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Linglestown Gazette: Linglestown project looking good to start in ‘09

Monday, November 24, 2008

Linglestown project looking good to start in ‘09

After more than a decade of planning and work, the $4 million project that will give the historic village of Linglestown a major facelift appears to be on track to go under construction during spring 2009.

At a meeting last Thursday evening at Linglestown Fire Company, Lower Paxton Twp. manager George Wolfe said the township is now in position to obtain title to land needed for road improvements. Beyond finalizing paperwork related to right-of-ways, only a few minor details need to be completed to get an OK from state transportation officials to seek construction bids. PennDOT is scheduled to open bids on April 3.

“This a good time to seek bids,” said Jeff Case of Arora and Associates, lead consulting engineer for the project. “Contractors are looking for work and the cost of asphalt is dropping.”

“We have a much better chance of meeting [the project’s] budget now than six months ago,” added Wolfe.

Planned improvements include two traffic roundabouts, decorative streetlights, benches, stamped concrete sidewalks and trees. The project is expected to take two construction seasons to complete.

Village committee chairman Eric Kessler asked Wolfe and Case to look into the possibility of completing the work in one season by having construction crews work around the clock.

Related issues …

* It remains a shaky proposition whether a public waterline will be included in the project. Township officials said 60 property owners along Linglestown Road in the village need to hook up for a waterline to be constructed by United Water Pennsylvania, and only 47 property owners to date have said "yes." Properties in the village currently get drinking water from on-lot wells.

* The township has been unsuccessful to date in negotiating a lease agreement with property owner Tim Archibald for a planned parking lot behind St. Thomas Roasters coffee house.

* The merchants of Linglestown have formally petitioned the township to improve a portion of Raspberry Lane that is located west of North Mountain Road to give customers an alternate route to several businesses during the construction project.
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Pictured below is a diagram of the planned road improvements. (Click on the photo to view a larger version.)

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posted by Bill Bostic @ 1:23 AM   6 comments

6 Comments:

At 9:45 AM, Blogger B said...

B2 - I'm curious as the the area just south and east of the "square" on that photo-map. The green oval hashed with lines and labeled as "township parking" according to the map legend.

What is proposed for that area? Currently it is a ballfield used by the Softball Association of Linglestown and parking is limited to a few dozen cars. Are there plans to take that over and put in a parking lot?

Thanks.

 
At 10:21 AM, Blogger Bill Bostic said...

The strip along Raspberry Lane at the softball field is the parking area that you mentioned in your comment, B. No additional construction is planned along the section of the alley that borders Koons Park.

 
At 11:59 AM, Blogger PladicratParty said...

Raspberry Lane really is in need of improvement. I drive on it occasionally from Lio's Pizza to Blue Mountain Parkway. It's not a good drive, that's for sure!

Perhaps a good question for the AnswerLine would be why doesn't the township maintain some of these roads more often. Examples include Raspberry Lane and Forrest Lane next to Sheetz.

 
At 1:00 PM, Blogger Bill Bostic said...

Hey, Harry.

First, let's get our fruity lanes straight -- the alley behind Lio's Pizza is Blackberry Lane.

The unimproved alleys in Linglestown are that way because the township does not have the right to maintain them. In fact, it's unclear who owns some sections of the alleys. The only exception is the eastern half of Raspberry Lane that borders township-owned Koons Park.

Fortunately, the township solicitor has found a way that allows the township to acquire the right to improve the alleys in conjunction with the improvement project discussed on this post.

The township most likely will improve Blackberry Lane from Linglestown Life church to Blue Mountain Parkway. For now, the section behind Lio's won't be touched. And, as reported in this post, the township has received a request to improve part of Raspberry Lane located west of N. Mountain Road.

I bet dollars to donuts - and you buy the donuts - that Forrest Lane next to Sheetz on Lingelstown Road is a private lane.

 
At 12:44 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Do you know any detailed information about what kind of improvements will be made to Blackberry Lane? I hope, for the sake of the family that lives right on the corner of Blackberry and Blue Mtn. Parkway, that it not be so super-improved as to become a main thoroughfare. I would not want it to become Linglestown Road Bypass and minor speedway. That would be horrible.

 
At 1:00 PM, Blogger Bill Bostic said...

RE: Do you know any detailed information about what kind of improvements will be made to Blackberry Lane?

If the supervisors agree to improve the alley, the existing alley will most likely be paved from Blue Mountain Parkway to the new parking lot located next to Linglestown Life church.

Based on comments made by township officials, the planned improvements are not intended to transform the alley into a two-way thoroughfare, but only to provide access to the new lot via a pothole-free lane.

 

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