Council Approves Murals for Underpass

At Monday’s meeting, Ellwood City borough council approved a request by a local artist to paint murals on the Fifth Street Underpass.

Woodrow Cowher, of Ellwood City, had previously painted murals on the side of Sweet Caroline’s on 507 Lawrence. His project is sponsored and funded by the Ellwood City organization Kitchen Cabinet and the Hoyt Foundation.

The paintings will be on the outside walls of the underpass and according to Kitchen Cabinet member Earla Marshall, will require little maintenance due to a protective coating Cowher uses.

There was initially some discussion between council and the cabinet over approving the project. At the agenda meeting on July 9, the motion was not listed, and council president Judi Dici asked members of council to discuss the project with the Kitchen Cabinet.

By the regular meeting this Monday, council was ready to vote on Cowher’s project but there remained confusion over the terms. Council initially wanted to absolve the borough of any maintenance responsibility indefinitely while the Kitchen Cabinet was willing to manage the mural for a limited duration and then hand it over to the borough.

“There’s a history of these projects coming back to the borough to maintain after the initial fanfare,” Dici said.

There was also concern about train traffic damaging the art. According to Marshall, the railroad company had no objections to the project and also have no say, as the borough owns the bridge.

The underpass is damaged by both train traffic and moisture. However, council member Michelle Lamenza pointed out that structural damage to the bridge is council’s responsibility to maintain, and the cabinet would only be responsible for maintenance to the painting.

Mayor Anthony J. Court suggested a three-year agreement with the cabinet, after which the responsibility would revert to the borough and described it as a “win-win.”

Ultimately, this motion was approved unanimously.