Westmont Borough officials eye consultant for Stanford Avenue improvements

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – More than a year after Westmont Borough Council heard concerns from residents about its proposed biking and walking improvements from Stanford Avenue to Westmont Hilltop Junior-Senior High School, the borough still has $750,000 in federal money sitting in its coffers for the project.

“Sitting on a $700,000 federal grant won’t bode well for us when we are applying for grants for other projects,” Westmont Borough Councilman Tim McIlwain said.

He and Anthony Berkebile, both newly elected since the council received the grant, support the idea of hiring a consultant to further develop plans and seek more grant-funding sources for a new sidewalk or path that would cause minimal easement changes to residents’ yards from the Stanford Avenue area to the high school, located at 200 Fair Oaks Drive in Upper Yoder Township.

The path could also eventually connect to nearby hiking trails at The Ridge recreation area and even the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail.

Last year, a forecast that the total cost of the project would balloon well beyond the $750,000 grant amount was a major reason for the council’s hesitation to move forward. Residents at an October 2022 hearing also aired concerns about safety and easement changes.

However, relaying information from a recent conversation with PennDOT project engineer Vince Greenland, McIlwain said he believes there is potential for securing additional grant funds to complete a project.

The council would, however, have to spend money to hire a consultant, who would fine-tune the options for the path and take on the task of finding other federal or state money to complete it, McIlwain said.

At the council’s Tuesday meeting, McIlwain discussed the idea of taking a vote to hire a consultant at the borough’s next regular meeting, scheduled for June 11.

Relaying information from Greenland, McIlwain said a sidewalk along Stanford Avenue from Shannon Way to St. Clair Road could be one of five options to connect Stanford Avenue to the school. It would have less impact on residents’ yards than the previous version of the project, he said.

Westmont Borough resident Terri Schenfeld aired concerns Tuesday that a sidewalk from St. Clair Road to Shannon Way would squeeze an already narrow area for traffic flow. Schenfeld was involved in providing feedback to the borough when it considered a similar project in the 1980s, she said.

Westmont public works director Don Blasko confirmed that the width of Stanford Avenue from St. Clair Road to Shannon Way is the narrowest in the borough.

“I’m not objecting to whatever you want to do, but my concern is that if you put a sidewalk there, will there be room for people to pass each other when there are, for example, maintenance trucks on the road?” Schenfeld said.

Schenfeld also stressed the previous concern that it would cost taxpayers a high amount of money beyond the $750,000 grant. Councilman Bill Stasko agreed.

“I’m certain it would,” he said.

Berkebile said he believes the project will enhance safety. He added that neither he nor McIlwain is asking for an approval of a project, but for the hiring of a consultant to answer questions such as those raised by Schenfeld before the council follows through with approving a project.

If the council hires a consultant, it would start down a path to holding another public hearing, as it did in October 2022, when 30 people attended a presentation at the Westmont Grove.

Rob Gleason, president of the Westmont Hilltop School District board and the Westmont Hilltop Recreation Commission, originally encouraged the borough to obtain the grant.

He said he is glad that the new members of Westmont Borough Council are interested in exploring ways to use the money to help students access the school from Stanford Avenue. It could also help the Westmont Hilltop Recreation Commission’s master plan for The Ridge at 3894 Menoher Boulevard, he added.

The high school is isolated from most of the borough.

“There is no way to walk there,” Gleason said.

He also foresees the Westmont Hilltop Recreation Commission being able to build on the borough’s potential path, taking it from the school to The Ridge.

“Again, the only way to get there now is by car,” he said. “And further up from The Ridge is the Laurel Highlands trail. My thoughts were that even tourists could come to Johnstown. There will be more trains coming through in a couple years. They can ride bikes over, go up the Johnstown Inclined Plane and ride bikes to the trails.”