Oakmont residents turn sinkhole into art
It all started at the end of May with a sinkhole that appeared smack in the middle of the intersection of Ninth Street and Virginia Avenue in Oakmont.
Borough officials added a set of road barriers, traffic cones and caution tape around the crater to keep cars and pedestrians away until it could be repaired.
Then, after more than a month passed with no repairs, decorations began to appear as suddenly as presents on Christmas morning.
First, on July 11, three plastic flower pots and a small American flag were left in front of a barrier. A picture of the spectacle posted to a local Facebook group led to a “get well” balloon knotted to one of the barriers and a potted sunflower left out.
Soon followed a few garden gnomes, a giant pink bandage made from a vinyl tablecloth, a Riverview High School football towel, and many more odds and ends as Oakmont residents turned the sinkhole into both an impromptu art installation and an inside joke for the neighborhood.
“When they added a balloon, people started getting in on it,” said Oakmont resident Joe Wos during a visit to the sinkhole on Thursday.
“One of the great things about humor is you can draw attention to a problem without getting angry,” said Mr. Wos, who is a cartoonist. “This is a message by people who care about the community.”
Mr. Wos estimated a dozen residents have added to the decorations and said kids come to visit daily to see what’s become of the sinkhole. It’s quickly become something of a destination for residents across the borough.
“I just think that it’s such a cute little thing going on,” said Jane Naayar, who lives a few blocks down from the sinkhole on Ninth Street. “Yesterday we drove by slow so we could see all the things.”
“It’s nice to have something that changes every day. I think that’s an issue with the pandemic. Everything has been the same. I think this has been the literal talk of the town,” added Jill Weeks, who said she and her two daughters have a “front row seat” from their house to watch people take pictures of the sinkhole.
“Its the best thing in the universe,” added Ms. Weeks’ daughter, 5-year-old Lydia.
Some of the more offbeat objects displayed at the sinkhole this week included a rubber Michael Myers mask, a small model ambulance, a figurine of an old man sporting socks and sandals, and a pair of handdrawn “get well soon” cards taped to the road barriers.
Borough Manager Scot Fodi said that the sinkhole was caused by the collapse of an abandoned sanitary sewer pipe. He believed that rainfall permeated the pipe, which collapsed in on itself and created a void.
Mr. Fodi, who is the former Penn Hills director of public works, said the sinkhole will cost $12,000 to $15,000 to repair because the intersection will have to be excavated down 10 to 15 feet to repair the damage.
The borough is currently taking bids on the project. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, officials have had to be “conservative” with funds and watch the revenue stream. “We had to make sure we weren’t cash strapped,” Mr. Fodi said.
As for the decorations, Mr. Fodi said he’s gotten a laugh out of them but he also knows they’re a sign that the sinkhole needs to be fixed.
“I’ll put my private citizen hat on and say it’s cute, it’s funny, I can chuckle at it,” Mr. Fodi said, “But when I put on the hat of public service I see it as me not getting it fixed fast enough.”
From a public safety perspective, the decorations can pose a problem, according to Oakmont Police Chief Mike Ford.
“We would request that they don’t [decorate],” he said. If decorations obstruct the barricades, it can create a safety hazard.
The police and public works departments are monitoring the sinkhole decorations and will remove those deemed too obstructive, Chief Ford said.
Obstructing the barriers around the sinkhole might be a hazard, but some neighbors have noticed the intersection has been safer since the decorations went up.
“It’s really slowed traffic down. Normally, people blow though the stop sign,” said Beth Butler, a resident who lives close to the intersection. She said drivers have slowed down to admire the decorations and hopes the borough can install permanent trafficcalming measures.
“We would love it if they installed a permanent traffic circle,” Ms. Butler said, noting the intersection is down the street from 10th Street Elementary School.
Ms. Weeks echoed Ms. Butler’s thoughts. “Now, people slow down and they go around the sinkhole. I don’t have to worry about my kids’ safety,” she said.
Repairs on the sinkhole should be underway in the coming weeks, meaning the decorations will have to be taken down.
While Mr. Fodi joked that the borough will install a homage to the sinkhole once it’s been fixed, some residents said they will genuinely miss their display.
“On a certain level, I think people will be sad to see it go,” Mr. Wos said.
“I’m going to miss it because I always want to see what they’ve added. I just think it’s adorable,” added Ms. Naayar.