USC to upgrade street name signs
It should soon be easier to navigate through Upper St. Clair as the township begins to update its street name signs to comply with changes in federal law.
The Upper St. Clair commissioners are expected to vote at their Nov. 7 meeting on a bill updating construction standards for street name signs relating to materials, lettering, measurement and color.
Adam Benigni, USC’s director of planning and community development, showed the board a sample of the new street name sign during a Oct. 31 informational and general affairs meeting.
The new street name signs are larger than the existing signs and have a larger font size. In addition, the background is a reflective material to make the signs easier to see at night.
Mark Mansfield, USC’s assistant township manager, reviewed price estimates for the new signs, and the township staff is recommending Walsh Equipment, Inc., with the low quote of $39,490, as the vendor for the signs.
Sign poles and mounting brackets will be purchased separately by the public works department. The estimated cost for the poles is $20,000 and the estimated price for the mounting brackets is $15,000.
The total hardware cost for the project is approximately $75,000, lower than the allocated $150,000 in the 2016 capital budget. The board was expected to vote on the contract with Walsh Equipment during their Nov. 7 meeting.
Upper St. Clair public works department is expected to begin signage installation this winter, weather permitting, and continue installation through 2017.
USC finance director Mark Romito reported that the public hearing for the 2017 proposed township budget is scheduled for Nov. 7 at the board’s regular meeting. For the 2017 budget year, current real estate taxes are projected to remain at 3.83 mills.
The 2017 proposed budget is available for public inspection at the township administrative office, the library, and on the website at www.twpusc.org/finance/annual-budgets. The board is expected to adopt a 2017 budget at the Dec. 5 regular meeting.
The use of engine brake retarders, also known as “jake brakes,
was also discussed during the Oct. 31 meeting.
Adam Benigni, USC’s director of planning and community development, explained that Al Buerkle, owner of Buerkle Plumbing and Heating on McMurray Road, requested that the township prohibit engine brake retarder usage on that road.
Benigni said that because McMurray Road is a state road, the request was forwarded to the state Department of Transportation. PennDOT completed a study in the McMurray Road corridor and determined that it should be prohibited between Wiltshire Drive and Route 19. To proceed with the prohibition, Benigni said the township must enact an ordinance, then install and maintain required signage.
Board president Mark Christie questioned how serious the problem was, asking how many complaints the township had received about noise from Jake brakes. Commissioner Ron Pardini voiced concerns that it would be difficult for police to enforce an ordinance prohibiting jake brakes.
Commissioner Robert Orchowski asked if the prohibition had to be done through an ordinance. Benigni said he would contact PennDOT and see if there was another mechanism that could be used to curb the use of jake brakes on McMurray Road. Benigni will report his findings to the board at a future meeting.
In other business, this past July, the township filed an application for a $276,000 multimodal transportation fund grant through the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) for Boyce Road and Boyce Plaza Road Intersection Improvements.
Since the initial application, the project budget has increase by $51,512 due to changes from PennDOT review. After discussion with township staff, a representative from CFA encouraged the township to request an increase in funding to include the budget increase.
The board voted 6-0 to request funding in the amount of $327,512. Commissioner Daniel Paoly was absent from the meeting. In addition to the grant funding, Torrente at St. Clair Apartments is providing $400,000 toward the project.