Murrysville Council wants parks and recreation board to evaluate amphitheater project

Murrysville officials will seek a recommendation from their parks and recreation board before making a decision on the future of the $1.8 million amphitheater project at Murrysville Community Park.

Last month, municipal council members considered surveying residents on their thoughts about the project, which would see a performance amphitheater installed across Wiestertown Road from the Murrysville Dog Park, facing the large hillside.

Since its conception two years ago, the project has expanded to include additional parking, a food-truck area and restrooms.

It has also undergone the cost hikes and supply-chain issues plaguing similar projects nationwide and ballooned its cost, even with $700,000 in grant funding.

Murrysville Chief Administrator Michael Nestico suggested having the municipality’s parks and recreation board evaluate the project.

“They’re pretty well-versed and able to evaluate the different aspects of the project,” Nestico said. “That may be a better starting point.”

Councilwoman Jamie Lingg, who was not on council when the project was initially approved, said the municipality should be looking to maintain what it has, rather than expand.

“The (2022) budget just had to kind of be revamped tonight, and we’re tabling some other projects that, to me, seem like more of a necessity,” Lingg said. “I think we should be maintaining what we have, rather than building new projects that will cost additional money to maintain.”

Unlike some of the capital projects that finance staff is considering to postpone, grant funding for the amphitheater project is on a clock.

“This has an ending grant associated with it, so if we put it off, we risk losing the $700,000 dedicated to the project,” Nestico said. “There are definitely some (capital) things we’ve put off due to cost increases, but the fear in tabling the project is losing that grant — which is a third of the project’s cost.”

Nestico said that municipal work on the project via the public works department is done for the season. He doesn’t feel waiting until early next year to hear from the parks and recreation board and make a final decision would hold anything up.

“And it would allow council to get the most well-reasoned answer,” Nestico said.

Councilman Mac McKenna, liaison to the parks and recreation department, said the board could likely get back to council with a recommendation sooner than January.

“The board meets (Nov. 8),” McKenna said. “I think they could probably look at it and get us a recommendation by the end of the year.”

Councilman Tony Spadaro said he didn’t understand the delay.

“The opposition we’re getting now is based on three emails out of 22,000 people,” he said. “Nobody said anything before this. We get three emails, and we want to change everything? I think we should go ahead with it.”

Councilman Carl Stepanovich said that while council members have gotten both positive and negative feedback from residents, “a lot of times when there’s a good deal of opposition, you see a petition. But we haven’t seen that here. We’ve heard word-of-mouth and received a few letters.”

Council will await a presentation and recommendation from the parks and recreation board at a future meeting.

Meeting agendas are posted in advance at Murrysville.com.