Westmoreland Heritage Trail extension completed in Export

Those wishing for a brisk winter walk in Export can now make it go a bit farther, as borough officials announced the completion of a short extension of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail this week.

The roughly 750-foot extension brings the trail through downtown Export. The final phase, which will connect it to the Delmont-Saltsburg section of the trail off of Athena Drive, is still in the works.

Trail officials said in late 2022 that they are in talks to acquire most of the property necessary and are pursuing grants in order to fund the construction needed to take the trail under Route 66.

“Here in town, what we’d really like is to make sure people using the trail are parking up at the eastern end where it starts, where there is designated trail parking,” Mayor Joe Zaccagnini said.

Council President Barry Delissio said borough officials will need to decide over the next two months what sort of signage to erect that will direct trail users to designated parking, leaving more room in the borough’s parking lot for downtown businesses and customers.

“Especially for folks with bike racks, parking at the trail spots will help us avoid some of the accidents we’ve had in the lot,” Zaccagnini said.

In other business:

• Delissio asked council members to create a “wish list” of smaller paving projects needed in the borough.

Through an intergovernmental agreement, Export piggybacks with neighboring Murrysville in order to get a better price for smaller-scale road repairs.

“Last year we were unable to do them because the price of asphalt rose so high,” Delissio said.

Councilwoman Melanie Litz suggested areas like the bottom of Roosevelt Avenue in front of the Export Community Park.

“It’s a bumpy mess down there,” she said.

Council has used state-supplied liquid fuels money to fund those projects in the past.

• Council voted unanimously to renew its maintenance contract with Delmont-based Danmar Contracting, as well as to renew its animal control contract with Irwin-based Hideaway Kennels. Councilman John Nagoda was not present.

• Council also voted unanimously to appoint Clay Soles to a new term through 2026 with the borough’s zoning hearing board and to appoint Dennis Yanko to fill out the remainder of a term on the board that runs through 2025.