Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident’s petition prompts council action: Monroeville extends public maintenance, approves subdivision with sidewalk fee
Summary
Council approved an ordinance amending the recognized length of Orchard Lane to include the last 79 feet the resident said the borough has historically maintained, approved a three‑lot subdivision on Orchard Street, and granted a waiver to pay a fee in lieu of constructing a difficult sidewalk segment.
A resident’s request prompted Monroeville Borough Council on Tuesday to amend a maintenance ordinance for Orchard Street and to approve a three‑lot subdivision nearby, with conditions addressing sidewalk construction and a potential cul‑de‑sac donation.
Linda Quinn, who lives at 194 Orchard Street, told council the borough had maintained the paved road in front of her house after it was paved in 1972 but a sign now reads "Monroeville maintenance ends here." Quinn said the last 79 feet of paved roadway in front of her home is deteriorating and asked council to amend ordinance 2‑27 to extend the borough’s recognized maintenance length.
Quinn said, "At that time, Orchard Street was seal coded, with the exception of the last 79 feet. A sign was installed stating Monroeville maintenance ends here," describing why she requested the ordinance change.
Later on the agenda, the council considered a subdivision application from Laurel Highlands Surveying Company to subdivide a vacant Orchard Street parcel into three lots for single‑family homes. Surveyor John Highlands explained the site’s topography and asked for a sidewalk waiver, because the lots sit on a steep hillside where a short engineered sidewalk would require substantial excavation.
Paul Weldon (community development staff) calculated the fee‑in‑lieu of construction at the ordinance rate of $8 per square foot, totaling $7,584 for the section in question; council approved the waiver so the developer will pay into the sidewalk fund instead of building a short stretch of sidewalk judged impractical.
Council also approved an ordinance amending ordinance 2‑27 to extend the borough’s recognized maintenance length on Orchard Lane from 2,534 feet to 2,713 feet. Council amended the motion to record that the homeowner is willing to donate sufficient property for a potential cul‑de‑sac if development requires one; the amendment passed and the ordinance passed on roll call.
Why it matters: The actions resolve a long‑standing maintenance question raised by a resident, allow a subdivision to proceed in a steep section of Orchard Street with a fee‑in‑lieu for sidewalks, and preserve an option for a cul‑de‑sac that would change maintenance obligations for the borough.
Next steps: The developer will either build sidewalks where feasible or pay the approved fee into the borough sidewalk fund; borough public works will assume maintenance over the newly recognized 2,713 feet of Orchard Lane once the ordinance takes effect. Staff and the property owner will coordinate on potential property transfer to create a cul‑de‑sac if council or future development requires it.
