Really? Now USC kids can't play on real grass? It's wonder the township does not require kids from other townships to come and play for the kids in USC!!

guess that's why my twp taxes are going up 30% next year...hard earned money, spent with ease...

Given that there are currently wood chips, it can hardly be the case that water conservation is needed. Another waste of money by our tax and spend township.

I am glad that the Township is taking life cycle costs into consideration as part of their decision making process. This decision saves the tax payer money and creates a better park.

Let's see, mulch for these kinds of applications is about $15/cu yd. How much mulch is needed to cover? It couldn't be more than 20 cu yd. That makes $300 for mulch, another $300 to lay it, with a total of $600. Doesn't that make about 80 years of life?

No, things will change with time, including the park. The life of the park is far less than the 80 years. In either case, there is no residual value.

Will children from neighboring townships who come to use the park need to bring special shoes? Other installations require visitors to have special shoes.

@ Becky yeah on paper they did not increase the mil, but in reality they increased taxes thanks to the reassement homes! My house was assessed at 42k more so my taxes did go up!

@ roger oh come on the Land stewards of USC should be looking at the natural way! Not wasteing more money on BS no one needs! I should of never of left WVa!

Hi Lynne, I did write an article called "What Your County Assessment Means" here: http://patch.com/A-rfds The Upper St. Clair commissioners had nothing to do with Allegheny County's decision to reassess your property.

Becky is absolutely right, but it is instructive to note recent history of the Upper Saint Clair municipal tax. When my wife and I moved here in 2002, the levy was 2.6 mills. In 2008, it was hiked 31% to 3.4, then in 2009, by another 35% to 4.6, a staggering 77% increase over a two-year period. I wonder how many residents, including retirees, have enjoyed so healthy a hike in their earnings. Why was the tax raised so sharply in these years? There were a number of reasons, but the primary "justification" was to build the recreation center colossus which thousands of us indicated to the commissioners at the time we did not want. One of the commissioners that was in office at the time told us that she wished to consider a facility that was comparable to that of Peters Township, for which the cost was $5 million. That pledge quickly went out the window for a $27.5 million center, an action which the commissioners did not put to a popular vote of the community because they knew it would be rejected. I understand that, thankfully, the center is now self-sustaining and popular, but it should not have been rammed down the throats of a community that either did not want it or did not want something as lavish as the center which was constructed. Only Commissioner Bob Orchowski had the good sense and compassion for the taxpayers to vote against the project. We will be paying for this folly indefinitely.

Another example of the township having to much money. They need to spend it some how. Oh, and over time this will be the standard surface for parks give it 8 -16 years.

Becky and readers, to follow in this note is a link to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, one of many which lists the cost of the Recreation Center colossus itself as $27.5 million. The article also notes the increases in the municipal real estate and income taxes enacted to pay for it, levies which we pay and shall continue to pay despite the current popularity of the facility. The Commissioners were urged to conduct a referendum before going forward and there were initial indications that they would do so...until widespread opposition to the Center was evident. Over three thousand residents urged the Commissioners not to go forward with a Center as lavish and expensive as this, recognizing the enormous cost for a small community as well as the fact that it was unseemly to use the police powers of government to force residents to subsidize their neighbors' dues in a lavish club. It did not matter. In a low point for the Republican Party, then-head of the USC Republican Committee William Babcock, spoke at a meeting of the Commissioners, giving the green light to go forward in spite of the groundswell of opposition.

http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/09120/966531-55.stm

Readers: Here are two additional Post-Gazette links noting cost of the Recreation Center and the widespread citizen opposition to it. Commissioner Bob Orchowski can hold his head high for being the lone vote against the project.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/usc-resident-group-seeks-referendum-on-rec-center-504419/

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/upper-st-clair-board-finally-approves-recreation-center-510766/