The 1200 block of Cherry Street, pictured above, has become a speedway for inconsiderate motorists dropping off and picking up children from school, Fountain Hill resident Brian Ferencin told borough council July 3.
Fountain Hill resident Brian Ferencin brought a public safety request before borough officials last week.
At their July 3 meeting, Ferencin told borough council members that drivers are speeding in the 1200 and 1300 blocks of Cherry Street during school drop-off and pickup times.
Cherry Street is an alley in those blocks, which are separated from each other by the St. Ursula Catholic Church property.
“Parents are speeding through the alleys, coming to rapid stops, showing no regard for traffic,” Ferencin said, adding that the “motorists also use swear words.”
Ferencin recounted an incident when he said he was parked in the alley to unload his truck and a student swore at him. To help combat the problem, he asked that the borough invest in removable speed bumps.
He also presented council with a petition he said was signed by 15 residents of the neighborhood.
Council President Norman Blatt responded by telling Ferencin that permanent speed bumps are not legal in a community of the size of Fountain Hill, according to prior research conducted by borough staff. He promised, however, to revisit the idea with the borough solicitor and added that “Watch Children” signs could potentially be posted along the alley.
Fountain Hill Community Coalition board chair Mike Zovko also addressed council at Monday’s meeting and provided an update on the work the group has been doing this summer.
The coalition is a nonprofit organization formed in 2022 by a group of concerned residents with the goal of repairing and reopening the Fountain Hill Pool.
Zovko said three coalition members will be taking a grant writing and research course as part of the group’s ongoing efforts to try and secure funding to rehabilitate the 64-year-old facility.
Ultimately, he said the group would like to work with interim borough manager Jason Quarry on securing grants for the pool, which was last open on a limited basis during the summer of 2021.
If Quarry has time, Zovko said he might benefit from taking the course, which is being offered online by Penn State. Blatt said he “would also be interested in taking the class.”
Zovko said the Coalition is also working with a new group, the Lehigh Valley Lifesaving Association, whose goal is to recruit, train and place lifeguards at pools throughout the Lehigh Valley.
In addition to the physical repairs that need to be made to the Fountain Hill Pool, staffing remains an issue and was a factor in council’s decision to keep it closed this summer.
If plans are ultimately approved by Fountain Hill Borough Council, a strip mall in the 900 block of Broadway will be demolished to make way for a 12-unit apartment building that is proposed by a developer for the site. The strip mall is currently home to several businesses, including a Colombian restaurant, a laundromat and a boutique. New sidewalk was installed in front of it this summer as part of ongoing improvements to Broadway.
In other business, council was informed of a waiver that is being sought by the developers of a property at 960 Broadway, which is currently the site of a small strip mall that houses a Colombian restaurant, a boutique, a laundromat and a notary public.
The 10,850 square foot strip mall is owned by Fountain Hill Properties LLC, according to Lehigh County tax records, which show that it was purchased for $171,500 in December 2021.
The property’s current assessed value is $634,400, according to county records.
A final plan to redevelop the site by constructing a 12-unit apartment building on it is scheduled to be presented to council for possible approval at their next regular business meeting, which will be held Monday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. at Fountain Hill Borough Hall. The next council meeting is a workshop meeting that will be held Wednesday, July 19 at 7 p.m.
Upcoming community events that are planned include a playground soak–on a date to be determined–and a movie in the borough park on Stanley Avenue–Disney’s Moana–July 15 at 7:30 p.m.
The movie is sponsored by the Fountain Hill Community Coalition and is free to attend. A food truck will be at the park before the movie begins. For more information, see the Facebook event.
