Throwing more money away on Virginia Manor decorating guide

Back in 2015, the Historic Preservation Board, along with staff liaison Susan Morgans spent $25,000 on a decorating guide for Virginia Manor. See Oops, there goes $25K The commissioners scrapped the idea. Then in my February 2017 post, Commissioners, please save Christmas for discriminating residents, I predicted that the Historic Preservation Board will ask the commission to revisit the decorating guide. Guess what was in today's Administrative Report. I called it!

This is the same group that wanted to keep brick streets in Ward 1. How much is this online design costing taxpayers this time? 

Commissioners, please save Christmas for discriminating residents

I just read in The Almanac's Lebo commission mulls brick street policy the most stupid reason for keeping bricked streets in Mt. Lebanon.

It’s become a tradition for Yvette Yescas and her family to drive around various Mt. Lebanon neighborhoods during the holiday season to capture the Christmas spirit. From the variety of lights and decorations, Yescas, a member of the Historic Preservation Board in Mt. Lebanon, directs the route based on another allure to fully encapsulate the experience.

She and her family specifically choose brick streets in the community as the primary route for their adventure.

This isn't the first time the subject of brick streets has been discussed. Back in 2014, the commissioners voted to replace brick roads with asphalt, with Ward 1 commissioner John Bendel being the only commissioner voting against the policy. Mt. Lebanon residents opposed to loss of brick roads

The Historic Preservation Board also produced a remodeling guide at taxpayers' expense at the tune of $25,000, also for Ward 1's Virginia Manor.

If history repeats itself, the Historic Preservation Board will ask the commission to revisit their remodeling guide, as well. I wonder if there will be any recommendations for Christmas lights and decorations in their remodeling guide.

And the beat goes on

Rockwood Park neighbors got word today that the "greening" of Rockwood Park has been pushed back - again to 2018. According to the 2017-21 Capital Improvement Program now online under the finance department, official documents and in OpenLebo, here is where Rockwood Park stands.

Three generations have been asking for improvements. Pretty soon a fourth generation will be old enough to speak at commission meetings and ask for what generations before them have been asking.

Fix the upper part of Rockwood Park. Here is what we got recently.

Meanwhile, we have people whining about keeping brick streets, costing 3 1/2 times higher than traditional asphalt, not like the asphalt repair job pictured above. See Debate over brick streets continues in Mt. Lebanon We're listed in the CIP as costing $24,200.  We're asking for the parking lot and driveway to be filled in with dirt and seeded. That's all.