A Tyrone property owner has voluntarily agreed to take care of a safety issue regarding a retention pond on West 23rd Street near the intersection of Columbia Avenue.
The retention pond is on the property of the Blair County Head Start building according to code enforcement officer Tom Lang’s monthly report to council. A postal carrier in the neighborhood said the building is located at 324 W. 23 Street.
Last week, Tyrone Borough council was informed of a possible safety issue at the location by Lang. He explained a concerned resident had contacted him regarding the safety of young children in the area. The resident indicated he had observed children playing in the stormwater detention pond during a recent rainstorm.
The concerns raised included the steepness of the slopes around the pond and large rocks located at the bottom. He also was concerned because of the access the children have to the actual piping system, which is used to carry water to and from the location.
The pond has the potential to hold a large amount of water during a heavy rain event according to information provided in Lang’s monthly report to council.
Lang also noted the borough currently has an ordinance requiring any in-ground swimming pools to have a five-foot high fence if the pool has water deeper than 18 inches. The pond has the potential to be deeper than that at certain times, according to Lang.
Lang said a discussion regarding the possibility of requiring a fence at the West 23rd Street location had been discussed with the property owner, William Dixon. This was done during the land development review process a number of years ago. At the time, Dixon voiced concerns regarding the difficulty a fence would create for maintenance of the grass around the area. He was then allowed to construct the pond without the fence.
Lang also used several photographs to show the dangers associated with the area.
After hearing the presentation and reviewing the photos, council suggested Lang contact Dixon to see if he would agree to construct the fence due to the safety concerns.
Land contacted Dixon and the property owner agreed to take care of the matter.
“I want to emphasize, Mr. Dixon was willing to cooperate voluntarily,” Lang told The Daily Herald.
Lang said that once Dixon heard there was a safety issue involving children he was more than willing to install a fence.
“More of these stormwater retention ponds will be built as the area develops,” said Lang. “There is no formal policy, but in the future we will request property owners to build fences around the ponds.”
The retention ponds are used to deal with the run off from major storms so that the water can be dealt with in a managed way, according to Lang.
