With Mt. Lebanon officials preparing to move forward with construction of a park along Washington Road, several Mt. Lebanon merchants had a chance today to provide input into the half million dollar project.
Work on Clearview Commons, a proposed parklet on the former trolley loop at Alfred Street and Washington Road, is slated to begin later this year and could be ready next summer.
At the merchants' regular meeting this morning, landscape architect Fred Bonci of LaQuatra Bonci, architect Paul Ostergaard of Urban Design Associates and municipal engineer Dan Deiseroth of Gateway Engineers presented the preliminary plans for the project.
While Bonci and Ostergaard developed two options for the park, Mt. Lebanon commissioners are most interested in a plan that features a fountain at the corner of Washington and Alfred followed by a series of lawn terraces sloping down to a central court with a pergola, or arbor, and parking area.
The terraced lawn area could seat more than 200 people for summer concerts or other events, Bonci said.
"I could see summer concerts there, people bringing lawn chairs," said Tom Macik, the owner of Celtic Cross.
Below the pergola, a new parking area would be constructed near the light rail transit tracks and on-street parking would be constructed along Alfred Street, increasing parking from 18 spaces to 25 to 30 spaces, Bonci said.
