City Council has approved a contract for replacement of sidewalks on Eighth Street between Sixth and Crawford avenues, on a stretch where Bradford pear trees planted by the city in the 1980s began breaking up the concrete years ago, leading to frequent complaints.

Big Rock Paving of Mount Wolf will do the work for $638,000.

The city will pay for the job with Community Development Block Grant money, according to a memo from Public Works Director Nate Kissell.

The work will include installation of ADA intersection ramps.

The city also contracted with Big Rock for $106,000 to replace curb ramps at Fire Station 4, sidewalks on Lexington Avenue and various other sidewalk repairs.

The city will pay for that work with capital funds, according to a memo from Kissell.

Big Rock was among seven companies submitting proposals for both jobs.

There may be a few new trees included with the Eighth Street project, Kissell said.

Street trees provide many benefits, among which is the lowering of temperatures in the city in the summer, the mayor said.

Some council members would like to see Eighth Street “bare of trees,” Pacifico said.

They’re OK “as long as they don’t break up the sidewalks,” said Councilman Jesse Ickes.

It’s likely that the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy would partner with the city to include trees in the project, Pacifico said.

The mayor, however, would like the city to revise its current ordinance-based policy placing primary responsibility for street tree maintenance on property owners. That responsibility includes pruning, trimming, removing and spraying, and it needs to be performed “in accordance with the most current edition of the (1999) operating manual adopted by the city,” the Shade Tree Ordinance states.

“I think we should be maintaining (street trees),” Pacifico said.

The work on Eighth Street will be done this year, according to Kissell.

Conditions on Seventh Street between Sixth and Crawford avenues are similar, as Seventh and Eighth are a one-way pair between Pleasant Valley and the UPMC Altoona area of the city.

The sidewalks on Seventh will be repaired next year or the year after, Kissell predicted.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.