meeting. On page two of the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board minutes under Staff Liaison Report:

Susan Morgans reported that the permit application that
would allow construction on the turf project has been “lost,” somewhere between the DEP and the PA Historical And Museum Commission. The PHMC needs to comment on the permit for any construction involving federal or state funds in areas that could be eligible for National Register Status. He noted that when and if his office receives the application, there should be no problem—the park contains non-conforming resources and there would be no impact on any historic structures. He is working with the municipality and the DEP to identify what is holding things up.

"He" being Bill Callahan, PHMC Community Preservation Coordinator for the Western Region and Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board member is using his connections on the PHMC to push through the Wildcat Field Turf Project.

On Page 10 of National Register of Historic Places , Main Park is considered a contributing site to the Mt. Lebanon Historic District.
The park itself, which features ball fields, playgrounds, and basketball and tennis courts, is considered a contributing site, but the recreation center, tennis center, and current pool house that have been built within the park after the period of significance are considered non-contributing buildings.

I am asking for Mr. Callahan's resignation because he does NOT separate his professional duties from his volunteer position. He will be using his position to push through the turf project for ballfields that are clearly contributing sites in the Mt. Lebanon Historic District.

I'm also asking for the chair of the ESB to resign. Through a RTK, she made some disturbing statements to our commission president about me, including dealing with me by setting me on fire.

3. I would like to get a detailed report of the meeting that occurred on Friday between Gateway and the DEP and ACCD.

4. During the discussion of PAYT, Promotion of sustainability
how does artificially turfing two ball fields promote sustainability, Kristen?

Brief responses:
1. Steve Feller said that I can address any problems that I have with the PIO with him.

2. No resignations. Kristen denied hearing anything about igniting me. I am always asking for resignations from people I do not agree with. ESB comment must have been a "typo."

3. No report was given to them, so no report will be given tonight. I doubt the commission even knew that Gateway was called to the DEP.

4. I ran out of time, so Kristen, I was corrected and need to address her as Commissioner Linfante, did not answer and reminded me more than once that I was out of time.

I am so sick of the crap that is being dealt out of that municipal building. I have posted the Right To Know where Kathy Hrabovsky joked about igniting. No apology. Nothing. We have a member on the Historic Preservation Board who will push his personal agenda, at Mt. Lebanon's expense. Susan Morgans can continue to be the municipal diva who can sit on my recorder TWICE, ignore my emails, sarcastically tell a junior commissioner candidate that I am "the keeper of the door" when I was trying to explain that the interview process had begun. The commission president can allow those to finish their statements, if they are in favor of deer culling, but interrupts me and anyone else who disagrees with her. What has my hometown become?

Sorry, Folks. I had to walk out.


Update September 23, 2014 7:18 PM Mt. Lebanon officials waver on pay-per-throw trash (Saved in Google Docs)

Update September 25, 2014 7:57 AM So now what? I contacted Manager Steve Feller and never heard back. Don't miss the solution offered by "Commissioner Linfante."

Public Information Office on Instagram

Another typo? UPDATED

Weren't we told that the artificial turf would help with stormwater runoff? The grass fields are comparable to eight inches of cement, so we were told. According to today's Trib article, Mt. Lebanon's artificial turf plan hits a snag "the runoff from the turf, while higher than it would be if the fields remained grass, would go through a treatment system and would carry fewer pollutants from grass fertilizer than before." On page 169 of Gateway's response, "The project will improve the drainage issues." As a Lebo Citizens reader wrote to me privately, "Since the main selling point of the turf was that it would allow the kids to play games in the rain, knowing that the runoff needs to go through a treatment system before it enters the sewage system tells me we probably should not let our kids slosh around in it before it is 'treated'. But hey, when Cedar floods up to our neck (instead of to our waist as it would now) I guess we can be reassured that at least it went through the filter."

So which way is it, Gateway? Runoff will be less or will it be higher? Is this another typo?

Not so fast about changing to turf not subtracting from any historic value, Folks. Gateway's letter to the PHMC: 

The note to the Historical and Museum Commission said that while Mt. Lebanon's park overall contributed to the community's historic nature, the rec center, pool and concessions buildings surrounding the fields were all more modern and therefore the change to turf wouldn't subtract from any historic value.

On Page 10 of National Register of Historic Places, Main Park is considered a contributing site to the Mt. Lebanon Historic District.

The Mt. Lebanon Historic District also contains three substantial greenspaces within its boundary. The northernmost is the 76-acre Mt. Lebanon Cemetery, which was established in 1874 and includes a late nineteenth century caretaker’s house as part of its property (Photograph 34)... Main Park, a 51-acre park located off Cedar Boulevard, was already established during the period of significance though the original bath house and swimming pool that were formerly located at the center of the park are no longer extant. The park itself, which features ball fields, playgrounds, and basketball and tennis courts, is considered a contributing site, but the recreation center, tennis center, and current pool house that have been built within the park after the period of significance are considered non-contributing buildings.

I contacted The Historical Society of Mount Lebanon, who shared some wonderful articles about the history of Wildcat Field. If you are a native Pittsburgher, you will recognize the name, Bob Prince a.k.a. The Gunner, announcer of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He organized The Wildcats team. 

