Crafton officials weigh Broadhead sewer separation, risk of losing ALCOSAN grant

At its May 8 meeting, Crafton Borough Council heard from Engineer Keenan about the Broadhead Sewer Project and a smaller Preen Street component that has been delayed by private property permissions. Keenan said bids for the Broadhead work are due June 3 and that the larger portion of the Broadhead project is proceeding while the Preen Street piece is being considered separately.

The matter matters because Keenan told council the Broadhead work needs to stay on schedule to meet obligations tied to an Environmental Protection Agency consent decree. Keenan said the Preen/Green Street portion was originally bundled with the larger Broadhead bid but now faces hold-ups because the borough does not yet have permission from a private property owner to use part of the needed right-of-way.

Keenan said “the total cost for this project is just over $400,000.” He told council the borough has grant funding available from ALCOSAN (Allegheny County Sanitary Authority) and that if the borough declines the work the grant money would be lost. Council was told the borough’s share — described in the meeting as about $120,000 — would be required to move the Preen Street piece forward; Keenan also referenced a roughly $282,850 ALCOSAN grant amount as the likely outside funding tied to that work.

Council discussed whether to proceed with Preen Street as part of the current Broadhead contract or to split it out and pursue it later. Keenan said the Broadhead RFP for the larger segment is already issued and that splitting the smaller piece would let the main project proceed on schedule while staff pursues property permissions and options for the Preen piece.

No formal motion to accept or reject the Preen Street portion was taken at the meeting. Council signaled it will continue the conversation in executive session on property and legal matters and then bring the item back to a public meeting for any required approvals.

The borough manager and Keenan emphasized the time-sensitive nature of external funding: Keenan said that if the borough decides not to proceed with the Preen Street work, “the grant money is gone.” Council members asked for additional detail about matching requirements and schedule impacts before making a final decision.

Staff said they will return with options for council consideration, including whether to accept the Preen Street work now (with the stated borough match) or to defer and risk losing the ALCOSAN grant. The issue remains under discussion; no binding vote or contract award occurred at the May 8 session.