BUFFALO TWP — Supervisors approved a resolution on Wednesday night, Oct. 9, to apply for a Local Share Account grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development to address the threat of landslides on Ralston Road.

According to township manager Rich Hill, Ralston Road — a primarily residential road — is prone to landslide damage from a nearby hill after heavy storms.

“We're applying for this Ralston Road project because of the issues of the hillside sliding away,” Hill said. “We're concerned about the road conditions.”

In addition, Ralston Road is adjacent to a section of the Butler-Freeport Community Trail. Hill said landslides have occasionally bypassed the road and made their way onto the trail as well.

“There’s been times that, when these slides happen, debris gets onto the trail,” Hill said. “So we’re going to solve a couple of issues here.”

Township engineer Ken Howard said the “slide” on the hill has been an issue for the past few years. He outlined his plan and budget for a project that would stop the landslide once and for all. The project, which includes a “lagging wall” and drainage improvements, is estimated to cost $715,000.

Hill said while the sliding isn’t an immediate threat, the township is hoping to take care of the slide before it becomes one.

“It's OK right now, but the road crew has to go out there every once in a while and tidy things up,” Hill said. “That's why we want to try to fix this once and for all.”

Unlike other grants offered by the state and county, the Local Share Account grant does not require a “match,” meaning the township is not required to have money on hand equivalent to the grant money.

Funds for the Local Share Account grant come from gaming revenues, which are distributed to projects deemed to serve the public interest.