2023 – Page 27 – Columbia Spy

Columbia Borough to hold public hearing on Thursday, August 3

Columbia Borough will hold a public hearing on THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 2023, as part of their regular monthly Council Workshop Meeting. The hearing will be held at Columbia Borough, 308 Locust Street, Columbia, PA 17512, beginning at approximately 7:00 PM.

The Borough Engineer intends to present the most recent plans for street improvements along Walnut Street, from Front Street to 3rd Street. The presentation will cover the proposed project, traffic patterns during construction, proposed traffic patterns, and historic sites and provide time for public questions.

The Borough invites affected residents, property owners, and other stakeholders to attend this meeting to identify further needs that should be addressed and to comment on the proposed project.

Scenes from Columbia’s National Night Out Tuesday evening

The Columbia Borough Police Department held its National Night Out at Glatfelter Memorial Field Tuesday evening. The event featured over 60 community stands, free food, a juggling act, two animal shows, a bouncy house, fireworks, and the borough’s emergency management trailer.

National Night Out at Glatfelter Memorial Field – Tuesday, August 1

Will bridge weight limit hinder emergency vehicles?

When: Borough council meeting, July 25.

• What happened: Recent weight restrictions on the Veterans Memorial Bridge, which connects Columbia to Wrightsville, spurred concern about how the borough will respond to emergencies that occur on the span.

• Background: The state Department of Transportation limited vehicle weight to 10 tons July 17 after inspectors found more damage than expected during a routine inspection.

• More: However, some emergency vehicles, such as fire trucks and tow trucks, weigh more than the allowed 20,000 pounds. Fire trucks, for instance, weigh about 33,000 pounds, Stivers said during a July 28 phone call.

Details: The state already had scheduled the 93-year-old structure for renovation starting next year but will postpone work until 2025 to come up with a new architectural plan. The weight limit will last until repairs finish. PennDOT estimates that about 5% of the 11,500 vehicles that cross the bridge daily will have to use an alternate route.

• The issue: Stivers said PennDOT originally wanted municipalities to register emergency vehicles for $50 each to receive permission to access the bridge. That won’t work, he said, because no one knows which vehicle or which township, borough or city will respond to an accident, fire or other situation on the bridge.

• What’s new: Officials from PennDOT, Columbia and emergency services were set to meet this week to create a plan to allow emergency vehicles to access the bridge for free, Stivers said in a July 31 email.

Gayle Johnson, For LNP | LancasterOnline

Deeds Recorded – Columbia Borough – July 31, 2023

Jesse Bennett conveyed property on Spruce Street to Alic Walch for $227,000.

Aljo Properties LLC and Angela N. Tatum conveyed property on South Second Street to Joseph A. Hunter for $180,000.

Amy L. Shue and Amy L. Cunningham conveyed 742 Plane St. to Amy L. Cunningham for $0.

About Town – July 30, 2023

Time for reflection

Ladies with lenses

When you want to be left alone.

Bicycle built for two

Speaking of bicycles, bike symbols were recently stenciled along the first block of Walnut Street, at Columbia River Park, indicating the way to the trail.

Like so

FARMALL

Seaweed in the Susquehanna? Yep.

Bunny at breakfast

No one seems to be enforcing the bridge restrictions.

Nope

A crew checked the bridge this past week.

This van was part of the crew.

Traffic was down to one lane on Thursday.

The weight limit

A worker sprayed a trouble area.

X marks the spot.

Traffic person on the Columbia end of the bridge

Workers brought in this large bucket/crane assembly . . .

Inspectors focused on the north side.

Another crew continued taking core samples this week.

Meanwhile, at 10th & Manor

Progress continues at the Habitat for Humanity project on South 5th.

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No house construction yet in this lot on South 9th, but here’s the first hint of a possible garage.

Takedown in Locust Street Park

This mobile emergency operations center was purchased recently, as Columbia Spy reported HERE.

More pet owners need to do this.

We all know what goes on in a small town.

Fifth Street Community Fun Day offers festivities, food – and fun

Jasmine Kelliehan, CEO of A Perfect Gift, was an event organizer.

The Fifth Street Community Fun Day on Saturday drew several dozen visitors, despite the sweltering weather. The event featured a variety of attractions, including a yard sale, games, health screenings, free food, a clothes giveaway, a bounce house, live music, a garden tour, and even a tattoo artist. To accommodate the festivities, two blocks of Fifth Street were temporarily closed.