Planners Craft Final Blueprint for Moon Township Waterfront Park

Land-use planner Sean Garrigan said a master plan for Moon Township's proposed waterfront park along the Ohio River could be approved by March. 

Garrigan, who briefed Moon supervisors Wednesday on the project's progress, said planners and township officials are readying a final draft of the park's master plan, which will be submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. 

Moon Parks and Recreation officials for much of the past year have worked alongside planners, crafting a park design and environmental remediation plan for a 17-acre property on University Boulevard, overlooking the Ohio River. 

The proposed park will be cornered between the Sewickley Bridge and Fab-Tec Industries along Route 51. View images of the proposed park above. 

Once DCNR signs off on the final draft, Moon Township supervisors can review and approve the master plan, said Garrigan, whose Somerset-based design and landscape firm, Stromberg, Garrigan & Associates, has been hired to develop the project. 

DCNR awarded a $30,000 grant for the project, to be used towards completing the park's master plan. Moon supervisors agreed to match that amount. 

Waterfront piers, a sprawling lawn and walking trails are some of the ammenities now planned for the park. 

"(The park) will have the ability to accommodate great, passive activities," Garrigan told supervisors. "Just to enjoy the natural environment. A kind of nature-oriented destination." 

The two-parcel property, acquired by the township in 2004, was the site of the World War II-era RB&W bolt factory, which was demolished in 2005.

All that is left of the former factory is a concrete slab and dirt foundation beneath it. Minor oils and contaminants from the factory remain and be must remediated before the grounds can be opened for public use. 

"The most significant pollution at the site has been remediated," Garrigan said. 

He said planners look to seal off existing soil contaminants at the site, containing oils and lubricants from the factory underground. 

"The key thing is, the park is the environmental engineering solution," he said. "The plan is to break up the concrete at the site, and place a membrane to cap off those contaminants and top it with layers of clean soil." 

No time line or projected budget for the park's completion is yet available. The township plans a tentative public presentation on the project at the Board of Supervisors' March meeting. 

View more on the proposed park's ammenities here. 

What do you think of plans for a waterfront park in Moon Township? Tell us in the comments.