ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING – February 17, 2009

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM by Amy Smith, Chairman, at the South Fayette Township Municipal Building in Morgan, PA 15064

PRESENT: SMITH, GOERDT
ABSENT: VELTRI
ALSO PRESENT: Township Engineer: Michael Hoy

PETITION OF CITIZENS/PERSONS REQUESTING TIME - None

CORRESPONDENCE – None

OLD/UNFINISHED BUSINESS

A. Website and Mapping Update

Mr. Hoy: Nothing to report.

Ms. Smith: We had talked about the website and adding more information to the recycling page. I looked at the current page its not that bad. I wanted to add the Southwest Pennsylvania Hazardous Task Force and abandoned mine information that explains about the orange water and what it is. Exact web address information was given to Mike Hoy to pass along to Ron. The mapping was the abandoned discharge mapping. That has always been put on hold due to weather or lack of volunteers. If the Conservation Group gets funded thru “Growing Greener” we will be doing that stream water shed assessment and plug our information right in there. We will be collecting the date whether they get funded or not.

B. Recycling Update

Ms. Smith: On the recycling, I do not think Amy has done anything on that.

Mr. Hoy: At the Strategic Planning Session held by the Commissioners, one of our projects is to promote recycling efforts and more enforcement.

Discussion turned to how to promote programs in the Township with the cable access channel.

C. Status of Storm Drain Stenciling Program

Ms. Smith: I got the information from Three Rivers Wet Weather. It is quite expensive and much more involve than I anticipated. You have to have the Township buy in. time to do it and permission to do the project. They want a list of streets. You have to have teams and there are age limits on the groups doing the stenciling. The information packet was given to Mike Hoy to see if the township would be interested in pursuing the idea further.

D. Status of Township’s Storm Water Management Plan.

Ms. Smith: Dave did mention to me that there was limited funding at this point in time.

Mr. Hoy: What we have set aside is this. The Township put into their CIP (Capital Improvement Program), I believe it started at $90,000 and ended up at $70,000. We have $70,000 budgeted for what we titled “Planning Programs”. That includes the initiation of the Comprehensive Plan, Storm Water Management and Traffic Impact Fee. All three of those have to fit under that budget. We cannot do all three of those with that funding. The plan the Board wants to start on is the Comprehensive Plan and we will start that in late summer.

NEW BUSINESS

A. Review and Discuss Proposed “Draft” Conservation District Ordinance

Mr. Hoy: The purpose of this ordinance is two fold. We have been working on Mayview Task Force. One of the charges the Board has issued for the staff in conjunction with the Mayview Task Force was to look at the appropriate zoning of the property and make recommendations as to what it should or could be zoned. The first step was we zoned the property to B-1. B-1 is not necessarily the end result we want for all the property. There are two possible zoning districts. The top of the hill, which borders Fairview Park, lends itself to more of a conservation zoning or open space zoning, which we currently do not have in the zoning book.

Discussion continued on this ordinance.

B. Review Site Development Plan Submission Plan Submission (SP-04-09) Proposed Giant Eagle Get-Go Convenience Gas Station and Car Wash, Zoned C-2.

Mr. Hoy explained where the proposed Giant Eagle Get-Go is to be located. The owner is not selling the property but will lease it to Giant Eagle. This will be one of the state’s largest Get-Go’s. Demolition should begin in early spring. The following areas of concern were discussed:

How are they handling the discharge of the soapy water?
Would like information on the underground gasoline storage tanks.
Would like information on the underground stormwater storage tanks.
Would it be possible to catch the first flush (like Newbury) in some of the surrounding landscape areas? (Because of possible spillage of gasoline at the pumps)
Will they be required to have a landscaping maintenance plan?
Mike said that he would pass the information along and get answers to our questions.

OPEN FORUM

A. Updates on “Star City Complex” Purchase

Mr. Hoy: The Township realized that eventually we will need to expand facilities whether it was for the Library, Police, Administration, Senior Citizen Center, or Community Center. The Board composed a task force, which is called the Facilities Review Board. In 2007 they did a “need assessment” identifying all current and future needs for the Township thru the year 2026. After the report was issued and given to the Board of Commissioners, the committee was then charged to identify areas where these facilities could be relocated. The committee identified the top ten locations in the Township. Number one on the list was Newbury. Number two was Star City. Number three was Ionics. Number four was property we own that was the Morgan Projects. An architect came in and took the needs assessment report to see what we need and how it would fit into the Star City side and how much it would cost.

Discussion on Star City continued.

It was discussed as to whether or not “green building techniques” would or could be utilized if the property was developed into township facilities. Mike replied that most available grants stress the use of green building techniques and materials. So it is likely that the building would be green.

B. Updates on the Mayview Property.

Mr. Hoy: The Task Force meeting is this Thursday night. The Task Force is supposed to formulate recommendations on getting back to the State on what they propose to do with the property. A month ago the Township submitted to the Task Force our recommendations for what should be done. We recommended several items. Subdivide the property into an upper half and lower half. The upper half would be rezoned to conservation. The lower half should be rezoned to Commercial. Prior to selling there should be conservation easements placed on all the wetlands. We also recommended a traffic study be take to determine what impact development would have on local and regional property along with environmental studies as to the impact on Chartiers Creek and any of the wetlands. The other thing was that the State donate the upper part to the Township.

Ms. Smith: I have two things for the Open Forum. The South Fayette Conservation Group wanted to discuss a partial mine opening behind Forest Ridge. People are back there moving dirt. There are hoppers there also. The township is unaware of any activity there. The DEP is going to be looking into the possibility of closing the abandoned mine opening. . Amy will send Mike Hoy photos of the hopper and the mine opening that were taken by James Goerdt. The PA DEP BAMR investigative unit has also been given the photos and the location of the mine opening and will likely investigate in the spring.

Mr. Hoy: I will have Dave look into what is happening there.

Ms. Smith: A few weeks ago, we took our consultants up to the Berkshires to look at the abandoned mine drainage there. Bob Hedin, of Hedin Environmental took a sample of the water. The sample results came back today. It contains iron, aluminum and marginally acidic. It is a very easy treatment to be obtained by installing limestone on top of the discharge with some diking. Actual results will be forwarded to Mike Hoy so that he can share them with Dick Harrington.

ADJOURNMENT - It was moved by SMITH and seconded by GOEDRT to adjourn the meeting at 8:15 p.m.

______________________________ _____________________________
Michael W. Hoy, Township Manager Amy Smith, Chairman

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