Feb 25, 2025 By Zach Petroff 3 min read

County Commissioners voted on several agenda items dealing with the Sheepskin Trail on Thursday.

The Fayette County commissioners approved several items related to the Sheepskin Trail, including accepting $2.5 million in federal funds for the Uniontown connection.

In a 2-to-1 vote last Thursday, Commissioners Vincent Vicites and Scott Dunn approved the $2,526,040 federal reimbursement agreement for funds that will be released in 2027. Commissioner Dave Lohr voted against the move, citing the need to address more pressing issues.

“Zero county funds have been provided for this, it was PennDOTT funding and working with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) to get this funding to complete the Uniontown section of the sheepskin trail,” Victies said.

Dunn said funds from the project would also improve four intersections, including repairs and modifications to traffic lights throughout the city.

He said the money is part of a “pass through grant,” which means it’s a federal grant that is given to an intermediary like PennDOT and the SPC. Those agencies distribute the money to the county, and the county will disperse the funding to Uniontown.

On Friday, Lohr reiterated his reasons for voting against trail funding, stating no taxpayer money — local, state, or federal — should go toward “luxury” expenditures.

“I won’t support taxpayer-funded trails because their costs are excessive. At $600,000 to $700,000 a mile, I can’t justify that, especially when taxpayers are struggling,” he said.

While President Donald Trump and his team are looking at federal spending, Vicities and Dunn said they were confident the grant would still come to Fayette.

“I’m not concerned,” Vicites said. “There’s a contract already signed, and I don’t think our funding will be impacted.”

Lohr said that he believes it’s possible at least some of the funds may be withheld, though he noted funding specifically earmarked to address traffic flow and lights could be released.

“I think funds definitely could be held if it still has the SheepSkinTrail name attached to the grant, but if it’s categorized as traffic … that may be what allows those funds to go through,” he said.

Vicites and Dunn also voted to approve a $18,850 agreement with Gibson Thomas Engineering Co. to help build the Fairchance section of the Sheepskin Trail, a move Lohr voted against.

The funding for that agreement comes from the county’s hotel tax, Vicites said.

During public comment, Melanie Patterson cited a website that estimated the completed Sheepskin Trail would bring $34 million to the county annually – and called that number a “fantasy.”

“Think about that, that’s our (county) budget isn’t it? And you promised to bring that into Fayette County. I’d like to know how,” she said.

Dunn cited a 2021 economic impact report conducted by the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Conservancy that stated the trail generates around $800,000 per mile in economic value.

“The amounts for the Sheepskin Trail are estimated based on that study,” Dunn said.

The latest Great Allegheny Passage economic impact report also found that since 2013, median property value near the trail has increased by 13%. The same study shows that in Connellsville, through which the GAP runs, the median home value increased approximately 42% from 2013 to 2019.