Crescent Landslide May Cost Township $22,000 to Repair, Open Road

The Crescent Township Board of Commissioners last night said a landslide on  outside the community's Shouse Park continues to pose a safety hazard. 

The board discussed ways to remedy the landslide, which has caused the road to be closed for nearly two months. 

A geo-engineering firm assessed the landslide, and the estimated cost to repair the road is $22,335. Commissioners said their main concern now is how that cost will affect the township's finances, especially if the proposed repairs don't solve the problem.

In late May, community officials began to notice that the road surface was sinking, cracking and sliding downhill. 

Finance Commissioner Karen Patton assured the board that its funds would be able to cover the cost of the repairs, but acknowledged that the township “has hit some bumps in the road for unforeseen expenses.”

Commissioner Joe Sabol told the board that he believed it would be better to get the problem under control “sooner than later.”

Because the road is owned by the township, he said, he worries the  township may be sued if it does not soon address the problem.

“If we get taken to court, we’ll end up spending twice as much money than we would if we were to take care of it now,” Sabol said.  

Commission President Bill Cook agreed, saying that he’d rather spend money to correct the sliding hillside than in litigation. 

Cook said he attempted to contact the Port of Pittsburgh regarding a grant program that would potentially match funding for the road repair, but the commission only offered $5,000 in funding. 

After weighing the options, commissioners agreed to contact Geotechnical Engineering about beginning to correct the problem through a core-drilling method. 

Other points of interest:

• Commissioner Patton urged board members to begin preparing proposals for the township's 2012 budget. She said finances were in good shape, but she urged township officials to be frugal.

• Commissioners approved an amendment to the township Code of Ordinances regarding group residence facilities. The ordinance makes 24-hour supervision mandatory for medical group homes.