FLOODING
The Sandy Run above in a moderate
storm ---
backyards And on the right, Tyson Ave flooding
Scroll down or click here for:
A list of Flood Projects as of 2-9-12
Flood Resource
Guide
Some of what is
currently being done in the Township
Commentary
8-11
The Township has put many projects on the slate --- but
homeowners are still flooding and in danger of flooding
and taxpayers can be concerned that some of these repairs are
being accomplished by floating bonds - and paying in the future.
So while seem to have millions of dollars that can be found for
creating an Arts & Theater Center, building a Soccer Clubhouse
or putting fancy fences around Alverthorpe. adding a sidewalk to
nowhere at the Art Center and manicuring the golf course , we
have homeowners in desperate need of infrastructure improvements
but we are only floating bonds to do a small percentage of them.
Fiscal responsibility would put infrastructure obligations
first. When a car spins out in the flood waters on Tyson
Avenue it may be too late. Tyson is a state road not
slated for fixing til somewhere in 2012 -2014.
Homeowners
who live by the creek are dismayed that while they are
being told they live in a flood plain, waters from non -flood
plain areas are being piped via storm drains into the creek
- essentially pumping water into a flood plain. So it
appears as if the solution afforded one homeowner is putting
another in jeopardy. The township reports it is
putting in perforated pipes and making use of French drains to
try to reduce the waters that reach the creek rather than
increase them . But creekside owners report a renewed
hi-water danger since these projects have been instituted.
Other homeowners have had to call in the DEP to get the
township to deal with water diverted to their property from
other properties . We hope to be posting some of the
pertinent legal info shortly.
If you have a
flooding problem or any helpful information,
contact us & let us
know
11-10
Are we really 30 million behind in Flooding projects - that is
$1400 per household
But wait - after identifying the
flooding remediations needed to be $30 million after the August
09 meeting, the Township manager has now said (11-10 meeting)
that the remaining 24? or 25? million left consists
only of nuisance items or items that are the
responsibility of the home owner. Huh? Then why were they
on the list in the first place? Don't we identify who has
ownership before we spent the time to estimate a project
or at least, if we did, it wouldn't have gotten on the list
to be counted in the 30 million once we saw it was the
homeowners problem. .
As has been pointed out to the commissioners many times, there are
many many people in the Township who are flooding who did not
even know about the August 2009 meeting. I find them every day
when I talk to people about other issues.
The flooding in this Township has a
great deal to do with overdevelopment. and yet we have the
rezoning committee whose prime task seems to be over
development. They are creating new ordinances and
districts all over this Township which, if implemented will
increase flooding and increase traffic, parking problems and
other problems dramatically. if you are flooding and would like
to be connected to other residents who are flooding,
please click here and
let me know. street after street after street in this
Township and resident after resident is affected. I don't think
any of us has the whole picture because so many residents have
not spoken up. Some of them became victims of flooding after
other areas right near them were fixed. So the water was just
diverted to a different property. it is heart wrenching to hear
the stories of people who have been so burdened by constant
sometimes with nearly every rain. Not just the financial damage,
but the heartbreak of all of the work and disruption. And then
the fear of getting all the mold out and wondering what will
happen in the next rain.
11-10 In the 2009 budget the
commissioners floated the bond for $3 million
Some work was done out of existing
funds- perhaps to the tune of 1 million or two
And though the budget is not finalized at this point it appears
that another couple million will be budgeted in the 2011 budget.
This is what's being done after identifying what at one time was
$30 million behind in flood repair projects. the amount of staff
that could handle such a load was one reason given for being
behind. Yet adequate staff, and adequate funds to do away with
this problem does not seem to be on the radar.
12-09 Yes it's true .
According to the Township Engineer, before this summer's
Flooding meeting they had identified abut 15 million in
Flood related projects ( if I understand correctly, about 12
million of that is for the Keswick area ) AFTER the flood
meeting ( which, as you may well imagine, only a small
percentage of residents even knew about ) they added on another
15 million estimated fixes - to total 30 million . That is
$1400 per household in Abington ............while Commissioners
have been bragging about not raising taxes for 18 years.........
