Police Superintendent Retiring; New Superintendent Appointed

The Township of O'Hara Council is announcing the retirement of Police Superintendent James R. Farringer effective July 30, 2018.

Jim was hired as a police officer with the Township on April 9, 1978. He was promoted to the position of Superintendent and sworn into office on January 11, 2005. He has been an active member of the Allegheny County Chiefs of Police Association, Western PA Chief's Association, Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, National Chiefs of Police Association and International Police Chiefs Association. Jim also is the Township's Emergency Management Coordinator.

During his over 40 years of service, Jim has selflessly and valiantly served the residents of the Township of O'Hara and surrounding communities.

After his retirement, Jim plans to enjoy riding his motorcycle and traveling with his wife.

Township Council would like to thank Jim for his years of service and congratulate him on his well-earned retirement.

Council is also announcing the appointment of Sergeant Scott K. Slagel as the Superintendent of the Township of O'Hara Police Department.

Scott joined the Township Police Department on March 2, 1994 as a patrol officer. He was promoted to Sergeant on December 11, 2007. Scott holds a degree in Administration of Justice from Penn State University and resides in the Fox Chapel Area School District with his wife and 3 sons.

Scott plans on maintaining Jim's legacy of providing excellent police services to our community. He also plans on focusing on school safety and community policing. He believes it is imperative to maintain the trust and respect of the community.

Township Council would like to congratulate Scott on his promotion and wish him great success as the Superintendent for the Township of O'Hara Police Department.

Allegheny County 2018 Side Yard and Blighted Structure Program: NOW OPEN

For a limited time only, the Allegheny County Vacant Property Recovery Program will be accepting applications to acquire vacant properties for side yards to an owner-occupied primary residence or blighted structure remediation at a reduced cost to the applicant. Under the 2018 Side Yard and Blighted Structure Program, we will waive our standard parcel fee of $3,000 for applicants for a side yard to their primary residence and applicants proposing to demolish a blighted structure. We will reduce the fee to $1,400 for applicants proposing to rehabilitate a blighted structure. All applicants will also be responsible for the appraised value of the property, a good faith deposit, and closing costs. The application, which contains additional details about the Program guidelines, can be accessed at our website: www.alleghenycounty.us/VPRP

We will accept up to 60 applications across all participating municipalities in the order they are received, but will accept no more than 5 applications from any single municipality. We may increase these limits at our discretion. All applications that are pre-screened eligible and complete will be forwarded to the municipality for consideration of the applicant's proposed re-use plan. Please note that in cases where an applicant is proposing to demolish a structure, the applicant must obtain a letter of support from the municipality verifying that the structure presents a safety hazard.

Upon completion of the 2018 Side Yard and Blighted Structure Program, applicants may continue to apply for properties through our standard program, which operates on an ongoing basis. Under our standard program, applicants pay all of the costs associated with acquiring a property located in a municipality in which less than 51 percent of households are low to moderate income. If the percentage of low to moderate income households in your municipality increases to 51 percent or more in the future, your municipality may become eligible for ongoing acquisition cost assistance.

Penn DOT Announces Sealcoat (tar/chip) Repair Project

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has informed the Township of a sealcoat (tar/chip) repair project on the routes listed below beginning in the spring/summer after May 28, 2018.

• SR 1003 (North Canal Street to Kittanning Street)
• SR 1004 (Seifried Lane to Kirkwood Drive)
• SR 1007 (Ravine Street to Sharpshill Road)
• SR 1009 (Powers Run Road)

This is an essential program for extending the longevity of the roadway. Signs will be posted in advance of this operation.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this project please call Penn DOT at 412-781-3260.

Freeport Road Bridge Closure begins Monday, May 7

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, District 11 is announcing the closure of the Freeport Road (Route 1001) bridge over the Norfolk Southern Railroad, between Aspinwall Borough and Sharpsburg Borough, will occur on Monday, May 7. Replacement work on the bridge will require a 120 day closure. Traffic will be detoured via the Highland Park Bridge, Butler Street and the 62nd Street Bridge.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 850 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Fox Chapel Road Bridge Construction

Pugliano Construction Co Inc (PCCI) has provided notification of traffic restrictions on Fox Chapel Road in Fox Chapel Borough between Indian Hill Road and Squaw Run Road East (near the Fox Chapel Golf Club) beginning April 5, 2018. Traffic will be controlled under a single alternating lane by temporary traffic signals.

The work is a bridge replacement project being performed for PennDOT and the County of Allegheny and is scheduled to be complete by July, 2018.

Route 28 Highland Park Interchange Reconstruction Project

PennDOT District 11 and the Federal Highway Administration hosted a public meeting on Tuesday, December 12 to provide information on the Route 28 Highland Park Interchange Reconstruction Project.

The proposed project will address the existing bottleneck and congested traffic flow on Route 28 at the Highland Park interchange. Work includes the reconstruction of Route 28 between the Delafield Avenue interchange and Route 1003 (North Canal Street/Kittanning Pike), re-establishing two travel lanes in each direction through the interchange, and improvements of the acceleration and deceleration ramps. Route 28 ramp reconstruction work with the Highland Park Bridge and Route 1001 (Freeport Road), safety improvements, bridge preservation, and other miscellaneous construction activities are also included in the project.

If you were unable to attend the meeting on the Reconstruction Project here is a link to the PennDOT website that has all the information that was presented at the meeting- http://www.penndot.gov/RegionalOffices/district-11/PublicMeetings/Pages/default.aspx.

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