Sewickley Herald

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Herald

The Sewickley Valley’s Home-News Weekly
VOL. 57, No, 12
SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 1959
Price Ten Cents
Is The Business District Blighted?
Master Plan For Business District
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The ultimate, final phase of the redevelopment of Sewickley’s business district as ilanned by Carroll V. Hill and Associates. The treet on die extreme right is Chestnut Street, widened to three lanes and extended through ) Centennial Avenue. The street at the top f the plan is Centennial and the one to 'the ¡ft is a new three-lane highway cut through roperties several lots west of Blackburn. The xeet at the bottom of the plan is Thom. The acant space surrounding the complex of ores is parking with service roads immedi-tely in front and behind the stores.
Walnut Street, Beaver Street and Broad treet within the ¡complex will become pedes-
(Village Photos)
trian malls with trees and flower beds. There will be provisions for emergency vehicles in die malls, so tiiat any part of the new business distinct can be reached quickly. Stores are both new and old, with fronts matching or complimenting one another. The large square to the right center of the complex is the proposed location of a new department store with a park in front of it. Gasoline Stations and automobile sales and service garages are expected to be re-located on the outskirts of the three-lane highway around the business district. The highway is designed to separate vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
Dsborne Sets Tax Rate it 22 Mills For 1960
Wage Tax Rate Reduced to Vz of 1%, Split With School, The Same As Last Year
Osborne Council, at its regular meeting on Thursday, March !n P?ssed the tax ordinance setting the rate of property taxes “ , if’ which 18 is for general borough purposes and 4 mills or debt purposes, to pay off die bond issue on the intercepter 'er system, as well as the sewage charges for borough residents, rv resolution, council reduced the wage tax rate from 1%, ^was set in die ordinance passed last November, to Vz%, half which will go to the school district. That was die same rate ast year. The budget amounts to $38,506 and council expects enues to amount to slighUy more than expenses. A resolution, sed °W	until property taxes start to come in, was also
jlary increases accounted for most ,e $1,270 added to the budget fymnm sjnCg die budget
council oiuce tile budget was 1 vely approved at the last meet-
resignation of William H. ■f on as secretary of council was Pted with regret and Mrs, Caro-J. Masters was appointed secre-,	°f the treasurer was
: »1,000. The treasurer reported a>ice in the general fund of $3,-smking fund, $1,103; pension
’ ,mi at>d Escrow fund, $50, al of $5,322.	,
* Rector Carl M. Rhoads re-i $206 collected in ’59 prop-
erty taxes and $179 in wage taxes in February. ’58 uncollected taxes amount to $1,023 and ’59, $1,449. Bills amounted to $1,778.
Council decided to have the street man repair pipe railing on a bridge at an estimated cost of $25. He will also investigate die possible stoppage of a Sewer line near where it goes under the railroad tracks. Mr. Cooper, borough engineer, reported diat he would go back to the State Highway Department on the overflowing manhole On the boulevard, as some officials of the Department are now disclaiming responsibility, The officials
' (Continued on Page 24)
What’s Doin ’
COOK BOOKS
On sale now, “Our Favorite Recipes” Cook Book. Triumph Baptist Church Missionary Circle, Lucille Smidi, Chairman. $3.00. Sew. 593.
(Adv’t)
SEWICKLEY ELEMENTARY P.T.A. Thursday, March 24 I960 - 8:00 P.M. . Extra Meeting Quaker Valley P.T.A,, Sewickley Elementary Section, at the Sewickley Elementary Building, Film: “Crowded Out.”	(Adv’t)
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BENEFIT AUCTION SALE March 26, 1960—Starting .at 12:00 Noon, at the Quaker Valley Senior High School in Leetsdale, afternoon and evening. Sponsored by Quaker Valley P.T.A,, Leetsdale Elementary Section.	(Adv’t)
STEP SESSIONS
Saturday, March 26, 1960—Shanno-pin Country Club, Ben Avon Heights. Junior High Students 7:00 to 9:30 Senior High Students 9:00 to 11:30 Students needing, rides, leave names at school office. ,	(Adv’t)
LAETARE FESTIVAL Sunday, March 27, 1960 - 3:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., St. James School
(Adv’t)
Sunday, March 27, 1960 - 4:00 P.M, The piano students of Mrs. Charles
(Continued on Pago 24)
Fëderal Tax Funds May Be Secured For MasterPlan
Scale Model of Redeveloped Business District Exhibited To Sewickley Council
Sewickley council, at their regular meeting on Monday, examined a scale model of the final phase of the Master Flan for the redevelopment of Sewickley’s business district. A report of a recent meeting of the Sewickley Planning'Commission was given m which it was stated/that federal tax money might be available to cover two-thirds of the total net costs, plus one-sixth from the State and some from County funds.