To watch this unfold has been
incredible. One resident who said (circa 07) he had been
flooding for 20 years was told that it was because of Tyson Ave
which is a State road and there was nothing the Commissioners
could do . When another resident asked about it - they
were told to come to a meeting. They did and .....were told
again it was a State road and there was nothing the
Commissioners could do . Huh ? So WHY were
they asked to come??
After the meeting I learned that it is NOT the State's
responsibility once the water leaves the road --- it is the
Township's. We had 10 million in the General Fund at that
point with only a little allocated to any specific projects ---
so WHY I asked would these neighbors have to keep flooding for
another 4 or 5 years ???
The township ultimately allocated I believe 125,000 and
did some fixes and in a recent conversation with that particular
neighbor he has had relief since then . Others on his
street still have some problems but the problems have generally
been lessened.
Another neighbor in Rydal
testified that he lost somewhere around $50,000 in a
recent storm - on the heels of many other losses that he
recently suffered. One resident testified that it took 4
years and the threat of a lawyer before something was done .
Some neighbors' houses have been compromised - and while we have
spent millions buying some properties back - we have some
neighbors who still want theirs bought . Water coming from a
street behind has come over a neighbor's property and through
this residents property and wreaked havoc on her house, yard
and driveway.
By not using
taxes to put in proper storm drainage in the streets, these
neighbors are paying their own additional taxes ------ huge
taxes in many cases. After the Flood meeting I went to the next
meeting and asked the Engineer why people flooding were not
getting help. His answer was two-fold . 1) If there is a stream
involved or other complication, DEP & other regulators
makes you jump through lots of hoops ( OK - so lets get the
paperwork started ) and 2) there is only so
much you can do in a year with a staff of 4 ( OK - so lets
see how much the tax collector is really making - and shift some
of that over to engineering . In fact - I could name you 10
places that money was allocated for projects far less
important )
So at the 11/19/09 Budget
meeting, can it be true that with 30 million in storm water
management to consider, we only wrote into the budget
$3500 for Engineering staff and $300,000 for additional
flood projects ?? Please tell me that's not true ....
And now in Dec 09 we have spent a full meeting mulling over
whether we might ( or might not float a bond for just $3 million
------- what about the other 27 million ..... shall we leave
that as a gift for the grandkids - while we let a
select group of residents continue to pay their steep "rain tax"
. Or maybe a better name is the "we didn't raise taxes for
18 years or fix the problems we knew about" tax.
If you have a different
perspective --or have come comments - please -
contact me and help me see your view.
Thanks
Lora
FLOOD RESOURCE GUIDE
Abington Township Public Works
Department 267-536-1033
http://abington.org/publicworks/index.htm
Abington Township Ordinance No.
1910, Section 103, item F (Stormwater Management Ordinance)
http://www.abington.org/info/stormwater/Abington%20Twp.%20Stormwater%20Management%20Ordinance.pdf
Abington Zoning Codebook
http://www.e-codes.generalcode.com/codes/0569_A/Zoning.pdf#xml=http://www.e-codes.generalcode.com/searchresults.asp?cmd=pdfhits&index=0569_A&filename=zoning.pdf&fn=C:/siteinfo/ecodes/codebooks/0569_A/Zoning.pdf
Abington Codebook on Drainage
http://www.abington.org/info/codebook_part2_ch70.htm
PA
Flood Plain Management Act Act 166 0f 1978
http://www.elibrary.dep.state.pa.us/dsweb/Get/Document-52107/3930-BK-DEP0447%20Act%20166%20of%201978.pdf
Public Liability for
Flood Hazard Mitigation
http://www.floods.org/PDF/Mitigation/ASFPM_Comparative_look_at_pub_liability_for_flood_haz_mitigation_09.pdf
Abington Township Stormwater Info
And Resource links
http://www.abington.org/stormwater/stormwater%20page.htm
Abington Township Ordinance No.
