Sep 20, 2017 3 min read

North Strabane Township supervisors were stunned Tuesday to learn a major facilities project could cost twice the amount they wanted to spend.

Project manager Gregory Kittridge told supervisors a new municipal building, public safety building and public works facility, plus necessary improvements to adjacent roads, would total $29.6 million.

“I’m disgusted,” said Supervisor Marcus Staley.

The township, one of the fastest-growing municipalities in the region, embarked on the project in 2015 with a strategic facilities plan crafted by Gateway Engineers and the township’s building facilities committee. They prioritized construction of a public safety building to house police, fire and emergency management, a public works facility and a municipal building – Manager Frank Siffrinn said the township has outgrown the current one.

The site of the current municipal building on Route 519 was chosen as the location, and firms were hired in January. Waller Corp. was selected for project-management duties, RSSC Architecture of Pittsburgh was selected as architect and Pennoni of Pittsburgh was chosen as engineer.

Township department heads were asked for input and to provide a list of “wants” in a new facility, and plans were developed for a 65,000-square-foot safety building, 30,000-square-foot municipal building and 23,000-square-foot public works building.

The estimate includes improvements to Route 519, including the addition of a traffic light, improvements to Township Lane, professional services, an information technology system and furniture.

“We wanted the Taj Mahal,” said Chairman Brian Spicer. “When all is said and done, we can’t afford this.”

To finance the project, officials plan to extend a 2012 bond issue for construction of the municipal park, for which they pay about $890,000 yearly from the capital reserve fund. Most of the money comes from local share account payments the township receives as host to the Meadows Racetrack and Casino. Siffrinn said a $27 million loan for the project would increase that payment to $1.79 million, which he guaranteed would “have an impact on future budgets and taxes.”

Spicer said supervisors need to make substantial changes to the proposal.

“We have to make hard decisions,” he said. “I think we need to be in the $18 million range.”

Supervisor Rob Balogh pushed for a one-building concept to house all township departments.

“I never thought that was a good idea,” he said of the three-building plan. “Build up instead of out.”

“This day had to come. … This is part of the process,” said Kittridge. “How would you know unless you went through this?”

Supervisors said “tens of thousands of dollars” paid so far on plans and drawings was wasted, but Kittridge asked supervisors for two or three weeks to develop new plans and options, including a one-building concept, at no cost to the township.

“I’ll do all that, and you won’t get one bill from me,” he said. “You’ll have all the information you need to have to make the right decisions.”

A legislative meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m. Tuesday.