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ASHLEY — Carey’s Patch is a unique neighborhood because the only way in and out is through an imposing one-lane stone arch beneath the Culvert Street Bridge, according to officials and residents.
A plan to alter that historic gateway by tearing down the inactive railroad bridge now has some residents up in arms.
“This is the last thing we have in Ashley that means anything to the residents, and we’re trying to save it,” resident Jennifer Heller told the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority this week, noting many still mourn the loss of the nearby landmark Huber Breaker that was once associated with the Culvert Street Bridge.
The authority, which owns but does not need the bridge, started focusing on remedies after borough officials repeatedly pointed out safety concerns, authority representatives told Heller and Lisa Wildes, another resident pushing to keep the bridge intact.
Borough officials had pointed out water was leaking through the stone bridge and that a fire department ladder truck may be unable to fit through the opening, said Authority Executive Director Andrew Reilly.
“They’ve been on us routinely for the last year,” Reilly said of borough officials.
To address liability concerns, the authority spent approximately $20,000 on temporary repairs last year and has secured a $98,856 state grant from gambling revenue to fund the demolition, he said.
The authority voted Tuesday to execute a commitment letter with the state to accept the bridge removal funding, although it may hold off on finalizing the plans if another entity wants to assume ownership and liability of the bridge. The options would be ownership by the borough or a nonprofit formed by the residents.
Authority board members said they are willing to give borough residents and officials some time to figure out a solution but stressed they cannot delay demolition plans indefinitely because the authority must reduce its liability and now has funding available to cover the work.
“At some point, if alternatives aren’t presented, I don’t know that the board has any choice,” Reilly said, referring to demolition.
A teardown is cheaper than repairing the structure, and the access road would only be closed for one day with demolition, authority representatives said.
Wildes and Heller said they believe most borough property owners are supportive of saving the bridge. Wildes, who received both party nominations for one of three open borough council seats in the May 21 primary, said she is confident there will be majority council support for the borough to take over the bridge once new members are seated in January.
Heller said she wants to set up a nonprofit and will research what’s required. The women agreed to attend the authority’s July meeting to provide an update on their progress.
Authority Solicitor Garry Taroli cautioned that formation of a 501(c)(3) now requires an extensive application process with the federal government, in part to ensure a plan is set up to take over assets and responsibilities if the entity ceases operating.
About 88 structures are in Carey’s Patch, officials said.
Save-the-bridge petitions initiated by the neighborhood said the stone bridge has been standing since at least 1920 and is a “mighty remnant of the past and our connection to the coal industry.”
“This bridge has become the defining mark of ‘The Patch’ and has become the symbol of and a point of pride for ‘The Patch,” it said. “It is the welcoming sign to us, our families, and the far-flung relatives that we are home.”
Trains that once used the bridge helped transport coal from the Huber Breaker, it said.