1910, Section 103, item F (Stormwater Mgement )
http://www.abington.org/info/stormwater/Abington%20Twp.%20Stormwater%20Management%20Ordinance.pdf
DEP (Dept Envirommental Protection)
http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/dep_home/5968
Barry Newman /
PA Department of Environmental
Protection - Bureau of Waterways Engineering
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/waterways_engineering/10499
400 Market Street 3rd
Floor Rachel Carson State Office Building Harrisburg, PA
17101
Jake Kernoschak, Chief Engineer 717-783-7723 717-787-3411 or
(717- 783-0155?) jkernoscha@state.pa.us
/
Patricia McSparran
pmcsparran@state.pa.us / Doug Hill
US EPA Stormwater regs
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=6
US EPA NPDES MS4 guide
Pennypack Watershed - Watershed Management Guidelines
( # ? )
FEMA
Maps ( on Township site )
http://abington.org/FEMA%20Flood%20Maps/Panel%20293.pdf
FEMA National FEMA Insurance
Program Guidelines
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/floodplain/nfip_sg_unit_5.pdf
FEMA Apply for assistance
http://www.fema.gov/assistance/index.shtm
FEMA guidelines for rebuilding in a Flood Plain
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/floodplain/nfip_sg_unit_5.pdf
FEMA guidelines for changing floodplain districts
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/floodplain/nfip_sg_unit_4.pdf
See p 4-20
Governors
Office on Flood Plain Management
http://www.newpa.com/webfm_send/1510
Clean Water Act
http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/cwa.html
(summary)
The Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/oilgas/cslawuc.htm
Find what watershed your
street is in
- and all about local watersheds
http://phillyriverinfo.org/
or google your watershed and find a more interactive map
ie:
http://ttfwatershed.org/images/TTF-Watershed-Map.html
_________________________
WHAT IS CURRENTLY
BEING DONE
______________
PROJECTS AS OF FEBRUARY
2012
COST : 3 million on Bond
At the 2-9-12 Board of Commissioners Meeting & put
out on a 3 million dollar bond
PROJECT COST WARD
1 2700 Block Jenkintown Rd -I\lew
Inlets 20,000.00 6
2 100/200 Blocks Central
Ave.-Storm Sewer 160,000.00 6
3 430 Central Ave. -Storm Sewer
160,000.00 6
4 Houston Ave/ Railroad -New Storm
Sewer 40,000.00 6
5 2809/2811 Mt. Carmel Ave .-New
Yard Drains 20,000.00 6
6 305 Elm Ave. -Yard Drain
20,000.00 6
7 700 Block
Penn/Garfield/Tennis-New Storm Sewer 240,000.00 9
8 Penn/Garfield/Tennis-Storm
Sewer 120,000.00 9
9 Highland Ave. to Canterbury
-Creek Bank Stabilization 120,000.00 11
10 552 Baeder Rd. -Storm Sewer
120,000.00 11
11 Baeder Creek/Crescent
Ave.-Creek Bank Stabilization 60,000.00 12
12 New Storm Pipe from Weldon Ave.
to Elk Ave. 140,000.00 13
13 300 Block Cliveden Ave. -New
Storm Sewer 140,000.00 13
14 400 Block Linden Ave. -New
Storm Sewer 80,000.00 13
15 400 Block Sylvania/Geneva/Easton-New Storm Sewer
160,000.00 13
TOTAL
1,600,000.00S
# EAST SIDE
PROJECTS 2012 BOND ISSUE
PROJECT COST
WARD
1 1665 Susquehanna Rd -By-pass
Pipe $68,000.00 1
2 1707 Hampton Rd -New Storm
Sewer $40,000.00 1
3 1100 Block Lindsay Ln-New Storm
Sewer $60,000.00 1
4 1331 Meadowbrook Ct.-Creek Bank
Stabilization $20,000.00 1
5 962 Susquehanna Rd. -New Storm
Sewer $60,000.00 2
6 300 Block Cadwalader Ave.-NewStorm
Sewer $40,000.00 3
7 Rossiter/Thomson/Coolidge-New
