UPMC Passavant has withdrawn an application it filed last month asking that the last buildable parcel of the UPMC Passavant campus in McCandless be rezoned, from residential designations to institutional construction.

The request was rescinded during a March 8 meeting of the township's zoning hearing board.

On March 1, residents on streets adjacent to the campus attended a town council meeting to protest the hospital's plan to lease 21 acres of the roughly 130-acre campus to the YMCA to build a recreation facility.

UPMC spokesman Robert Henderson said in a phone call later that he could not provide a reason the hospital had withdrawn the request.

On the same night during its business meeting, town council awarded a $868,553 contract to Independent Enterprises Inc. to replace two culverts that take Pine Creek underneath the entrance to Pine Creek Plaza, which is part of Blazier Drive.

According to town Manager Tobias Cordek, the center's western entrance from Pine Creek Road will close for three to four months beginning the end of March. The project is expected to be completed by July 31 and will be paid for from the township's capital budget.

-- Jill Cueni-Cohen

Stefan Pfundstein, an avid mountain biker, often could be found riding the trails of North Park after work and on weekends. When the 40-year-old died of an allergy attack May 4, his family, friends and co-workers at Siemens Water Technologies in Marshall collected more than $2,200 to donate to the Friends of North Park to have a mountain bike trail built in his honor.

Mr. Pfundstein, a business process consultant, "made a real impact at our office and in the company," said Adam Kupec, a co-worker. "He was a great person to work with and, most importantly, he made friends with everyone."

Gary Rigdon, chairman of the Friends of North Park, said the money will be given to the Pittsburgh Trails Advocacy Group, which will build the trail this year.

PTAG, a project of Bike Pittsburgh, encourages the development of biking, hiking and equestrian trails that have minimal impact on the environment.

For more information, go to www.ptagtrails.com.

-- Lawrence Walsh

North Hills DUI Task Force stopped 61 vehicles during a roving patrol detail from 9 p.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday, in conjunction with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration Checkpoint Strike Force.

Police reported nine individuals were given field sobriety tests and of those, six were arrested for driving under the influence and other violations: one each for possession of a controlled substance and simple assault, two for disorderly conduct and three each for underage drinking and driving under suspension. Eleven citations were issued for vehicle code violations and three warnings were issued for seat belt violations.

In its 14th year, the North Hills DUI Task Force has conducted 143 check points/roving patrols and tested 1,382 individuals for driving under the influence. Of those, 615 have been arrested.

The North Hills DUI Task Force comprises officers from Etna, Indiana, Northern Regional, O'Hara, Ross, Shaler, West Deer and West View.

Russell Robertson of Zelienople has been appointed to the Zelienople Municipal Airport Authority for a five year term.

Mr. Robertson, who is retired from the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington, D.C., has been a member of Zelienople borough council for 14 years.

His term will expire in December 2014.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.