Agan Park reopens after 40-day closure; dog park remains closed

After crews removed several overhanging trees in the area, Agan Park reopened this week following a more than 40-day closure caused by severe April storms.

The park is an extensive green space along Riddle Run Road in Springdale Township but is jointly managed by Springdale and Cheswick boroughs.

Cheswick Council President Brad Yaksich said many of the downed trees were removed by his borough’s public works crews, but some hanging trees required professional attention.

At a meeting of the Agan Park Joint Recreation Board last month, Springdale Councilman Joe Kern said the group voted to accept a bid to remove several dangerous trees — referred to as “widow makers” — throughout the park.

That bid amounted to $4,400, according to Yaksich. Rather than the municipalities footing the cost, he said the removal was paid using an Agan Park reserve fund meant for development and grants.

But in the end, Yaksich said he hopes the funds will be reimbursed by Allegheny County because of a disaster declaration it issued after the storms in late April.

The dog park at the recreation area, Yaksich said, will remain closed indefinitely, however.

Additional hanging tree limbs and a damaged fence require additional work, but a timeline for that remains unclear.

On Wednesday, several children from the Christian summer camp Fun and Freedom helped clean up garbage and some remaining limbs from the park, according to Springdale Councilwoman Toni Robbins.

She said the group did a beautiful job, and the borough would likely hold further cleanup days after the dog park is repaired.

Considering the high demand for tree-trimmers after April’s storms battered the region, Kern said he felt the reopening was “pretty smooth” and conducted in a “relatively timely manner.”

With the area reopen, youth athletics are clear to resume at the park’s ball fields.

The Rachel Carson Trail, a 45-mile hiking trail that traverses Agan Park, remained open throughout the ordeal.