Beaver Meadows councilman mulls street repairs
Mar. 3—One person who would like to see an early spring is Beaver Meadows Borough Councilman Robert J. Cryder.
Cryder, chairman of council's streets committee, is already thinking about what streets will get paved in the borough in 2021.
Over the last few years, Cryder has overseen some major streets projects, thanks in part to his efforts to get a federal United States Department of Agriculture grant and loan.
The 2021 project will begin by finishing a project begun a few years ago to improve drainage at two borough intersections — Tamaqua and Chestnut streets. and Broad Street and Goose Alley.
That project, held up until 2020, was not finished.
Mike Cera, of Alfred Benesch and Co., the borough's engineering firm, said a time extension change order for the project will require work to be completed in the spring of 2021.
Cryder is ready to get started.
"We know there is going to be some out-of-pocket expense, but we also did want to get the remainder of Goose Alley paved," Cryder said at Monday's borough council meeting. "We'll see if we can get that going very soon."
Council President Anthony Rusnock reminded Cryder about a section of Hazle Street that needs to be paved.
"We are looking at doing that at the same time as Goose Alley," Cryder said of Hazle Street.
Other streets on Cryder's radar are Plum and Penrose streets. "If there's no snow for awhile, we'll look at doing them," he said.
Street sweeping will be done sometime in May, he added.
The Tamaqua-Chestnut and Broad-Goose Alley project is part of a program begun in 2011 to eliminate rainwater infiltration from the borough's sanitary sewer system.
In his written report, Cera said the sewer infiltration and inflow study that will be done is awaiting a project schedule from Mr. Rehab, the contractor working on the project. Cera said he anticipates that work to start in March.
There are three grants pending for borough projects, Cera reported.
A Local Shares Account, or gaming grant, was applied for renovations to Memorial Park in November.
There are two grants pending for the recreational pavilion project with the state Department of Community and Economic Development — one filed in 2018, and one filed in 2020. The pavilion will be built on Church Street, and will help with recreational activities in the borough.
A meeting is being held in March to review those applications. A time extension has to be requested for the 2018 grant no later than April 16, 2021, Cera said.
Aside from the drainage project at Tamaqua and Chestnut streets, council members discussed a large tree near the intersection that is in Union Cemetery.
The tree is diseased, and council members fear it will fall down.
"If it comes down, it will hit a house and some power lines," said Councilman Kevin Hines.
Rusnock said there are other trees in the borough in the same state, and asked council to consider looking into hiring a tree service to address all of the diseased trees.
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