Delmont residents frustrated as construction of detention pond remains unfinished

DELMONT, Pa. — Neighbors in one Westmoreland County community are frustrated that work on a detention pond has not finished, nearly four years after it started. Now, borough officials are getting involved.

“I think it’s a mess. I think it’s a shame,” said one neighbor on Dogwood Drive in Delmont, who wished to remain anonymous.

She and other neighbors are frustrated that work on a detention pond hasn’t been completed. A detention pond is an area that helps collect stormwater runoff to prevent flooding and protect streams and creeks.

Work started on this pond in 2021 – and some neighbors said they were never initially told the work was going to happen.

“Suddenly they were basically in our backyard removing trees,” one neighbor said.

Neighbors said they worried about the impact this would have on the ecosystem in their backyards.

“There was a lot of noise. A lot of heavy equipment coming in,” that neighbor added.

Work was finished, but before Thanksgiving last year, neighbors said crews came back to fix pipes they said weren’t installed properly.

Crews started digging, but haven’t come back to finish the work.

Some neighbors went to express their concerns to the borough this week.

“Just knowing now that they started tearing things up again that it’s not even over, that’s unsettling.”

Delmont Council authorized the borough solicitor to pursue litigation against the bond company, and in turn, the contracting company.

Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek spoke with the solicitor on the phone. He declined an interview and declined to comment on the situation because of the pending litigation.

Some neighbors on Stotler Drive, which is just above the detention pond, are also frustrated.

“Just for the betterment of the borough, and the people who live down on Dogwood, and on Stotler here, the noise? The contractor should finish their work,” said Harold Roberts. “For sure.”

The borough hired Butz Masonry and Excavating in Latrobe for this pond project.

Google shows the business is temporarily closed.

The business’ website no longer works.

Channel 11′s phone calls and text messages to the business were not returned.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group