Pine receives $250,000 toward trail project
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Pine is making greater strides toward a walkable community thanks to a significant grant from the state Department of Community and Economic Development.
At the board of supervisors meeting on Feb. 5, township manager Jason Kratsas announced that Pine was awarded $250,000 for a proposed wetland trail project
The DCED’s Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program provides grants for parks and recreation areas, greenways and trails, and river/stream projects that enhance recreation.
In a 2023 study about Pine Community Park, walking trails ranked as the highest priority for residents.
The proposed trail is in a valley with two streams that run through a large wetland area. People attempting to walk in the area are met with a few obstacles. The grant will be used to fund the installation of two bridges that span the streams and a boardwalk through the wetlands.
The wetland trail will connect two existing pedestrian trails serving the Sunset Ridge and Pinecrest Manor neighborhoods.
The link also will complete a pedestrian connection to the Pine-Richland school complex, Pine Community Park and other residential areas currently served by sidewalk and trail connections.
“The township believes this critical link between the school district campus and Pine Community Park will benefit all residents who wish to walk, bike or run from the surrounding neighborhoods to the park,” assistant township manager Stacey Graf said.
For the project, Pine supervisors awarded a $360,685 contract to Protocol LLC of Penn Township, Westmoreland County.
“I’m really proud of this project,” Kratsas said. “Stacey has done an excellent job of putting this together. When we went out to bid, we were a little unsure of what the numbers would be, but we got great bids. Now, seeing that we will have 60 to 70% of that funded, it is a great deal,”
Construction is set to start in March and will take about two months to complete.