See if you recognize any names in the December 1946 issue of Huddle Magazine. Another fun article about The Mt. Lebanon Wildcats is here. Read about the coaching staff. I love this photo:

                                                                                  Courtesy: The Historical Society of Mount Lebanon Archives

Is this another typo, Gateway? Could it be that the National Register of Historic Places is correct after all? The ball fields are a contributing site.


Update September 18, 2014 9:17 AM John Bendel, commission liaison to the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board, as well as other commissioners and members of the Sports Advisory Board are trying to sell the naming rights for Wildcat Field. August 25, 2014 Discussion Session Agenda Anything for a buck in Mt. Lebanon.  Oops, that word makes Kristen nervous. Sorry. A dollar.

Staying informed about the turf project UPDATED

Talk about staying informed, you won't read anything about this from the Public Information Office. Since I was getting nowhere at the last commission meeting, I filed a Right To Know with a different government agency concerning the status of the artificial turf project at Middle and Wildcat Fields.

A letter was sent to David Donnellan on August 27, 2014 with a list of significant deficiencies concerning the Wildcat Turf Project application plan submission.

I do not understand the stormwater technicalities mentioned, but I do understand that the turf project may require more permits to be filed.

I am especially interested in the additional information requested in number 6. In my August 21, 2014 blog post Bendel on historic preservation, and my June 26, 2014 blog post Dear Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board, I had divulged that these fields are specifically mentioned in Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board's National Register of Historic Places application. According to the letter sent to David Donnellan, a Cultural Resource Notice must be sent to the PA Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). Mt. Lebanon resident and member of the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board, Bill Callahan, represents the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s Bureau for Historic Preservation in the westernmost 26 counties of the Commonwealth. I don't understand how this was overlooked by the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board. As commission liaison to the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board, John Bendel, shame on you.

I am encouraged that there are still government agencies outside of Mt. Lebanon protecting our historical and environmental resources.

Update September 4, 2014 11:44 AM

This is an important notice from LeboALERT. 

The Mt. Lebanon Sports Advisory Board meeting scheduled for September 4, 2014 is canceled. For the complete meeting schedule please view our website.

Big surprise. If there is no turf project, there is nothing else to talk about.

Update September 6, 2014 4:20 PM Funny how Andrew McNitt never talked about this when he was pushing artificial turf for Mt. Lebanon's historic fields.

Bendel on historic preservation

At the last commission meeting, John Bendel was the only commissioner opposed to replacing bricks with asphalt on Rae Avenue. His reason? He was concerned about preserving the integrity of that neighborhood.

In the Trib's article Mt. Lebanon residents opposed to loss of brick roads, Bendel was quoted as saying, “The brick streets, they give our neighborhoods character, and preserving them is key to preserving the historical nature of those neighborhoods.” What a hypocrite.

A few months ago, I contacted the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board regarding the fields in the historic district of Mt. Lebanon. See Dear Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board.

Recently, I had sent this to the Historic Preservation Board. 

My frustration is that you are speaking to the Commission and asking them to spend $140,000 more for bricks on Rae Avenue, in order to preserve the integrity of the neighborhood, while looking the other way while the Commission spends $800,000 to destroy the integrity of our historic fields, one of the last green spaces in Mt. Lebanon, as you described in your application. You could have had a portion of the unassigned funds for bricks, had you gotten involved. Do you even know how Wildcat got its name? I lived in Mt. Lebanon most of my life and have a passion for preserving the integrity of our community. Where's your passion?

After further communication from Historic Preservation Board member Bill Callahan, I questioned their silence concerning preserving the historic fields on Cedar Blvd.

Your commission liaison, Mr. Bendel, has not informed you of these plans. Why is that?

The Parks Advisory Board and the Environmental Sustainability Board has weighed in on the artificial turf, yet the Historic Preservation Board has been silent. Your chair person has gone to the podium on several occasions concerning bricks, yet never once commented on the removal of one of our last green spaces in Mt. Lebanon. Surely, you have seen the signs all over Mt. Lebanon about artificial turf. Have you even questioned your municipal liaison, Susan Morgans or your commission liaison, John Bendel about this project? Why is that?

I have sat at Commission Discussion Sessions where you and the Board Chair have discussed the application for the National Register. I have seen your picture with Dan Miller, but never once has the subject of artificial turf changing the integrity of our historical fields been brought up. Why is that?

Again, I ask you folks, where is your passion to preserve the integrity of these historical grass fields on Cedar Blvd.?

This is another example of commissioners' friends staying quiet on the artificial turf project. We have a bunch of "sheeple" on our Boards now.

Update August 21, 2014 7:58 AM Meanwhile, players are threatening legal action over artificial turf at the 2015 Women's World Cup.

Players threaten legal action over artificial turf at Women's World Cup “Consigning women to a second-class surface is gender discrimination that violates European charters and numerous provisions of Canadian law.”

