Unity officials are planning a Sept. 20 meeting to get public input on potential improvement of the intersection of Route 30 and Wimmerton Boulevard.

The open house meeting is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the township municipal building on Beatty County Road.

Township Engineer Dan Schmitt said planning for the project is in the preliminary stage, but Unity officials will have tentative plans to display and information to share, including crash statistics for the intersection. PennDOT is not involved in the project at this point, he said.

Supervisors in June authorized Schmitt to apply to PennDOT’s Automated Red Light Enforcement program for funding to modify the intersection. That program is funded with fines collected at select intersections equipped with cameras to catch motorists who run red lights.

Citing safety concerns, township officials at that time discussed possibly eliminating left turns from Wimmerton onto eastbound Route 30, while directing motorists to detour to nearby Saint Vincent Drive, which intersects Route 30 at a traffic signal.

That suggestion drew a backlash from residents of the Wimmerton housing plan, some of whom presented results of an informal survey indicating a preference for either leaving the boulevard intersection alone or placing a traffic signal there.

Schmitt said township officials want to hear from as many Wimmerton residents as possible concerning the intersection.

“Nothing’s concrete,” he said of project plans. “We’re looking for the residents to totally understand what we’re proposing and give us feedback about how they want us to proceed.”

“We want to be transparent,” said Supervisor Mike O’Barto.

Grants sought for paving

The supervisors this week also authorized Schmitt to apply for community block grant funding for several proposed projects, including paving of roads in the villages of Marguerite, Lloydsville and Whitney and a potential sewer improvement in Greenwalt.

This year’s applications are due by Sept. 30 to Westmoreland County officials, who administer the grants. Schmitt noted residents in the targeted areas will be asked to complete income surveys, as approved block grant projects must benefit a majority of low- and moderate-income households.

Off-street parking reconsidered

Township Solicitor Gary Falatovich was directed to work with Unity planning director Merle Musick on a proposed update of off-street parking requirements for businesses.

Falatovich said the requirement hasn’t been changed in many years and no longer matches the operational needs of modern businesses. He pointed out that fast-food restaurants have seen an increase in drive-thru customers compared to those who eat inside.

As a result, he said, “You’re creating a bunch of off-street parking spaces that aren’t necessarily used.”

He and Musick plan to present recommended changes in the requirements at the supervisors’ September meeting. With their approval, the changes then would be considered by the township planning commission and would be addressed at public hearings.

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