Greene commissioners approve lease addendum for Wisecarver recreation project
Greene County commissioners last week approved an addendum to a lease between the Southwestern Pennsylvania Water Authority and the county for use of a larger portion of land than was previously included for recreational purposes at the Wisecarver Dam and Reservoir.
Officials previously announced plans for the 360-acre Wisecarver Recreational Area, which is expected to include an access drive, parking area, pedestrian walkways and stormwater management measures, along with other related site improvements.
Commissioner Mike Belding said the additional land approved in the addendum totals approximately 55 acres on the northeast side of Water Dam Road.
“It’s an access road and previous lay-down yard on the top of a hill that is no longer in use,” he said. “In the current Wisecarver development plan, it includes the archery center, range and field course, as well as a drone and remote-controlled aircraft launch and recover area.”
Located off Waterdam Road in Waynesburg, the Wisecarver Recreation Area project is a multimillion-dollar outdoor recreation area also offering the reservoir, softball fields, a walking trail, mountain bike trails and numerous other recreational opportunities.
In other business during last week’s meeting, commissioners agreed to appoint Mike and Elizabeth O’Donnell, Chris and Lesley Stockdale, Kim Cox and Mimi Ritenour to the canvassing board at a rate of $125 per day.
Belding said the canvassing board will validate all absentee and mail-in voting ballots for Tuesday’s election. He said commissioners first appointed members to the canvassing board for the 2020 primary because of an increased number of mail-in ballots.
The fees are funded through the county elections office, similar to poll workers.
In other news, commissioners approved the required 20% match – or $100,000 – of a $600,000 project for the EPA Brownfield Site Specific Cleanup grant application for the Mather Parcel in Morgan Township.
“There are hundreds of rail ties that need removed and soil analysis conducted to provide the opportunity for safe future use of that property,” he said. “The county portion of funding will be through ACT 13, if the grant is awarded.”
Commissioners also approved an agreement between the county and Montgomery Technology System for $30,015 for upgrades to an antiquated door control system at Greene County jail.
Belding said the system has been repaired numerous times and the current system became obsolete at the end of 2019.