 
|
|||||||||||||
              
|
Mon-Fay concerns growing in city More forums planned on highway this week Tuesday, November 06, 2001 By Jan Ackerman, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Looking out from his home in Duck Hollow, David Lipchak wondered what his neighborhood would be like if the Mon-Fayette Expressway is built on the north side of the Monongahela River.
"We are kind of worried if any sun is going to come through or whether we will mutate down here," said Lipchak, a resident of the secluded, rural community just below Nine Mile Run.
"We are wondering if we should leave."
Lipchak was one of more than 600 city residents who came to meetings sponsored by Mayor Tom Murphy last month to voice their opinions about the impact on the proposed Mon-Fayette Expressway on life in city neighborhoods on the north side of the river. Residents will have another opportunity to discuss the expressway at open houses scheduled for this week.
During the October meetings, many expressed skepticism that the proposed highway would do what its proponents claim -- reduce traffic congestion on the Parkway East and on city streets.
In Oakland, there is growing concern that a proposal to link the new road to the Parkway East near Bates Street would create new traffic problems and diminish the quality of life in Oakland. Residents of Hazelwood fear that the highway will split their community and are adamantly opposed to it.
"I think we can stop it. It is not a done deal," said William Bellas of Hazelwood, secretary of Citizens for Alternatives to New Toll Roads.
In Duck Hollow, an isolated, riverfront community of about 20 households, Lipchak said, residents are unanimous in their opposition to plans for the new toll road to travel along the river alongside their community.
"No one down here is in favor of this road," Lipchak said. "Mayor Murphy has worked very hard to maintain the scenic beauty of the rivers. It just goes against everything we have been striving for."
From a "selfish standpoint," Lipchak added, "what is this going to do for me as a Pittsburgh resident? I am being asked to put up with this monstrosity for absolutely zero benefits."
The mayor's office is holding this week's two open houses to allow city residents to offer suggestions about the proposed freeway.
An open house for Oakland, Hazelwood and Greenfield residents will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. tomorrow at the Carbarn at 5344 Second Ave., Hazelwood.
An open house for residents of Squirrel Hill, Swisshelm Park and Duck Hollow will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the former Arby's at 4664 Browns Hill Road, north of the Homestead High Level Bridge.
Patrick Hassett, assistant director of city planning, said the meetings are opportunities for residents to offer concrete ideas about two issues:
"These will be open houses. They can come in anytime. We will be drawing and writing," Hassett said.
Hassett said last month's public meetings were informative but not necessarily instructive. From this week's meetings, he said, city officials hope to compile a report that will examine alternatives and design considerations.
While the new highway has strong support from many regional public officials, the proposed $1.2 billion, 24-mile northern section of the toll road is not getting rave reviews from residents who will be affected by its construction.
If completed, the Mon-Fayette Expressway will be a 70-mile road, which would follow the Monongahela River corridor through Washington and Fayette counties to Interstate 68 in West Virginia. The 17-mile section from Interstate 70 in Fallowfield north to Route 51 in Jefferson Hills is completed and scheduled to open in April.
When combined with six miles of expressway already in operation south of I-70 to Route 40 and California, Pa., the new section will provide 23 continuous miles of travel.
While the final road plans for the Allegheny County portion of the road have not been announced, it is generally believed that the highway will be built on the north side of the Monongahela River, where it will affect city neighborhoods like Duck Hollow, Glenwood, Swisshelm Park and Hazelwood.
City Council already has endorsed the Mon-Fayette Expressway. Murphy has sometimes wavered but expressed conditional support for the Mon-Fayette Expressway in the past. Hassett said the mayor's position isn't solidified. He said the city has a list of objectives that will help it evaluate the project.
Among other things, Hassett said, city officials will evaluate whether the road will divert commuter traffic off city streets, improve the potential for developing city redevelopment sites, secure riverfront property for parks, trails and other recreational uses and enhance aesthetics to the environment.
The city wants to respond to the upcoming draft environmental impact statement, a key step toward receiving future federal approval.
Joseph P. Kirk, executive director of the Mon Valley Progress Council, a community and economic development organization that supports the expressway project, said he attended all of Murphy's community meetings last month and understands the concerns of residents.
"I believe they have legitimate concerns and they should be treated fairly," Kirk said, adding that the turnpike commission "should go out of its way" to try to resolve community issues in Pittsburgh, "which has lost so much population."
Lipchak, 48, said he and his neighbors in Duck Hollow are worried that the highway will destroy the quality of life in their community.
"There are great blue herons, cranes, fox and deer that come through here. I see more wildlife down here than when I was in the country," he said.
Even though the highway is years away from fruition, Lipchak said, it already affects the way people in Duck Hollow spend money on their homes.
He said Duck Hollow residents find themselves asking "is it worth doing this?" when they think about doing home improvements.
For example, Lipchak said, he and his wife recently installed a new floor in their house and decided to keep the cost at a minimum.
"If I get five years out of the floor, that's fine," he said. He added that should be long enough to figure out whether the highway is coming through Duck Hollow and whether he and his wife will want to stay there.
|
||||||||||||
How does the city of Pittsburgh solve its East End traffic problems if the highway is not built?