Players retain legal counsel in fight against artificial turf at 2015 Women's World Cup
“We’ve worked so hard as female athletes – not only here in the United States, but internationally – to grow the game and in my opinion I think this is taking a step back. All of the men’s international players around the world would argue the same point. A lot of these guys will not play on an artificial surface because it is an injury-prone surface and I don’t blame them.”

Sports Illustrated: Top women's stars mobilizing for legal bout vs. FIFA over World Cup turf

Update August 21, 2014 10:48 AM A Lebo Citizens reader sent me this photo and note:

These injuries are from playing soccer on turf. This women is a World Cup player. Men World Cup players won't play soccer on turf because of this type of injury. Can you imagine if kids came home with these types of injuries from Lebo turf? 






Update August 24, 2014 4:20 PM 
Alex Morgan upset about 159 degrees temps on turf field

From Twitter: 159 degrees on soccer field 

Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13)

8/23/14, 6:22 PM The temperature of the Turf field today. How is this healthy for us??? #Grass2015#GrassNotTurf pic.twitter.com/YEnnVApra3

Dear Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board UPDATED

Dear Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board,

It appears that your Commission liaison, John Bendel has not informed you of plans to remove natural grass from two fields in The Mt. Lebanon Historic District and replace it with artificial turf. Your board chair expressed a concern over preserving the integrity of a brick road in Mt. Lebanon at the June 23, 2014 Commission meeting, and said nothing about preserving the integrity of two historical ball fields. I questioned the Commission during Citizen Comments if the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board had been informed of the plan to artificially turf Middle and Wildcat Fields. Commissioner Bendel confirmed that your Board had not been consulted.

You may not be aware of this, Board members, but in 2002, $20,000 from a state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) grant was spent on improving facilities at Mt. Lebanon Park, including the replacement of an outdoor basketball court system and improvements to Wildcat Field. Municipality to seek funds for ice rink 

In addition, Board members, I posted this on my Lebo Citizens blog,  Hey! These fields are in the Historic District! On Page 10 of the National Register of Historic Places application, you note that Main Park is considered as a contributing site to the Mt. Lebanon Historic District.

I want to thank you for your polite June 18, 2014 response to my previous email to several of your Board members.

Thank you for your message, Elaine. As chair of the HPB, I am responding on behalf of the several members of the board you contacted. We appreciate your input.
Yvette

I hope your passion for preserving brick roads in Mt. Lebanon will also carry over to maintaining the integrity of Middle and Wildcat Fields located in Mt. Lebanon's Historic District by keeping those fields natural grass.

Respectfully,
Elaine Gillen

June 30, 2014 4:28 PM From State Rep. Dan Miller's newsletter:

Mt. Lebanon Historic District Hearing

This month, I was able to speak at the State Historical and Museum Commission in support of the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board's application for listing a large part of Mt. Lebanon in the National Register of Historic Places. I was joined by Bill Callahan, Michelle Zmijanac, and Senator Smith who were also there to voice their support.
 

Hey! These fields are in the Historic District!

Laura C. Ricketts with the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board have prepared a 151 page registration form to the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service. On Page 10 of National Register of Historic Places, Main Park is considered a contributing site to the Mt. Lebanon Historic District.

The Mt. Lebanon Historic District also contains three substantial greenspaces within its boundary. The northernmost is the 76-acre Mt. Lebanon Cemetery, which was established in 1874 and includes a late nineteenth century caretaker’s house as part of its property (Photograph 34)... Main Park, a 51-acre park located off Cedar Boulevard, was already established during the period of significance though the original bath house and swimming pool that were formerly located at the center of the park are no longer extant. The park itself, which features ball fields, playgrounds, and basketball and tennis courts, is considered a contributing site, but the recreation center, tennis center, and current pool house that have been built within the park after the period of significance are considered non-contributing buildings. The 42-acre Bird Park, which is located off Beadling Road, is considered a contributing site. Though it wasn’t dedicated as a named park until 1967, historical mapping and aerial photographs show that the parkland remained undeveloped through the period of significance. Bird Park consists of wooded steep terrain with a stream channel, nature trails, athletic fields, and picnic pavilions.

Why does this remind me of our trip to Doubleday Field? Doubleday Field is a baseball stadium in Cooperstown, New York. It was named for Abner Doubleday and is located near the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Baseball history buffs would never settle for artificial turf in Cooperstown, NY. Historians will tell you that ball fields were always grass, never plastic.

According to the Integrity Statement, "an inventory of the 4,263 resources within the 1,306-acre historic district identifies 3,344 contributing buildings, 882 non-contributing buildings, 24 contributing sites, 10 non-contributing sites, and 3 non-contributing structures."

What this tells me is that there are 3,344 buildings with standing. I learned about "standing" when I challenged Kristen Linfante's nomination petition back in 2011. You see, since I am a Republican and she is a Democrat, I had no standing. I was not permitted to challenge her nomination petition. I am not an attorney, but up until now, the only residents who had standing over this turf project were the immediate neighbors on Vee Lynn, Cedar, and Mayfair.

If anyone within the 1,306-acre historic district has an issue with plastic grass being installed on historic fields, take action! You won't see artificial turf at Doubleday Field and we shouldn't have it on our historic fields either.