STATE COLLEGE — A regional government authority Thursday approved a State College school board proposal for Welch pool that will relocate a controversial bike path so that it avoids trees on land behind a South Sparks Street home owned by Ginger Suhey.
“We don’t want to hold anything up,” said Chris Hurley, Patton Township’s member of the Centre Regional Recreation Authority.
“We didn’t give up much and we’re saving a tree,” said Donna Conway, the borough’s authority member.
The 5-0 decision came after the same five authority members very nearly acted on a motion to “keep the plan as we had it” — and also came amid worries that the regional pool on Westerly Parkway may not open at all next summer.
“It’s too far behind schedule,” said Sue Mascolo, authority chairwoman.
At issue is the new location for a short section of the Orchard Park bike path, which courses through the 3.32 acres of land the authority has leased from the State College Area School District for the renewed pool. The path must remain outside the fenced-in pool area.
The authority originally proposed to relocate the bike path closer to the edge of its leased land — and closer to two neighboring homes — to free up as much area as possible for users of the new pool.
The alternative proposal, drawn up on a plan circulated by school board president Rick Madore, would move the path but keep it a little father from the neighboring properties for most of its length. It would curve another 10 feet or so closer to the pool at a bend behind the Suhey property.
The school board plan also would expand the fenced-in pool area up the side of a stormwater detention levee on leased land that the authority did not incorporate into its original plan.
Madore said that change will add 6,000 square feet to the pool area and he called his plan a “win-win-win” proposal.
Boalsburg architect Alan Popovich told the authority and two dozen people in the audience that construction probably won’t start until Oct. 12 at the earliest this year and might not be completed until sometime in the first two weeks of September 2010.
“There’s a very good chance that we’re going to miss the summer,” he said.
The bike path suddenly became an issue last month when the authority acted to complete its land development plan for state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources approval ahead of putting the $5.4 million project out to bid.
Relocating the bike path requires approval of new easements by both State College council and the school board. On short notice on June 15, council approved the authority’s plan for relocating the bike path over the objections of Kathy Suhey and next-door homeowner Ralph Heimer.
But the school board on June 22 put off a decision. Madore since then has met at the bike path with at least three groups of borough council members and recreation authority staff members, including executive director Ron Woodhead, to argue for his alternative plan.
In remarks to the authority Thursday, Madore said his proposal for “a little bit more of the S-curve” would protect valuable trees, some more than 100 years old, and improve safety for bike path users.
He also told the authority that his plan “kind of got their blessing,” referring to Woodhead and consulting engineer Todd Smith.
“Did I hear him say that you’re OK with that plan?” Mascolo asked Woodhead a few minutes later.
“I didn’t indicate that,” Woodhead replied.
Still later in the meeting, when authority member Donna Ricketts asked where staff stood on the two bike path locations, Woodhead said he preferred the authority’s original plan.
“We’re ready to build what you authorize — you have what we’re most comfortable with,” he said.
Madore said the school board will approve the new proposal Monday. State College council president Elizabeth Goreham said council also will approve it on Monday.
Popovich said getting the land development plan to DCNR by July 27 will allow the project to be bid Aug. 17. The earliest construction start would be on Oct. 12.
He said it’s crucial for the project to begin this year because contractors in the economic recession are “very hungry” and at least six are already interested in the work.
It took 10.5 months to build the Park Forest pool, he said, and 10.5 months would complete the Welch pool on Aug. 1, 2010. But the Welch pool is a bigger project, he added, though it’s possible that a big enough contractor could put two crews to work on it to speed up the work.
Conway said after Thursday’s meeting: “I think we have to have a little give and take, and it was also to move the whole process along because we are at such huge risk of not getting the pool built next summer.”
Mike Joseph can be reached at 235-3910.
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