Storm Sewer $160,000.00 5
8 972 Rydal Rd.-Replace existing
storm sewer $120,000.00 7
9 2900/3000 Old Welsh Rd-Replace
existing storm sewer $80,000.00 8
10 2884/2888 Senak -Storm Sewer
$20,000.00 8
11 2920 Rossiter Ave -Yard Drain
$12,000.00 8
12 Thunderhead/Blue Jay Rds.-New
Inlets $40,000.00 8
13 1400 Block Lindbergh Ave.-New
Storm Sewer $140,000.00 8
14 Cleveland Ave.-Storm Sewer/Yard
Inlets $40,000.00 10
15 2421 Pershing Ave. -Yard Drain
$20,000.00 14
16 1200 Block Johnston
Ave.-Replace existing R/R ties . . $150,000.00 15
17 1100 Block Johnston
Ave.-Replace existing R/R ties $150,000.00 15
18 Woodland Rd (High Ave to Arline
Ave)-Storm Sewer $120,000.00 15
19 St. Charles -Yard Drains/Sump
Pumps $60,000.00 15
TOTAL
$1,400,000.00
____________________________________________
PROJECTS AS OF OCTOBER
2011
650,000
These Projects
below were approved at the October 2011 Board of
Commissioners Meeting
Cost : in the neighborhood of $ 650,000
|
EMERGENCY REPAIR WORK |
|
LOCATION |
DAMAGE |
SOLUTION |
EST. COST |
|
1174 VALLEY RD. |
EXISTING STONE & CONCRETE WALL, LEANING/CRACKED |
REPLACE 200 L.F. + WITH REDI-ROCK |
$45,000.00 |
|
2835 MEYER AVE. |
EXISTING CONCRETE WALL LEANING & UNDERMINED |
RESET 120 L.F. OF WALL & STABILIZE W/CLEARING |
$45,000.00 |
|
DALE RD.
& MILL RD. |
EXISTING CONCRETE WALL LEANING & UNDERMINED |
RESET 40 L.F. OF WALL & STABILIZE W/CLEARING |
$9,000.00 |
|
ALVERTHORPE
PARK AT NORTH END |
EXISTING CULVERT & KEYSTONE WALL WASHED OUT |
REPLACE & RECONSTRUCT W/REDI-ROCK |
$45,000.00 |
|
MAPLE AVE. & JEFFERSON AVE |
EXISTING CHANNEL ERODED & UNDERMINED |
RECONSTRUCT EXISTING & REDIRECT LOW END |
$22,000.00 |
|
MARCO RD
(CUL-DE-SAC) |
EXISTING SAND BAG & GABION CHANNEL ERODED |
REPLACE W/REDI-ROCK & RECONSTRUCT 300 L.F. |
$81,000.00 |
|
230 FILMORE ST. |
RUN-OFF & WASH-OUT FROM ZANE AVE. |
STORM SEWER & BITUMINOUS CURBING ON ZANE AVE 700 L.F. |
$75,000.00 |
|
1515 THE FAIRWAY |
PLUNGE POOL WASHED OUT |
FILL W/BALLAST & STABILIZE |
$4,500.00 |
|
608 WANAMAKER RD. |
EXISTING WALL LEANING & UNDERMINED |
RESET EXISTING WALL & STABILIZE 70 L.F. |
$15,000.00 |
|
739 CRESCENT AVE. |
EXISTING SAND BAG WALL ERODED |
GUNITE & STABILIZE |
$16,000.00 |
|
2700 BLOCK FERNWOOD AVE. |
INTERSECTION & HOUSE FLOODING |
INSTALL 500 L.F. STORM SEWER |
$62,500.00 |
|
EDGE HILL FIRE HOUSE AT LIMEKILN PK. |
PARKING LOT LIFTED & EXISTING LINE SURCHARGED |
RE-LAY EXISTING STORM SEWER & RECONSTRUCT PARKING
LOT 150 L.F. |
$90,000.00 |
|
1300 LINDBERGH AVE. |
ROADWAY & HOUSE FLOODING |
REDIRECT FLOW IN CULVERT & ADD INLETS |
$17,500.00 |
|
657 CRICKET AVE |
EXISTING MASONRY WALL SHIFTED |
RECONSTRUCT 75 L.F. W/REDI-ROCK |
$30,000.00 |
|
WELDON AVE |
COLLAPSED STORM LINE |
REPLACE 200 L.F. STORM LINE |
$45,000.00 |
|
956 IRVIN RD |
EXISTING CULVERT UNDERMINED & WALLS LEANING |
STABILIZE & REINFORCE BRACING |
$30,000.00 |
|
GENEVA & LINDEN AVENUES |
EXISTING INLETS DAMAGED |
REPAIR & REPLACE W/ OPEN-MOUTH INLETS |
$15,000.00 |
|
SANDY RUN CREEK AT SUSQUEHANNA RD |
EXISTING RETAINING WALL UNDERMINED & LEANING |
RESET WALL & REMOVE DEBRIS |
$30,000.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTALS |
$677,500.00 |
PROJECTS AS OF SEPTEMBER 2011
- 600,000 +
At the September 2011 Board of
Commissioners Meeting 6 emergency Flood projects were
approved for 6 residents along Jenkintown Rd.