However, if federal money is used, complete control of the 1 r fïi^Iopment will remain with the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County until the land is sold to the Parking Authority of the Borough of Sewickley for the parking lots and- the remainder sold to private developers for the building of new stores A requirement is that 2°% or more of the business, district ii blighted. Carroll V. Hill and Associates, who drew up the Master Plan, is proceeding with a blight survey. When it is completed a meeting will be called of the Planning Commission and Council to decide on further steps.
Mr. Howe asked if council was,
willing to give up all control over thè redevelopment for a government hand-out? As a result of his trip to Washington, Mr. Howe wrote to American Municipal and Pennsylvania Association of Boroughs as well as Congressman Robert J. Corbett. Mr. Howe stated that the borough had a considerable investment in streets, sewers, parking lots and other facilities in the business district. If a new shopping center was developed in new territory, all those facilities will have to be reproduced. Representative Corbett replied that the majority of people in this district arp opposed to urban redevelopment.' Council voted to pay Hill an additional $3,000,
which will make the total paid $5,000 of the total bill of $6,950. 100 copies of the report are still to be delivered.
Concerning the parking lots surrounding the stores, Mr. Howe said the planners are shying away from unmetered lots, due to use of the parking space by all-day parkers. Also, the meter revenue is needed to maintain the lots and also to retire the bonds on die present parking lots.
Council received with regret the news that two police officers, Lt. Lee S. Jones, who has been in charge of the night officers for several years and Rutledge Edger, Jr., are entering hospitals this week for operations. Officer
(Continued on Page 24)
Grade School Plans To Be Drawn By Architects
Two Days, Thursday, April 14 and Wednesday, June 15th Added To School Year
The Quaker Valley Joint School Committee, at a meeting on Monday evening in the' Junior High School Library, referred to the solicitors a recommendation of the building committee that the architectural firm of Patterson and Burgener be employed to draw up plans and estimates of cost in connection with the remodeling of the Sewickley Elementary School. The remodeling is necessary to meet the minimum requirements of the State Department of Labor and Industry. The architects will also draw up alternate plans, including an activity room in the center of the building.
The solicitors, Mr. Neely and Mr. Colbert, will discuss the matter with the architects and the Authority, which will finance the program, and report back to the next Joint Committee meeting on* April 18th. Meanwhile, a newspaper report that State money is available as an .outright giant for repairs ordered as a result of State inspection, will be investigated by the Admimstra-tion. r
Leonard Thompson, of the Edge-“ worth Board, vice-chairman, presided
at the meeting due to the illness of the cljairman, Frank Hawkins. Bills in the amount of $94,198.46 were approved for payment on recommendation of the Finance Committee. Approval was given to the recommendation of the Curriculum and Faculty Committee and the Supervising Principal, that all necessary forms be submitted to tho Department of Public Instruction requesting the approval for the withdrawal of a student physically unable to remain in school; and accepted the sworn statements concerning -support and responsibility for four children, on condition that approval is given by the local boards
affected.
Because it was necessary to close the schools on February 15 and March 4, due to inclement weather, the board approved the recommendation of the Curriculum and Faculty Committee that Thursday, April 1<3 and Wednesday, June 15 be consider ed as regular school days in the 1956-60 School Calendar. Ibis was necessary in order to fulfill the State required 180 days.
The Activities Committee and the Supervising Principal’s recommendation that the students of the Quakei Valley Joint Schools be permitted tc paricipate in the Coodwill Industries Annual Bag-Filling Campaign foi (Continued on P&go 24)