Crescent Awarded Grant to Repair Long-Closed Road

The township has been given a grant to repair McCutcheon Way.

The Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County has awarded Crescent Township a $200,000 grant to make repairs to the closed McCutcheon Way.  Bob Hurley, deputy director of the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development, said the authority approved the grant earlier today.  Crescent officials were forced to shutter McCutcheon Way in May 2011, after discovering that the roadway surface was sinking and sliding down hill. The hillside road is the only access point to the township's Shouse Park, which has also been closed since spring of 2011.  The estimated cost of repairing McCutcheon Way is $275,000.  Hurley said through grant, known as the Community Infrastructure Tourism Fund, the township can be reimbursed for repairs to the …

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Dashields Dam Project Canceled over McCutcheon Way Dispute

An official with the Army Corps of Engineers said funding that was targeted for a local dam and road repair will now go to other infrastructure projects.

Money that the Army Corps of Engineers offered up to fix both the Dashields Lock and Dam on the Ohio River and Crescent Township's McCutcheon Way has been allocated for other projects.  An Army Corps spokeswoman said the corps canceled the $5 million dam remediation and road repair after recent negotiations with Crescent officials deteriorated. The funding will now be awarded to other infrastructure projects.  Crescent Township shuttered McCutcheon Way in May 2011 after it was discovered that the hillside roadway's surface was sinking and sliding downhill. The road is the only entry point to the community's Shouse Park, which has also remained closed since last spring.  No re-opening timeline for the park or road has been announced. The …

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Talk of the Town

No Re-Opening in Sight for Crescent's Shouse Park

What do you think of the park's closure?

In a Monday editorial, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette looks at wrangling between Crescent Township officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. At the center of the dispute is Shouse Park, a municipal green that was shuttered one year ago because the hillside roadway leading up to it, McCutcheon Way, had deteriorated.  Township officials last year said the road had begun to sink and slide downhill and posed a safety threat to park-goers and motorists. Duquesne Light in recent months moved utility wiring on the road so residents do not lose power as a result of poles being pushed in the landslide.  The park was closed in May 2011 and no re-opening date has yet been announced. The Crescent Board of Commissioners has discussed the slide and …

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Budget Process Poses Challenge for Crescent

Commissioner reports that while expenses are rising, a tax increase is not in the works.

Crescent Township Commissioner Karen Patton told fellow board members last night that she had to make large cuts while creating the township's 2012 preliminary budget.  "We really had to condense for 2012," Patton said. "Public works, the police department and insurance are taking up huge chunks of the budget and are costing us a lot more than they were even in 2009." Patton said while operating expenses were rising, the township was committed to not raising taxes, making it difficult to balance next year's budget.  But she also said that she is pleased with the result of the preliminary budget, which she developed alongside township manager Patience Eckhardt.  "Patience and I sat for hours and hours to work on this budget and our total is…

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Crescent Awaits Results of McCutcheon Way Landslide Study

The township is still waiting for the results of a geotechnical study on the roadway.

Officials in Crescent Township are still waiting for the results of a study conducted to determine a remedy for the McCutcheon Way landslide. The roadway, which leads to the township's Shouse Park, has been closed since late May after reports of its surface sinking and cracking.  The Crescent Board of Commissionersin June approved a geotechnical study for the roadway meant to determine a course of action to correct the slide, which shuttered the road and Shouse Park for the summer season due to safety concerns.  "The study was supposed to take six weeks to complete, but we are now sitting on at least seven weeks," said Crescent Township manager Patience Eckhardt. The township spent $14,835 on the study and another $2,000 to prepare the …

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

The board of commissioners agrees to repair the McCutcheon Way landslide.

The Crescent Township Board of Commissioners last night said a landslide on McCutcheon Way 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 …

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