BLAZING TRAILS : Turning the Hollow into Something to Follow !
Around Brentwood
BLAZING TRAILS : Turning the Hollow into Something to Follow !
Many of our residents are likely familiar with “ The Hollow ”, as that forested area around Brentwood Avenue has long since been known . This area is a rarity in an otherwise urban area for being such pristine and undisturbed woodland , and while some people view trees as problematic in the suburbs , they are aesthetically pleasing , contribute to our air quality , and give our local wildlife somewhere to go so that it doesn ’ t go into your backyard instead ! Brentwood Borough ’ s Council has always considered “ The Hollow ” to be a valuable community asset . Discussions have been held by multiple councils over the course of decades to discuss how to improve access to this area , and some concrete plans began to form around 2012 when the Economic Development South put together a rendering of the site and applied for a grant . Although the Economic Development South has since closed , the project continued moving , but it gained some real momentum when Councilman Dr . Robert Pasquantonio took the helm and championed the efforts to improve community access to “ The Hollow ” so that everyone would be able to enjoy a little piece of nature without going too far from home .
The Borough formed a committee to further define the scope of the project and put together a more comprehensive grant application with the hopes of obtaining some funding for such a wholesome project . While the application was prepared , submitted , and
processed , the committee was tasked with solving two known problems in the area , namely the creek ’ s drainage and the propensity of people to litter at this site . Options of using internal staff and resources to complete the project were also explored , but after further consideration the environmental complexities were larger than expected and those options were set aside .
After losing out grant funding to larger projects , the Borough received approval for the submitted grant in 2022 . The estimated project cost was to be around $ 100,000 , and the received grant funding provides for $ 74,000 , leaving only $ 26,000 to be paid by the Borough . However , to allow the Borough to gain a clearer picture of the project input , costs , and undertakings , it has been recommended to use an outside engineering firm that has expertise in the development of pedestrian trails . By coordinating with this firm , the Borough can collaboratively develop a design for this trail , and once the output of the project is finalized , the finished trail can also be used to apply for additional grant funding to finance construction of this additional amenity . Some items that are under consideration include a branching path off the main trail to a picnic area , a bridge over the creek , plant life identification , adjoining trails , and further drainage improvements to the area . When this project is done , you ’ ll be able to tell your friends and neighbors to get their walking boots on and take a hike ! rentwood
CITY BRIEFLY OF MCKEESPORT BRENTWOOD NEWS
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We ’ re RAVING About Our New Citizen Alert System !
All puns aside , you may have heard our staff issue alerts , notifications , and friendly reminders to our residents through the Swift911 alert system . While the name may make it sound urgent , Swift911 is not just used to issue alerts in a time of crisis . This system is used for issuing out all kinds of information to our residents , which includes anything from notices on opening a cooling shelter in the summertime to courtesy calls for our Parks and Recreation ’ s annual Easter Egg Hunt . Since Swift911 has been integrated into Rave Systems this year , if you have signed up with Swift911 to receive Borough alerts , you will not experience an interruption in receiving these alerts through Rave . If you need to update your information to request text , email , or phone alerts at a new email address or phone number , Rave makes it easier than ever to do so ! You can update your information to continue receiving these informative alerts through Rave on our website at www . brentwoodboro . com . If you ’ ve always wanted to sign up for these notifications , now ’ s the time to do it ! With Rave , you can also request voicemail , email , and / or text message alerts if you ’ d like to keep up to date on all things Brentwood . Make sure that you don ’ t miss out on any of our important alerts or exciting events !
BRENTWOOD-BALDWIN-WHITEHALL ❘ FALL 2023 57