Newtown Submits New Plan of Study for Act 537 to State

NEWTOWN SQUARE–Mike Trio, manager, provided the Board of Supervisors with a brief update on the status of the town's Act 537 Plan–the township's official sewage facilities plan–at a meeting on Jan. 23.

"The township's Act 537 Planning Team have been conducting weekly meetings to track and expedite the Act 537 Plan resubmittal process," informed Trio to the supervisors on Monday night.

In August of last year, the supervisors as a third-party engineer to "help address the extensive public comment and give the township an unbiased review of the plan prepared by Kelly & Close Engineers," stated Trio at a previous meeting.

According to Trio, MacCombie & Associates have submitted a new plan of study for the Act 537 Plan which has been submitted to the state's Department of Environmental Protection on Jan. 4.

The new plan included an "updated scope of work and costs associated with the legal and engineering work of approximately $142,000, of which Newtown can be reimbursed one half of that amount," said Trio.

At a meeting in October of last year, Trio explained that the only difference in regards to the financing of the sewer plan is that there will be a clearly defined line of what's private and public.

"There will be no township participation in maintenance of private property. Laterals and pumps will be the responsibility of the homeowners," said Trio.

MacCombie was paid $2,000 for his services in 2011 reviewing the plan as approved by the supervisors. In the 2012 budget, supervisors approved a payment of $1,000 for MacCombie's services this year.

This year's budgeted line item for 537 Planning has been earmarked for $70,000.