Lebo Citizens readers know that on Monday evening, I spoke about the recent flooding issues and offered a solution to consider, instead of spending $700,000 on artificial turf. The PG's Harry Funk wrote in his article, Mt. Lebanon officials ponder spending
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Update July 26, 2013 4:53 PM I have started a new list on this blog, right above the change order list. I will post more streets as they come in here. You don't have to sign your name. Just submit the name of the street where residents experienced flooding.
Other residents disagreed, including Elaine Gillen of Vallevista Avenue. She questioned the priorities of spending money on athletic fields vs. addressing safety issues, such as helping to mitigate some of the problems that contributed to widespread flooding on July 10.My suggestion comes from personal experience. At the bottom of my driveway, Mt. Lebanon installed a backflow valve, also known as a back water valve. I understand there are now 55 of these valves in Lebo. They work!
In The Almanac's Eric Seiverling story, Mt. Lebanon addresses flooding issues (saved in Google Docs) Mt. Lebanon Municipal Engineer Dan Deiseroth was quoted as saying:
“In my tenure here, this is the fourth event of this magnitude,” Deiseroth told commissioners. “It’s happening more frequently.”Four Mt. Lebanon cars were totaled due to the flooding. Carole Gilbert Brown reported in her PG article, Flooded residents in Scott seeking township help that Scott Township had five cars ruined. She also reported:
Another Ryan Drive resident, Joe Woznicki, said stormwater runoff from the nearby Carriage Park Apartments has caused his property to sink 4 to 6 inches in 18 months. Seven other homes on the street are affected by erosion at the base of the hill from the complex's drain pipes that can't handle the heavier flows, he said.But who got the commissioners' attention on Monday night? A mom of a five year old needing field space to play lacrosse and the sports cabal.
These homes, as well as Beth El Synagogue and the Twin Hills Park, which is owned by Mt. Lebanon but is in Scott, are "losing more and more of ground surface," Mr. Woznicki said.
"I look at the fields in our community as I would any other item of infrastructure," said David Franklin of Pinetree Road, a member of the Mt. Lebanon Sports Advisory Board. "At some point, we need to update them."
Coolidge Avenue resident Chris Sloan called Mt. Lebanon's field conditions substandard compared with some other municipalities and advocated the installation of artificial turf.So there it is in black and white. What is most important infrastructure to Dave Brumfield, John Bendel, and Kristen Linfante? Fields. They would like to take $700,000 and put it toward turfing a field, and a school district field no less. Who cares about the people who had flooding? Certainly not those three.
"It attracts people," he said. "It's an asset of our community. It could be on our 'pro' list when we do pros and cons."
Update July 26, 2013 4:53 PM I have started a new list on this blog, right above the change order list. I will post more streets as they come in here. You don't have to sign your name. Just submit the name of the street where residents experienced flooding.