They had sewage back ups – DVIT the Township's insurance
co that normally insures this kind of problem would not consider them
because they were also affected by the flooding .
Abington apparently had men out that night who said there were
roots blocking the pipes and that’s why they backed up – so
they were approved for work - $600,000 +
Commentary
DEVELOPMENT VIA WISH LIST (AKA where
DOES all the money go?
)
While we have no $ to repair the storm system for flood
victims who suffer from the over-development – the development
plans seem to have no shortage of funds ……..
A new multiuse facility is being proposed for
Crestmont Park-- to be built(
hold your breath) on open space
(you know the stuff that we didn't have enough of so we've been
spending your money to buy
Another library 1 mile away : having spent
tens of thousands of dollars (or more) on the failed attempt at
taking a property by eminent domain, the Township is still
harboring a hankering to build another branch-just 1 mile from
our state-of-the-art facility. ( Don’t I recall threats of
limited hours due to a shortage of funds not too long ago?
Apparently funds are no longer a problem (except if needed for
storm sewer work).
A plan to restore the now “Historic” Grove property
- which ultimately is going to cost this township over a
million for all the components planned - with serious
question about many of the processes along the way . Now it is
being suggested that the EAC might have offices there or the
Historic Society might do a little business here and the
BUSINESSES ( not residents BUSINESSES ) might neet here
---- Lovely if you have lots of excess cash - but unfortunately
it’s mine and as a resident there are NO rooms
automatically available for us to meet - to talk about this use
of our tax dollars. They put new 100 amp and went over
the plumbing - I’m not sure on what budget line that was
accomplished . .... spend as you like , when you like...
A now finished renovation of the Little Meetinghouse
– and we just won an award. Many grants were used- some of
which is ALSO our tax money but also township
resources & personnel at our expense
A new plan for Pembryn Park - without any specific
funding - the commissioners are being asked to approve a plan
This Thursday for Pembryn Park. The problem is – once the
plan is approved it will be very likely possible for little
pieces of
the plan to be done here and there outside of the budgetary eyeball ---
accomplishing yet another development project while
putting flood victims costs out to bond.
A study & new plan for trails, benches etc at Rubicam
Park
A study & new plan for Jackson Park - 600,000 to
buy it
-
the cost of the study itself & township personnel
etc etc etc
COMMENTS :
All of these and the many other “amenities” being built in this
“award winning community” is being built on the backs of those
who are being told their flooding cannot yet be funded ---
not to mention we have streets unpaved and a perennial
shortage of code enforcement . While professing to have no
money for proper flood mitigation, all of these projects are
adding up to a huge “empire” with on-going costs and
maintenance on an enormous scale year after year. These
buildings will all need upgrades, repairs and then, course,
there will be the wish list items for each. Briar Bush for
instance has been expanding into play areas & a museum – and at
the meeting declared that fees, now proposed for non-resident
museum visits, won’t solve their “buget woes” --- Each & every
one of these wonderful amenities will have on-going buDget
woes. There seems to be no limit to the Commissioners desire
to expand, despite having no increase in residents over the
last 30 years. They are planning 2 crucial things that will
affect us all – ONE: rezoning to increase the number of
residents (in Multi Use Zones) and TWO : attracting out of
town residents to use all these amenities Neither of these
appeals to me – and both mean increased traffic, crime etc.
Please feel free to
contact us
with your own
information on these topics and please be sure
to
contact us about any information you believe to be
incorrect -
|
