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11/6/2009 3:35 AM

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Observer-Reporter

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It's been eight years since the South Strabane Township road department's garage was damaged by mine subsidence, and now supervisors have decided to hold a public hearing to gather input on where the new garage should be built.

When the garage on Zediker Station Road was undermined by Consol Energy, the mining company reimbursed the township $250,000. That money was set aside to build a new garage. Consol also donated 71 acres to the township for a new park. Supervisors had discussed including the new maintenance garage there.

But nothing was done, and the matter may have never come to the front burner had not an engineering firm reported this fall that the road building should be evacuated during high winds. Out of fear the building could collapse, operations were moved to the fire hall at Pancake.

At the last supervisors' meeting, the board voted to hold a public hearing Tuesday and send letters to residents within 300 feet of the proposed garage site on Floral Hill Drive.

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While we favor elected officials seeking public opinion at any time, it is interesting that after all these years it has become important to speak to people who live nearby, thought to be three or four residents. Supervisor Edward Mazur pointed out the township did not value such input when it was discussing the controversial tax increment financing plan for the Victory Centre.

As decisions go, this should be a no-brainer. The township not only has the money, it owns the property in an area less than a mile from where the garage is now. In eight years no one from the public has stepped forward - at least at a public meeting - to say the new road garage should not be included in the township park.

So why are supervisors making it a point to seek input from so few residents? Could it be, as Supervisor Robert Koman said last month, that "those people live out there for a reason in those nice big lots?"

In other words, would a public hearing be called if elected officials had considered building the garage on, say, Manifold Drive or Locust Avenue?

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1 comments

Uh-huh : 11/8/2009
It appears the only trickle down we get from the "government" is screwed up "government", non-representation and rip offs. Every level. Fire them all - give us new people and get rid of all the old ones who have learned bad non-representational behavior.

rs

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