Most of what's changing in Bradford Woods this fall comes back to one obligation. The borough has to manage the rain that runs off its roads, roofs and lawns. That's why there's equipment at the Village Pond, why a large contract for work at Bradford Woods Community Church is on the October council agenda, and why the polling place for the November 3 election is moving.
This list of projects is longer than a typical fall paving season, and it has a single source. Bradford Woods operates under a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System permit, known as MS4. The borough sent its annual MS4 report to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection on September 30, according to the October 12, 2026 council agenda. The rest of this season follows from that permit.
The Village Pond Work Started Before Labor Day
Construction on the Village Pond began August 10. That night's council minutes record that the current condition of Saybrook Harbor was documented in front of a large crowd. Borough records name Saybrook Harbor as the access point for restoring and maintaining the pond.
Council awarded the restoration contract to Dragun Contracting for $202,250 this spring. That figure covers the base bid plus add alternates 1, 3 and 4, and the award depended on an easement from the Village Townhome Owners Association. The October 12 agenda includes a vote on Dragun's first partial payment, $81,832.50. Based on payments alone, the project is under way but well short of finished. The borough hasn't published a completion date.
This isn't cosmetic landscaping. In October 2025, borough officials met with the Village HOA, and council then amended the easement. Under the amendment, the borough holds a permanent right to maintain and repair the new equipment, which includes:
- an inlet structure and its appurtenances
- an end wall
- a new section of pipe attached to the inlet
- lining of an existing section of pipe
- articulated concrete block
- any future dredging needed to meet minimum MS4 compliance
The borough also took on the DEP-required quarterly inspections of the dam. The HOA said it was willing to handle the day-to-day upkeep. So the borough now inspects and maintains a privately owned pond because the pond is part of its stormwater system.
The Church Tank Is the Larger Project, and It Moved the Election
The pond is the project residents can see. The Church Tank at Bradford Woods Community Church costs much more.
Bids closed October 5. The October 12 agenda includes a motion to award the contract, base bid plus add alternates 1 through 4, to LM&R Excavating for $1,222,120. The award would depend on the contractor providing insurance certificates and performance and payment bonds. As of this writing, that vote is scheduled but hasn't happened. The project is backed by an EDCDI grant, and council approved an extension of that grant contract through June 30, 2028. In August, council also ratified a revised easement agreement with the church.
The church tank is tied to more than the church lot. This spring, Columbia Gas was preparing a line replacement on Wexford Run Road, and the borough had to locate the stormwater pipes that will connect to the new tank. All three pipes were cleaned and inspected by camera, and all three had cracks and holes. The borough's road and stormwater lead recommended lining them before connecting them to the tank. Ackenheil Engineering was hired to do the geotechnical testing.
That's how a stormwater project ended up affecting the November 3 general election. In August, the borough manager told council the church parking lot might not be available on Election Day. Bradford Woods' Judge of Elections said October 10 was the last day to recommend a new polling location to Allegheny County. She also noted that the borough can suggest locations, but the county makes the decision. The October 12 agenda reports the result: the borough's polling place has changed to "BWE" for November 3.
The agenda doesn't spell out "BWE." Bradford Woods Elementary is at 41 Forest Road. Before Election Day, use Allegheny County's polling place lookup to confirm your location. Select your municipality, ward and district to see the official assignment.
How the 2026 Spending Compares
Putting the contracts side by side shows the scale. The church tank is about twelve times the size of this year's entire road program.
Project | Contractor | Amount | Status as of October 10, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
Church Tank, Bradford Woods Community Church | LM&R Excavating | $1,222,120 | Award on October 12 agenda |
Village Pond restoration | Dragun Contracting | $202,250 | Under construction since August 10 |
2026 Road Program | Shields Asphalt Paving | $102,965 | Work set to begin in October |
Spruce Road paving and stormwater | Allegheny County Conservation District grant | $112,850 grant, $33,800 local match | Grant awarded |
Inlet replacement, Wexford Run Rd and Bradford Rd | Change order No. 3 | $7,600 | Approved in August |
Even the road lines are partly about water. The Spruce Road grant covers paving and stormwater improvements together. The Wexford Run and Bradford Road change order replaces two failing inlets. The paving itself slipped. In August, the minutes said wet weather had delayed the Reclamite treatment and that paving should start in August or September. By the October agenda, the schedule read "work to begin this month."
Drainage Came Up in the Bradford Road Speed Table Decision Too
Drainage also figured in a decision that seems to have nothing to do with it. At the August meeting, a resident asked council to consider stop signs at Cedar Road and Oak Road, plus speed tables and crosswalks on Bradford Road. Council members reviewed the speed mitigation the borough had already done and the drop in vehicle speeds that followed.
Council listed cost, a limited number of safe locations and possible snowplow damage as concerns about speed tables. One more concern was the "risk of creating new point-source stormwater issues." Council concluded that, based on current speed data, more mitigation wasn't warranted.
In Bradford Woods, a change to a road surface also changes where the water goes.
The borough also has more detailed records of its drainage system now. A summer intern's final project, presented in August, was GIS mapping of the borough's stormwater infrastructure. At the same meeting, council approved up to $7,830 for Jeff Plummer Landscaping to connect underground pipes at a private Bradford Road property to the borough's Washington Road stormwater tank. That work depends on signed maintenance and right-of-entry agreements. Here the borough is linking private roof drains to public storage.
Dates to Know Around the Construction
The rest of the fall calendar happens alongside these work zones. In date order:
- October 12, 7 p.m. to October 13, 6 a.m. PennDOT plans single-lane traffic both ways on I-79 between the Route 910 Wexford interchange ramps, weather permitting. The larger Wexford Interchange project is expected to wrap up in October 2027.
- October 15, 7 p.m. The Planning Commission meets at the municipal building, 4908 Wexford Run Road. The commission held a community input meeting on October 1 for the 2027 Comprehensive Plan.
- October 17. The borough's tree giveaway, billed on its poster as a "Celebration of Trees." The posted notice doesn't list a time or location.
- October 30. The Halloween Parade and Trunk or Treat on Bellaire Road.
- October 31, 6 to 8 p.m. Borough trick-or-treat.
- November 3. General election, with the polling place moved to BWE.
- November 9, 7 p.m. Borough Council meets at 4908 Wexford Run Road.
Two more items are under review this fall. The Woodlands Foundation has filed a preliminary land development application to demolish and replace its dormitory. The Planning Commission, LSSE and Allegheny County Economic Development are reviewing it. The North Hills COG is also gauging interest in a COG-wide deer management program. In August, the Woodlands was also considering renaming Shenot Road, the private road through its campus. The name change would need a council resolution.
Projects like the Village Pond restoration and the Church Tank can come up when you sell your home, because buyers ask about drainage, easements and nearby construction. If you're thinking about how this fall's work might affect what your Bradford Woods home is worth, Zita Billmann can walk you through it. Request a Free Home Valuation and we'll go over how your street and lot fit into the borough's plans.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.