Aspinwall residents encouraged to help steer comprehensive plan

Aspinwall residents are encouraged to attend a public meeting Thursday to help steer the borough’s 10-year comprehensive plan, now in development.

Consultants Pashek+MTR will provide information on emerging key issues and hope to hear feedback to help form future strategies.

The open house is 6 to 9 p.m. at Aspinwall Riverfront Park.

“We want the citizens of Aspinwall to come to the open house to make sure we’re getting it right, that we know the key issues and how we can begin to solve them,” said Adriana Bowman of Pashek+MTR.

“We also want to make sure we reach as many people as possible and get a diverse range of perspectives.”

The Implementable Comprehensive Plan will be developed in two phases over 18 months and relies heavily on public input.

Borough Manager Melissa Lang-O’Malley is among a steering committee of community leaders, business owners and public officials who are helping guide the project. Other members include Jocie Ghaznavi, Patti McCaffrey, Bob Scott, Nick Scheid, Dave Borland and Dan Martone.

Bowman said the open house is a way for planners to get to know the community better.

“We don’t only want to know what people want to change but also what they love about their community,” she said.

An update to the comprehensive plan began in 2019 with an open house which attracted hundreds of ideas and suggestions for improvement.

At that time, people noted friendly neighbors and a small-town vibe as positives, along with the borough’s walkability, emergency services and business district.

According to Pashek+MTR, commonly mentioned ideas for improvement include a redo of the entrance to Riverfront Park at Brilliant Avenue, a bike trail along the river connecting to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, enforcing parking regulations and slowing traffic along Freeport Road.

A survey earlier this spring drew 622 responses, with people saying safety, schools and shopping are high-ranking perks of Aspinwall.

Many people who responded said they would like to see more restaurants in town, along with a micro-brewery, bakery and hardware store.

Nearly one-third of the respondents noted that one of the best parts of the borough is its easily accessible compact commercial district.

Suggestions for improvement include more benches, less litter and a new shop to replace the departed Patty’s Farm Market.

Bike lanes got mixed reviews, with some people eyeing safer routes for cyclists and others opposing speed bumps and other measures to slow traffic.

About two-thirds of the survey-takers would like to see more trees and plants at the borough entrances.

“A community’s comprehensive plan is its policy backbone,” Bowman said. “In undertaking this plan, Aspinwall has established an intention to draw upon public input to articulate a shared vision and collective priorities for improving the community over the next decade.”

For more information, visit aspinwallplan.com.