September 12,
2012
At the Apple
Tree Alley Meeting on September 11, 2012 Jack Conrad, the Borough Council
member spearheading the Apple Tree Alley Project, announced that at a recent
meeting with DCNR they would be willing to give Duncannon a grant for the
matching funds. The minimal cost of the project therefore would be only $2 ‐
$5,000 to cover the costs of grant applications and changes to the master plan
to suit us.
Therefore the
referendum is no longer totally accurate because of recent developments.
However, the Duncannon Borough council still wants the community’s input in
order to help make the final decision on the project. So please vote on
Election Day in November on the referendum. Registered voters who qualify to
vote on the referendum are Duncannon Borough Residents. You can register to
vote for this election up until October 9th. http://www.registertovote.org/Pennsylvania
To all
concerned,
Thank you to
everyone who attended the Apple Tree Alley Meeting. Whether you are for or
against the project it was good to see so many Duncannon residents coming together
to express interest in community related issues.
I'd like to
address some of your concerns about the following issues that I noted from the
Apple Tree Alley meeting
on September 11, 2012:
Wouldn't the money be better spent somewhere else? Possibly but the "free" money isn't available for any
purpose other than Apple Tree Alley. Funds used on any other project would have
to come directly from the borough's own coffers and would not be subsidized in
any way.
But the money isn't “Free”. True. The
borough has to make a small investment of 2 to 5 thousand dollars for planning
and project review but by doing so it stands to gain a return of 1 hundred
fold. Risk is present in nearly every investment but you need to weigh the
minimal risks against the significant gains. This aspect of the project should
almost be a complete non‐issue due to the enormous return gained from such a
small initial investment.
We need to be fiscally responsible; I don't want to take the money. This is truly a noble sentiment and it's reassuring to know that
good people have such sensible concerns. The government has been known to
occasionally waste money on things like 6 HUNDRED dollar hammers and 400
MILLION dollar "Bridges to Nowhere" but this project is far from
wasteful. This project will benefit the small, ailing town of Duncannon and
attempt to restore community pride in an otherwise lackluster area. If
Duncannon
Borough doesn't accept this grant the funds will still be spent. You are not
saving taxpayer money by declining the grant, you are merely diverting the funds
to a different, potentially less deserving, project. If you can personally do
without help from the government, that's great but please don't deprive your
community of a rare chance to help improve itself.
I don't want criminals or shady characters behind my house. In its current state, the only people who tend to use Apple Tree
Alley are the people who NEED to use it or the people who might abuse it. Very few
people WANT to go there, it just isn't very appealing. By beautifying the area
you will attract more of the good people from the community who have an interest
in preserving, protecting and enhancing it. As it is now, a criminal would be
more likely to exploit the cover provided by the "disarray" of the
alley, but by opening the area and increasing visibility you diminish the
potential for criminal activity.
Safety. Some people seem to believe that
allowing bikes, pedestrians, cars, skateboards, scooters and everyone else to
use the same area is a sure fire way to guarantee mayhem. But you have to look
at the alternative. If people aren't biking, walking, driving, skateboarding and
scooting along the less used Apple Tree Alley, where will they be? On the
primary thoroughfares of Main and High streets where the volume of traffic
significantly increases the danger to all involved. Is renovating Apple Tree Alley
a perfect solution guaranteeing safety for everyone at all times? No, but it is
definitely better than the current alternative and certainly a step in the
right direction. The only way to guarantee "Zero Incident Safety" is
by taking zero action and that, as most people agree, will only lead to the
further decline of Duncannon.
I don't see prosperity forthcoming. While hikers certainly come from far and wide to hike the Appalachian
Trail, I don't believe people will be traversing the globe simply to stop off
in Duncannon to view the magnificent Apple Tree Alley; but I do believe it will
contribute to Duncannon's economic growth. Many people go "through"
Duncannon to access the local natural resources but very few of them actually
stop in town because they haven't seen or heard that there's anything there for
them. Many of the people who hike through town will share their experiences
with the world and publish them via media such as television, radio, books,
magazines, blogs, and even letters to home. By showing these hikers and the
world the good side of Duncannon, they in‐turn encourage other visitors to come
and enjoy the area. Just like painting your shutters or planting a flower won't
bring the world to your doorstep, it's still a positive step forward. This
project is also a small deliberate step in the right direction.
Catch22. How can I vote for the project when I
don't know all of the details and I can't know all of the details unless I vote
for the project? It's true that we can't know every aspect of the project until
we study it in more detail and get feedback from the community but we still
know the general intent of the project. The vote is simply to say whether or
not you believe the project has some merit and deserves further investigation
at a minimal expense.
Encroachment. After a preliminary survey, it has
been found that some residents have built private structures on public land.
Whether this project succeeds or not, it won't change the fact that some properties
have overstepped their bounds. If borough council desired, it could potentially
request that these encroachments be remedied (removed) or could otherwise force
expensive legal litigation. Fortunately Duncannon Borough Council members are
wise enough to avoid such pitfalls and they are determined to work with all
parties involved.
Access. The Borough Council members have
promised that the Apple Tree Alley project will not cut off anyone's access to
their property and that in some cases it may actually enhance it. They have
also reassured us that at no point in time will the use of "eminent
domain" be considered.
Maintenance. Sure, maybe they'll build it for free
now but who is going to take care of it later? This is like winning a brand new
car and then asking who will pay to change the oil? You, the community, will have
to maintain Apple Tree Alley. Much like owning a car, the minimal cost of
upkeep outweighs the many benefits. A volunteer group might take responsibility;
residents might take personal pride in their new "back yard", the
borough might have to expend its own resources or it could be any combination
thereof. Either way, you shouldn't turn down a free car or a low cost park just
because someone will have to perform minor maintenance. And if maintenance
proves too costly, the worst that will happen is that the alley will revert to
its former unkempt state.
Vehicular traffic. Some people seemed upset that the
improvements made to Apple Tree Alley would increase traffic and the associated
concerns would not be addressed. Others believe the route could be enhanced to
allow more traffic for better flow through town. And still another group was
worried about parking. These are all legitimate concerns and would be best
addressed by the engineers who would plan the project. Perhaps 4‐way stop signs
at every intersection would deter high‐speed through traffic. Perhaps key areas
could be enhanced to alleviate traffic during emergencies or special events
such as the town‐wide yard sale. Perhaps wider areas of the alley could serve
double duty as parking and recreation areas. These are all problems that
engineers are trained and paid to solve which is why we are asking you to vote
"yes" so we can proceed to the next step and get their input.
Project Segmentation. This is a double edged sword which
cuts both ways. On the one hand we don't want to spend a great deal of money on
one large cohesive yet disruptive project while on the other hand we don't want
to disperse our efforts in such a way as to diminish the overall vision. Both
are valid concerns but neither one is reason enough to abandon the project in
its entirety. Both approaches have their ups and downs. I'm sure the Duncannon
Borough council members will do their best to find an acceptable balance and do
what they expect to work best within the community. Your continued input on
these matters will help guide them in their decision making process.
Sean O’Shell
Duncannon Resident and DATC Vice‐President
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