Capital Improvement Projects on Agenda for Lower Merion Board of Commissioners

The Lower Merion Board of Commissioners meets Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. to convene a “Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Workshop,” which will examine new projects that are “major” in scope, contain budgetary issues or involve schedule changes.

If  was any indication, a barnburner could be in store for tonight.

The projects to be discussed tonight are broken down into four categories, and are scheduled for presentation in the following order:

• “A” projects: Those “nearly complete or considered essential toward meeting core basic capital needs within the township and have funding needs in 2012.” There are almost 30 such projects listed, among them the Ardmore Transit Center and the Bala Avenue streetscape improvements.           
• “B” projects: Those “viewed as possibly non-essential, but desirable, with funding needs in 2012.” Major intersection improvements are listed here, along with a small matter having to do with improving City Avenue.
• “C” projects: Those “viewed as able to be postponed or already scheduled to begin in 2013 or thereafter.” Included among the 34 listed are streetscape, parking, traffic and signage improvements slated for “Merion/Cynwyd,” Bryn Mawr and City Avenue. The Rockland Avenue Pedestrian Bridge, which would replace a long-defunct vehicular bridge that connects Narberth and Merion, is also a C project, along with a number of township parks.
• “D” projects: Those that “represent the major capital plans to upgrade and/or renovate the six Township libraries.”

(For a detailed list of all projects on these lists—past, present and future—click on the PDF file attached under the photograph.)

The Board notes that “some CIP projects have components that could be categorized as A, B, and/or C.”

The Board will also address completed 2011 projects.

After the presentations, the CIP budget report as a whole will be on the table—followed by a period of questioning from the Commissioners themselves, and finally a public comment period.

As  noted, among the “B” projects is the City Avenue Transportation Service Area Improvement Program, as it is officially known. Accompanying that will be another public comment period.

Patch will have complete coverage of the meeting by Thursday morning.