Public weighs in on project to extend Seldon to PIttman

PALMER — A proposed Seldon extension won’t require any residents to leave their homes, borough officials said.

The proposed $9.5-million project (borough officials are quick to point out that’s just a projected cost) is still unfunded, meaning it could be years before Seldon connects through to Pittman Road, said borough engineer Mike Campfield. Part of what remains to be decided is one of four routes stretching between where Seldon Road presently ends, near a connection with Beverly Lake Road, and North Pittman Road. Officials anticipate the project will provide an alternative east-west route to the sometimes-maddening Parks Highway corridor. Work on Phase II is about 30 percent complete, officials said.

“We’ll probably just be buying portions of their land,” he said. “We don’t anticipate any full buyouts or relocations at this time.”

The borough will need to negotiate the purchase of some yards, Campfield said.

The first and northernmost, a more-or-less straight shot to Pitman labeled the Starr Road Alignment, is probably the least feasible route because of potential affects to local wetlands that could drive up permitting delays, as well as pose difficulty for construction. That leaves three other potential routes: the Norm’s Road alignment, named for a road across Pittman where the future Seldon would intersect; the Fishback Circle Alignment, which would align a portion of the road with an existing road to the east of Pittman; and the Zehnder Road Alignment, named for a road that runs along one side of an existing gravel pit.

“Each has advantages and disadvantages,” he said. “For example, the green one (Norm’s Road alignment) impacts fewer properties (than other routes), but has more wetlands.”

The Zehnder Road alignment has the greatest potential for impacting private property, according to Campfield. Residents at a Thursday night meeting soliciting feedback appeared to favor the Fishback Circle alignment, Campfield said.

Officials were still working to evaluate all public feedback they had received about the project, but hoped to take the project before the borough transportation advisory board — consisting of members of the public appointed by mayor Larry DeVilbiss — for possible approval within the next month. The project could break ground within the next three years, depending on the level of funding, Campfield said.

“One of the issues we heard about last night … there’s going to be this three-year period between phase one and phase 2 being completed,” he said.

In the meantime, traffic along Seldon will end up traversing Beverly Lake Road, potentially pushing Seldon’s industrial-grade traffic through a residential neighborhood, Campfield said. Borough officials are working to mitigate those effects, according to Campfield. Speeders are of particular concern

“We can put some signs temporarily,” he said. “We can put up the flashing radar signs. We can also do things like speed bumps. We’re planning to put some temporary speed bumps out there already.”

“We’re also looking for some help from troopers to keep an eye on the speed limit and catch anyone who’s speeding on the new road,” Campfield added.

While some residents objected to particulars of the project, most told Campfield they were looking forward to it.

“People seemed glad we were doing the project,” he said. “I think a lot of them are going to use this road, and they’re frustrated with the delays along Pittman.”

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269 or brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com.