Committee approves Friends of Marshall Square Park request for lockable hydrant

The Public Works Committee approved a request from Friends of Marshall Square Park to install a lockable, frostproof yard hydrant adjacent to Lafayette Steps.

Jeff Bridal, president of Friends of Marshall Square Park, said the group will fund all construction up to the curb, provide the meter pit and shutoff valve, and handle sidewalk repairs; he said Aqua (the water utility) agreed to perform the service connection for the borough "free of charge." Bridal said the hydrant will be lockable to prevent unauthorized use.

Questions from residents focused on whether the hydrant would be public or private and who would maintain it. Dale McClure, a resident, asked whether the borough or the Friends would be responsible for maintenance if the hydrant failed. Bridal said Friends have invested substantially in the park and will cover construction up to the curb; Aqua will require a backflow preventer, which the Friends will pay for.

Chair Bernie Flynn recorded a 3–0 committee vote approving the installation. Staff said the connection work will include a patch of the street where Aqua digs and that larger repaving was not part of the arrangement. The committee did not transfer long-term maintenance responsibility to the borough at the meeting; the Friends indicated they will handle construction and initial maintenance obligations described in their presentation.