TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.

Oakmont officials are working with Duquesne Light Co. to bring three electric vehicle charging stations to the borough.

The plan is to have the dual-port stations in the Third Street parking lot by Riverside Park.

Assistant borough manager Phyllis Anderson said they are being supplied by ChargePoint, an electric vehicle infrastructure company based in Campbell, Calif.

There would be six plugs in the area, and at least one space that is Americans with Disabilities Act compliant.

Total project cost was estimated about $77,000 including installation, activation and related fees. Annual maintenance and networking costs were estimated about $3,200.

The borough applied for a Driving PA Forward grant through the state Department of Environmental Protection to help offset costs.

Council president Lindsay Osterhout said the goal is to have them installed by the end of the year.

“I was very excited to keep this project moving forward because there is currently grant money available to help defray the costs of the charging stations,” she said via email. “Time was of the essence because that grant money is quickly coming to an end.

“Anderson and (councilwoman) Jamie Leonardi have put in the time and leg work visiting potential sites with DLC representatives, researching charging stations and submitting the necessary paperwork for the grant funding. I commend them on their work and hope this is a building block to move our business district and community towards a greener future.”

Council members discussed the project at their Oct. 17 meeting.

Councilman John Arnold questioned the need to have charging stations in the borough. He said there has been no survey or “tangible way” to gauge demand. He also questioned its proposed location.

This would only provide chargers only down in Riverside Park, which is a hefty walk to the business district,” Arnold said. “I just don’t see the demand down there.”

Other council members, including Amanda Pagnotta, said it would be a way for Oakmont to be proactive in providing another amenity to residents and visitors.

“Car companies are phasing into more electric vehicles,” she said. “I think we’re at a point where the change is happening right now. We can either get ahead of it and be proactive and have this for community members, or we’re scrambling because it’s a need and we’re months, years behind getting it.”

Riverside Park was chosen as a potential location because of its space and access to utility poles, borough officials said.

Council voted 6-1 at its meeting to move forward with the project. Arnold was the dissenting vote.

Oakmont couple Erin and Kevin Schuetz have lived across from the park the past five years. They learned about the project Oct. 24 and said they are considering getting an electric vehicle next year, and would love to have a charging station nearby.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Erin Schuetz said. “We have a lot of traffic with people coming in and out of the town, especially those going to the bakery and coming to the field. It gives more people an opportunity. It gives them a place that they can come to charge. I think it’s a great benefit for us.”

Kevin Schuetz said they do not have a driveway and park either on the street or in the park’s lot. He said the lot is not often full, and does not see a problem with it losing a few spots for charging station.

“Throughout the school day, the lot’s probably three-quarters full,” he said. “That’s on a heavy day, when a lot of kids are driving. In the fall, it fills up a little bit for football games and stuff like that. For the most part, people are in and out. Nobody’s parking there for 10 hours at a time or anything like that.”

Michael DiVittorio is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Michael at 412-871-2367, mdivittorio@triblive.com or via Twitter .

TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.

© 2022 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved

Send Letter to the Editor

TribLIVE App - App Store

TribLIVE App - Google Play