Politics & Government

Progress at Athletic Fields Satisfies Bell Acres Council

Borough officials say the Quaker Valley Recreation Association is rectifying environmental issues.

A community recreation organization working to correct environmental issues at the athletic fields in  is nearing home base.

Councilman Chris Abell, chairman of government and legislation, said Monday night the progress made by the Quaker Valley Recreation Association at the ball fields is "good news."

QVRA has been working to develop the fields at Camp Meeting and Fern Hollow roads, where an Allegheny County Conservation District inspection found violations earlier this year.

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to discuss that primarily involved retention pond problems, such as runoff and sediment discharges. QVRA assured the borough the compliance issues were being rectified.

Abell told fellow council members the organization does have a handle on the erosion and sediment problems, and it is well on the way to completing the remediation measures.

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“They have come pretty close to compliance,” Abell said.

Council members were pleased to learn the situation is getting better.

“This is the news we’ve been waiting for, for quite awhile,” said Council President Dennis Young.

Abell said the main discharge pond at the fields is running clear. Though there are still problems with a smaller pond,there isn’t much discharge there, he said.

Abell said he believes the corrective methods the group used to fix one of the ponds can be successfully used to fix the other.

“Once they do that, they’ll be home free,” he said.

Tim Felt, recreation association president, previously said that uncooperative weather — either extreme flooding or drought conditions  — over the past year made it impossible to grow vegetation needed to fix the discharge problems. 

Once some grass begins to take hold, Abell said the discharge problems should be resolved.

Borough officials will revisit the site during an inspection at the end of the month.


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