Boat launch stalls again; design an issue for council

New committee will work on plan

A revised plan to build a public boat launch in Oakmont is being held up once again.

The boat launch along Allegheny Avenue would provide access to the Allegheny River for kayakers and boaters and remake into green space the vacant borough-owned lot where it is planned. But issues surrounding its design remain unsettled, postponing a vote by borough council.

The recreational group behind the plan, Friends of the Riverfront, is going back to the drawing board as the borough creates a committee to iron out the details.

The plan initially went before council in January, but a vote was tabled amid questions about the removal of a rock wall intended to prevent erosion and the placement of a Jeff McCauley, director of stewardship, Friends of the Riverfront kayak rack several hundred feet from the water’s edge, said Jeff McCauley, the group’s director of stewardship.

“We tried in our design to address those issues as much as possible,” Mr. McCauley said.

In addition, a borough resident who Mr. McCauley said has an engineering background has put forth his own recommendations on designing the launch.

The architectural firm the group has hired, Environmental Planning and Design, is reviewing those recommendations.

How the nonprofit would pay for the project was also called into question, as it faces a shortfall. Nonetheless, Mr. McCauley said the group “felt confident” that it would come up with enough money, noting that it has set aside a $40,000 state grant originally intended for another project that never moved forward.

“We have to have an approved design before we can tell people how much it’ll cost,” he said.

In response, council vice president William Benusa proposed creating an ad hoc committee to address funding and decide on a design that is “amenable to all residents,” said Mr. McCauley, who is on the committee that includes borough officials and residents.

The committee could possibly return to council with a final plan by April or May, he said.

“We’re optimistic that it’s still going to happen, “he said.