WAYNESBURG - Pretty sidewalks won't mean much if the town still has ugly telephone poles and wires hanging overhead, Waynesburg's engineer told council Monday as he explained some of the challenges facing the streetscape project.
Borough officials, along with the nonprofit group Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful, have been planning to revamp several blocks in the business district since 2005.
"It's three years now, and we don't have anything to show for it," said Michael Dufalla, engineer with Mackin Engineering.
The project has been delayed because of utility line relocation issues. Dufalla said that burying the lines is the easiest way to eliminate the clutter of overhead lines. However, finding a way to do that has proved problematic.
Because of the federal money that will go into the project, the borough will not be allowed to pay Allegheny Power to perform the necessary electrical work without undergoing a competitive bidding process. Dufalla also anticipates problems with the electric company's union that may preempt the hiring of a contractor with the lowest bid.
"Everybody wants those utilities underground. The question is what mechanism do we use to put those lines underground," he said.
Council on Monday accepted a grant agreement with the state Department of Transportation, but the board made its approval contingent on finding a way to deal with the utility lines. The streetscape project will receive $1,605,000 in federal aid.
Dufalla said he plans to meet with representatives of Allegheny Power, Windstream telephone company and Comcast cable company to see whether a solution can be reached.
Dufalla said underground utility lines should be a fundamental part of the project. If it proves impossible to find a way to bury the lines, he suggested that council pull out of the deal and ask that Waynesburg P&B find a new sponsor for the streetscape project.
Further complicating matters is the change in leadership at Waynesburg P&B. The former head of the organization, Connie Burd, has accepted a position as Main Street manager for the city of Uniontown. No one has been hired to replace her.
The streetscape project aims to make Waynesburg a more attractive place to shop. Plans call for tree-lined streets with decorative stone adorning the edges of sidewalks.
The walks will be expanded at street corners, and a parking space on each corner will be sacrificed as a result. A cluster of trees, a light pole, a handicapped-accessible ramp and a park bench will extend into those former parking places.
The first phase of the project should encompass about three blocks on High Street, from Morgan to Washington streets, and three blocks on Washington Street, from High to Wayne streets.