The Mt. Lebanon Commission is considering a $6 million bond issue this year to fund a few infrastructure improvements, including upgrades to Brafferton Field, turf and fence replacement at Clint Seymour and Middle fields and improved parking along Cedar Boulevard.

When Mt. Lebanon completed a parks master plan in 2022, one of the top priorities was making improvements to Brafferton Field in Sunset Hills Park. Poor drainage and maintenance issues contributed to the field falling into disuse.

In 2023, Brafferton received 250 feet of new fencing and repairs to another 115 feet of the fence that divides the field from the basketball court area. New topsoil and a regrading of the field resulted in an additional 11,100 square feet of turf in the first phase of improvements. Brafferton still needs improved field drainage, pedestrian connections, play spaces and parking, all of which is proposed to be financed with money from the bond issue.

The plan adds 21 parking spaces, including ADA spaces and an AFDA connection to the play area. The Brafferton basketball court would be converted to a half-sized multipurpose sports court, with the other half of the court dedicated to a children’s play area.

In a May 26 Commission discussion session, Municipal Manager Keith McGill spoke about the need to resolve the parking problem.

“This is a park that has no dedicated parking, other than a little cul-de-sac,” he said. “I would get any number of phone calls, especially on a weekend when we had groups that were showing up and overlapping with one another. Parking on both sides of Brafferton, both sides of Fruithurst and actually creating a public safety issue, because you couldn’t get an emergency response vehicle through. We need off-street parking to mitigate those impacts.”

Also under consideration is a footpath connecting the field with Valley Park Drive.

The 2022 master plan made several recommendations for Middle and Clint Seymour fields and the surrounding area, including additional bleacher seating, bike racks, more lighting improvements, removable bollards to keep vehicles off the fields and built-in hillside seating to relieve a longstanding issue.

“Hopefully, this will get people to stop putting their lawn chairs on the sidewalk,” said Josh Scanlon, a consultant from Gateway Engineers who is working with the municipality on the parks improvement project.

Recommended changes for the fields’ parking lot “just formalizes what’s already there,” said McGill. Vehicles entering from Cedar Boulevard will follow a one-way loop through the area. Bike racks, bollards and speed humps will keep the speed down and prevent drivers from driving up the hillside and parking in residents’ backyards. The changes will result in a gain of 40 spaces, bringing the total number of parking spaces to 73.

Finally, lighting improvements will feature upgrading five light poles to LED and adding four more poles to Seymour Field. The new poles will be wireless and programmable, and will ensure light stays near the field.

At the May 26 meeting, Commissioners voted to grant final approval to both projects.