Jul 26, 2002 By Bryan O'Keefe For The 4 min read

Residents from six Mon Valley communities recently met again to discuss goals and objectives for the upcoming Mid Mon Valley Regional Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance. More than 50 people from Elco, Roscoe, Dunlevy, Stockdale, Coal Center and Allenport took part in the planning session, designed to allow residents the opportunity to voice their opinions about the future of their area.

“These communities have always had a long history of working together. We are just taking it to the next level and planning how these communities want to grow for the next 10 or 20 years,” said Joy Walmsley, senior planner from Mackin Engineering, a Pittsburgh firm that has been consulting the municipalities on the plan and ordinance.

The project began last fall and has continued through the year, with Mackin and a steering committee composed of community leaders working together to develop a final plan and zoning ordinance. The most recent public meeting was the third forum for citizens to offer comments on the plan, which should be completed by year’s end. Throughout the meeting, residents openly voiced their opinions about the community and suggested ways to improve the mid-Mon Valley.

“We need to bring industry back into the valley that we lost when the steel mills came down,” said Brenda Simon, mayor of Dunlevy. “If you want young people to stay and create families, we have to have jobs.”

While Randy Wloch of Dunlevy said that jobs were important, he also thought that residents should focus on bringing housing into the Mon Valley as well.

“We need to be realistic with what we have around here. We should be trying to take advantage of the business near us. A lot of those people who have big homes up in Rostraver (Township) work in Pittsburgh,” Wloch said.

Many residents agreed that the Mon/Fayette Expressway and increased access to the Pittsburgh area could be a major-selling point for the future of the region.

“We need to promote this as a great place to live and bring them in from Pittsburgh,” said Debra Keefer, executive director of the Mon Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to the economy and transportation, some residents felt that increased recreation opportunities for young people and senior citizens would improve the area.

“There is nothing for the kids to do today, and then we wonder why they are breaking windows on street corners,” Simon remarked.

Al Pipik, mayor of Elco, recommended that a community swimming pool and skating rink be built for young people. One idea proposed for senior citizens would be a new high-rise built with a surrounding shopping center that could include a drug store and a restaurant.

Simon also thought that a satellite facility from the Center in the Woods in California could be placed in the Mid-Mon Valley region. Many in attendance also endorsed the idea of a regional recreation board to coordinate recreational activities in the community.

According to Dennis Martinak, manager of planning services for Mackin, the comprehensive plan being developed by these communities is better than many other similar plans statewide.

“You should be very proud of what you’re doing. So far, your plan goes above and beyond other plans in the commonwealth,” Martinak said.

Walmsley agreed and said that the plan being produced is a reflection of their strong community pride and commitment to seeing their area grow: “We have found that people like where they live and that they love these communities. They just need a regional approach that will share strengths and minimize weaknesses.”

Wloch agreed and said that part of the reason he has become involved in the project is because he wants to make this area an even better place to call home.

“This is a desirable place to live. I had the chance to move down to Maryland but I didn’t want to leave because my roots are here. I want to raise my daughter here and make sure that she has some of what I had growing up here,” Wloch said.