Authority looks at future projects

Greencastle residents have most of the year to think about it, but a three-phase street construction project is scheduled to hit again. However, the Greencastle Area Franklin County Water Authority thinks the inconvenience won't be as bothersome as the Baltimore Street improvements were in 2008-2009.

Board members Gregory Rock, Robert Miller and Jason Gerhart began planning Jan. 18 for the same infrastructure changes. The authority will install a new eight inch water line down Madison Street from Linden Avenue to Jefferson Street. Columbia Gas will replace its lines along part of Madison. And the borough, instead of PennDOT, will wrap up with paving.

GAFCWA manager Kenneth Womack said Monday night the gas line could go in yet this year. The water mains will likely be slated for spring and summer 2011 with the paving to finish before cold weather. He plans to have the three entities meet to coordinate their calendars, to discover, "What do we have to do to stay out of each other's way?"

The board also discussed improvements pending for US 11 and Route 16, and hoped those would not coincide with Madison Street work.

Engineer Rachel Govelovich informed the authority that Pennsylvania had adopted a regulation for the Uniform Construction Code that required new construction multi-family dwellings and single family homes to have sprinkler systems in 2011. There was a move to delay implementation until contractors, developers, municipalities and authorities could understand the impact on their services, and determine grandfather clauses.