Mt. Lebanon Planning Outdoor Athletics Complex to Border Baldwin Township

Mt. Lebanon Planning Outdoor Athletics Complex to Border Baldwin Township

Baldwin Township officials expressed concern at a Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday night over a plan by Mt. Lebanon officials to build an outdoor athletics complex on the Mt. Lebanon-Baldwin Township border.

The entire complex, which is expected to consist of soccer and baseball fields, is tentatively scheduled to exist on now-wooded Mt. Lebanon property between Queensboro Avenue and McNeilly Road, but lighting equipment used at the complex, as well as noise from athletics events, will almost certainly affect Baldwin Township dwellers. 

“They’re going to be up against the residences,” township engineer Glenn Jonnet said. “Those nice woods that have been calm for 30 years now will have kids right there playing soccer, yelling and screaming. And you’ll have lights at night.”

Mt. Lebanon officials are considering establishing an entrance roadway to the proposed complex at or near the intersection of McNeilly and Pearce roads. Pearce leads into Baldwin Township’s parts of Pearce and Dewalt Drive soon after that intersection, meaning increased traffic for Baldwin Township residents, as well.

“There’s a lot of activity that goes on there (the McNeilly-Pearce intersection),” Jonnet said. “You’ve got gas stations and other commercial property (surrounding it). And residential (nearby).” 

While structures and activities on the grounds of the proposed athletics complex will have to comply with Mt. Lebanon’s municipal code, Baldwin Township officials will have little control of the complex despite its proximity to their constituents, especially those along Hill Street and Highridge Drive.

“We have our ordinances, and they have their ordinances,” Jonnet said. “They have to abide by their ordinances; they don’t have to abide by ours.”

In addition to lighting and noise, utility pipes and a Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority overflow chamber that Baldwin Township shares with surrounding municipalities will exist beneath the new complex, causing other concerns.

“Now, you’ve got to drop down guys to maintain and inspect that 30 feet to 40 feet (below the complex),” Jonnet said. “Usually, you don’t do that. You don’t want to design something like that.”

According to Baldwin Township Manager Mary McGinley, Mt. Lebanon wanted to hear concerns from Baldwin Township officials by this Thursday, Oct. 6, but McGinley said that the township only received that request on Monday.

Because of the short notice, Jonnet said that he and township solicitor Tom McDermott will have to ask Mt. Lebanon officials for more time.

McGinley told the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch that she will provide an update to the athletics complex situation. Check back with the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch for that and other updates.

Armstrong Park Concerns

Resident Gary J. Moeller, of 701 Highview Road, used public comments time at the beginning of Tuesday night’s meeting to share his concerns about issues at the township’s . 

Moeller said that a handicapped railing in the park has been damaged and will need repaired or removed as soon as possible. Moeller expressed his desire to see the railing removed completely, but McDermott said that the Americans with Disabilities Act does not allow for that and that it must be repaired. 

Moeller said that he enjoys many features of the park but wishes that township officials would stop accepting grant money for projects there. He pointed to what he as one of the things that could be eliminated if the township did not accept grants to fund things like lighting it at night.

“If we don’t need it, we shouldn’t take it,” Moeller, who is , said. “ … It’s not free money; it’s taxpayers’ money.”

Board Vice President Darrell Bichler, who said that the lights at Armstrong Park are now controlled by an automatic timer that shuts them off at night, disagreed with Moeller over accepting grant money.

“I’ll take money for anything,” Bichler said. “… It is taxpayers’ money, but why should I let Dormont (or any other municipality) take it?”

Township Halloween Parade

Board President Eileen Frisoli announced that Baldwin Township will host a Halloween parade on Saturday, Oct. 29. The parade will begin at 2 p.m. at the before proceeding to Dewalt and then to Highview. It will ultimately end at Armstrong Park, where children will have their costumes judged and receive treat bags. The Castle Shannon Volunteer Fire Department, which services Baldwin Township, will escort the parade.

There is no charge for the event.

Fire Department Fundraisers

Board member John Paravati announced that the Castle Shannon Volunteer Fire Department is hosting two upcoming fundraisers: a Sportsmen’s Ca$h Ba$h on Nov. 6 and a Holiday Craft Show from Nov. 19-20. Both events will be held at the fire station at 3600 Library Road.