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City council will likely vote Wednesday night on a plan to add nearly 27 acres to Renziehausen Park.

At Tuesday's work session, city officials said a tabled plan to incorporate into Renzie the so-called "Palkovitz property" will be put to a vote Wednesday.

The wooded, hilly area along Eden Park Boulevard was acquired in 2009 in lieu of delinquent taxes. Part of the site was to be used for a planned new elementary school, but that proposal appears to be stalled and McKeesport Area School District is reportedly looking at other locations.

Adding the parcel to Renzie will not prevent the city from leasing the gas drilling rights under the site, City Solicitor J. Jason Elash said Tuesday.

"There are no legal restrictions on that property, if the property becomes part of Renzie Park --- no ordinances or language in the (Regional Asset District) agreement or anywhere else --- that would prevent anyone from drilling," he said.

Westmoreland County-based Penneco Pipeline Co. has asked the city for permission to drill up to six wells on the Palkovitz property in exchange for royalty payments estimated at $6,000 to $14,400 per year, per well. The wells would not be the controversial, deeper Marcellus shale wells, but conventional gas wells into the shallower Upper Devonian shale. Such wells already exist throughout the city and its suburbs.

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Also Wednesday, council is expected to approve ordinances that would vacate part of Martin Street, Downtown; and part of Merit Alley in the Upper 10th Ward.

Martin Street is being vacated to facilitate construction of an access ramp into the RIDC Industrial Park and expansion of the Eat 'n Park restaurant on Lysle Boulevard, while Merit Alley is being vacated to allow the expansion of the Elbow Room bar and restaurant.

City council meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the old municipal building, 201 Lysle Blvd. at Market Street.

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