Engineering firm hired to provide inspection services for new Peters Township park
Mackin Engineering Co. will provide inspection services as Peters Township undertakes the first phase of the development of Rolling Hills Park.
Peters Township Council voted unanimously Monday to contract with the Findlay Township firm, which performed similar services related to construction of the new road that accesses the park site.
The contract includes “a not-to-exceed fee of $90,000 based on the assumed amount of hours involved. Mackin will not be authorized to exceed the estimated total without prior written authorization,” according to a memo to council from Mark Zemaitis, township director of engineering.
In November, council awarded a $6.95 million contract to A. Liberoni Inc. of Plum Borough for numerous facets of developing the park, from demolishing existing buildings to constructing restrooms, pavilions and a “loop road” connecting on each end with Rolling Hills Drive, the recently completed thoroughfare linking East McMurray and Center Church roads through the former Rolling Hills Country Club property.
Liberoni also was the contractor for the Rolling Hills Drive project, and Mackin is the design engineer of record for the park’s first phase.
The inspection services contract is for an estimated period of 40 weeks, from January through November.
“That project is going to commence immediately upon the receipt of permits from the Washington County Conservation District,” township manager Paul Lauer said at the council meeting.
Also during the meeting:
- Council awarded a $65,900 contract for the installation of a fire detection and alarm system at the Peters Township Municipal Building.
“The current system is over 30 years old and no longer meets current standards for fire safety,” Lauer said.
The township’s 2020 capital improvement program included an allotment of $70,000 for the project, which involves replacement of the existing system and placement of new detectors and alarms in certain areas of the building to bring it into compliance with code standards.
Merit Electrical Group of Oakmont submitted the lowest of five bids. The company that has completed projects for entities including California University of Pennsylvania, Redevelopment Authority of the County of Washington, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and numerous area school districts.
The municipal building will receive the same detection and alarm system, produced by Honeywell, “that exists in the current Peters Township High School, as well as the new Peters Township High School being constructed on the Rolling Hills property,” according to assistant township manager Ryan Jeroski.
- The final plan for a small residential development by McLaughlin Builders LLC called the Tomahawk Plan of Lots received council’s approval.
Located at the northern terminus of Teepee Road, the six-lot subdivision has involved the reconfiguration of four lots in the Edgebrook Estates Plan, which originally was recorded in 1916.
The section of Teepee Road accessing the development will remain a private street, with about one-tenth of a mile continuing to be topped with gravel. All six new lots will have direct access to an improved portion paved to township specifications.
Developer Joe McLaughlin is responsible for street improvements, including widening the gravel portion to accommodate two-way traffic, a project that he said will benefit current Teepee Drive residents.
“That neighborhood has been very helpful and very ‘pro’ this plan. It ends a lot of their problems,” McLaughlin told council. “They’ll be able to come in, have a cul-de-sac to turn around, have the garbage trucks and so forth, and they all can come in a lot easier. So I think they’ve looked at this as a great thing.”