Costs were the big concern on both sides Monday at the reconvened business meeting in McCandless, with council and the Allegheny Land Trust explaining how careful due diligence will prevent them from buying the former Rave Cinemas site if it proves too contaminated for remediation.
Some residents wondered out loud if even the cost of the study is too much.
About 50 residents, many from Citizens of McCandless, a grass-roots organization formed in 2014 to protest the sale of adjacent property on Blazier Drive for construction of a Wal-Mart Supercenter, attended the meeting as well as other community members.
Town manager Toby Cordek opened the discussion with the latest news on the due diligence work being done on the site at 9700 McKnight Road, telling those gathered that the Army Corps of Engineers, among others, have been inspecting the building and site while several groups, including 3 Rivers Wet Weather, “may help fund the project as we’ve talked about previously.” McCandless wants to acquire the site to protect it.
Mr. Cordek said the town might sell the cinema equipment to help offset costs. Quotes on building demolition are being looked at and reuse of the 12.5 acres of asphalt that the town plans to remove from the parking lot is another possible cost-saving measure. He added that the town’s public works department could use old concrete from the site for fill material, saving some money.
So far, no asbestos has been found in the ceiling of the old theater, although some might be present in the 1970s-era floor tiling and some has been found in the adhesive used to secure the flooring tiles. There are several possibilites for grant funding from state and federal as well as the local entities. “The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources are extremely excited about this project,” Mr. Cordek said.
Roy Kraynyk, vice president of land protection and capital projects for Allegheny Land Trust, which has the contract with Rave Cinemas, said the trust has been working closely with the town throughout the process. “We’re developing a high level of trust together,” he said to the residents gathered in the meeting room. Together, the town and the trust plan to do additional testing at the site, trying to address concerns that residents expressed at past meetings about the site being a former tank farm.
Council Vice President Gerard Aufman asked Mr. Kraynyk what would happen if further testing revealed polluted soil. “It would be up to council to decide what to do next,” Mr. Kraynyk said.
The discussion did not reassure everyone in the audience. Concerns that the confidentiality agreement with the seller was not in the best interest of the community were raised as well as the role of the trust.
“Will you be the one to decide to move forward?” Rita Martin, a member of Citizens of McCandless, asked Mr. Kraynyk.
“We’re in this together,” he said. “We’re not going to make a move without town council.”
Mr. Cordek explained that Jan. 18, 2016, is the end of the due diligence period. “If testing reveals there is enough problems for us to walk away, Monday, Jan. 11, could be the time for council to vote,” he said. He said if that were the situation, a special meeting advertisement would be placed on the town website, www.townofmccandless.org. “It is also possible and it’s not uncommon for additional extensions.”
Barbara Richards, of Citizens of McCandless, asked if a decision could be reached by the end of the year.
Mr. Kraynyk said a choice to stop the sale could come earlier: “If something shows up that makes us nervous, we can pull the plug.”
Others in the audience asked if lead had been found. Mr. Kraynyk said so far his engineers didn’t see anything that needed to be tested for lead but he would double check.
“There’s a long way to go,” Mr. Kraynyk said as the meeting concluded. “We don’t own it yet. Funding is not in place for the work.”
Mr. Cordek added that a community development block grant is just one possibility that the town and the trust are considering to cover the $1.25 million purchase price, the $250,000 estimate for demolishing the cinema building and additional expenses. “There are many resources out there,” he said. “All we’ve committed to is due diligence to see if it’s a worthy project.”
Mr. Aufman added that if the cost is too high for remediation, town council can vote to terminate the project.
The town and the trust entered an agreement Nov. 2 to purchase the $1.25 million property. Under the agreement, McCandless would grant funds to the trust for the purchase, and the trust would then donate the property to McCandless and maintain a conservation easement to ensure its permanent protection. Once the property is protected, the trust and McCandless will continue to collaborate for at least three years on planning the remediation and restoration.
Rita Michel, freelance writer, suburbanliving@post-gazette.com
First Published: December 11, 2015, 5:00 a.m.
