Lower Burrell to participate in blight study

After passing on the opportunity a few months ago, Lower Burrell officials will participate in a blight inventory study.

Council on Monday entered into an agreement with Westmoreland County to participate in the study on behalf of the Alle-Kiski Intergovernmental Council Cooperation Group.

The cost for the program is $14,180, but City Manager Greg Primm said he is exploring other avenues to reduce it.

“Lower Burrell doesn’t have a ton of blight, but we do have some,” Mayor Chris Fabry said. “By having a study done and having documented papers when funding becomes available, that’s what’s going to give us the opportunity to get to those funds.

“So, that’s why it’s important to participate in something like this.”

In September, six Alle-Kiski Valley municipalities — Arnold, New Kensington, Allegheny Township, East Vandergrift, Vandergrift and West Leechburg — authorized entering into a property conditions assessment and blight mitigation plan.

At that time, Lower Burrell officials said they opted not to participate in the study because they had not budgeted for it.

“Last year, when this came in front of council, there was no grant money,” Primm said. “Since then, we’ve got the countywide Local Government Academy to pay for half of this study for the Alle-Kiski Intergovernmental Cooperation Group.”

Although the city is joining later than the other six municipalities, it doesn’t put them behind in the study, Fabry said.

The study includes an online mapping tool of blighted properties and establishes a task force to find solutions to eliminate blight.

Councilwoman Brandy Grieff said the city decided to enter into the study after receiving additional information about the program.

“We were presented again with participating in the study,” Grieff said. “In the deeper dive to what was available to us, we realized it was an absolute necessity to participate.”