Officials approve sale agreement
WAYNESBURG – Greene County commissioners approved a sales agreement Thursday that will enable a Fayette County businessman to purchase 11 acres of county-owned property at Bailey’s Crossroads in Cumberland Township. Under terms of the agreement, Greene County will sell the land to Jason Foster of Smithfield for $83,703. The county owns 14 total acres at the intersection, and after the sale of the 11 acres to Foster goes through, the county would then transfer the remaining three acres to the county redevelopment authority for a planned realignment of Bailey’s Crossroads.
The commissioners’ approval of the sales agreement came several days after Cumberland Township supervisors unanimously approved the lot split.
Robbie Matesic, acting director of the authority, explained at the supervisors’ meeting that the realignment project would require traffic on West George Street to stop and allow traffic on Route 21 west to proceed without stopping.
Currently, traffic traveling from Uniontown on Route 21 west has to stop at the intersection and traffic on West George Street does not have to stop.
Matesic said the changes would make the intersection safer and the county will try to have the project placed on the state transportation improvement project (TIP) list. She said a TIP hearing is scheduled for November.
U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown, obtained $1 million for the project in 2007, she said.
Commission Chairwoman Pam Snyder said at the commissioners’ meeting Wednesday that the county was eager to sell the property and make a profit, especially in light of the county’s current financial concerns caused by the ongoing state budget impasse.
“(The county) could really use the cash,” Snyder said.
Chief Clerk Gene Lee said Thursday the county originally intended to sell all 14 acres but agreed eventually to split the lot and transfer the three acres to the authority. He also said the county attempted to sell the 14 acres at an auction earlier this year but it was not sold because submitted public bids were not high enough. The county then agreed to accept private offers for the property.
The county has owned the property since 2003, Lee said.
In other business, the commissioners approved a proposal with a Fayette County engineering firm for a traffic impact study of the Interstate 79 interchange in Mt. Morris.
Snyder said French Engineering LLC of Fairchance would perform the work for the purpose of finding out what improvements might need to be done at the interchange.
Lee said the study will cost as much as $19,187 and the county will pay for it through its liquid fuels fund.
Snyder said business entities have expressed interest in the area particularly because of the nearby 108-acre Meadow Ridge Business Park; however, some entities interested in developing in the area may have hesitated because of infrastructure issues, which are currently in the process of being resolved. With those matters being addressed, Snyder said the commissioners want to begin looking at roadway and traffic concerns in that area.
In other business, commissioners approved an agreement with the state Department of Transportation to begin preliminary work on upgrading county-owned Bridge No. 99, which is located in the Burson plan near Clarksville. Lee said the 52-year-old steel bridge, which is at least 50 feet in length, would be completely refurbished. The bridge was last repaired in the mid-1980s.
Commissioners also approved a price proposal from Widmer Engineering, the county’s engineering firm, for annual bridge inspections on the county’s 87 bridges. Lee said the firm would conduct three different inspections bi-annually over a six-year span at a cost of roughly $625,000. This will be done to ensure that the bridges meet the required national bridge inspection standards, he added.
Lee said the county would pay 20 percent of the total cost for the contract with Widmer Engineering and the state would cover the remainder. The county’s portion will be paid for through the liquid fuels fund.
In other business, commissioners proclaimed Saturday through Sept. 26 as Employ Older Workers Week in Greene County. The proclamation recognizes the value that older adults bring to the workplace and the roles they play in the workforce.
The state Department of Aging’s Senior Community Service Program promotes the benefits of employing older adults and provides training opportunities for some income-eligible seniors.
The commissioners also recognized senior worker Peggy Woodring, who is employed in the Greene County office of Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging Inc.