The construction of a compressed natural gas fueling station for city, county, corporate and personal use is on the City Council agenda Thursday.
At issue is an amendment to the professional services agreement with Larson Design Group, the lead designer for the project at the River Valley Transit headquarters, 1500 W. Third St.
Larson Design Group is designing office and garage renovations in addition and the construction of a fast-fill system for public use, perhaps as early as mid-summer, accord to William Nichols, city finance director.
"It will be the first CNG fueling station for individual use in Lycoming County," he said. "We're offering that opportunity for the public until private enterprise steps forward and makes it part of their operation."
The agenda includes the contract and modifications to the facility, along with upgrades to the recycling portion and storage of materials. Other companies helping to design the facility include Anthony H. Visco Jr. Architects and Gannett Fleming.
The cost to design and build the complex is to be paid for with clean energy grants awarded to the city from the Federal Transit Administration and the statedepartment of Transportation and Environmental Protection.
"We've been successful two years straight in getting grants to do this," Nichols said. A $400,000 grant was awarded to the project by the DEP which promotes use of clean energy.
The final estimated cost is $6.6 million and that includes four buses, the fueling facility and related building modifications, Nichols said.
Storage tanks and a compressor station will be located on the city property near the fueling station. Tanks will be about 20 feet long and about one foot in diameter. The station will obtain the gas from the UGI distribution lines that run under the city.
Other items on council's agenda include:
* Review of the transfer of a liquor license for Bootleg Barbecue, a restaurant at 300 E. Church St. under development.
* A request by Matthew Schauer to obtain a certificate of appropriateness for aluminum door installation for an Irish pub he is building at the corner of William and West Fourth streets.
* A subdivision request for Robert Matz at 427 W. Fourth St. Matz has two properties, one he lives in and the other his relatives live in at this site.
* A land development proposal for JDS Partnership at Penn Street and Birkle Court. The land development approval is to develop two parking lots for Steinbacher Law Firm use.
* Land development request for Nittany Oil Geo Tech, 2300 W. Fourth St. The company asked for lot consolidation and land development. The business is upgrading for commercial purposes.
