Supervisors Seem Willing to Continue 537 Planning Process

My thanks to supervisors Joe Catania, Dr. Ross Lambert and Ed Partridge who appear to be willing to continue the 537 planning process in an effort to include the needs of existing residents in the township sewage facilities plan. After Monday’s special meeting, the saying, “Better late, than never” comes to mind.

This is due to the fact that these three supervisors voted to postpone action on the township’s 537 plan in order to seek equitable planning for all the homes in the Echo Valley neighborhood. And, hopefully, for other neighborhoods that need continued planning review.

Supervisor John Nawn voted against postponing the action and Supervisor George Wood was absent from the meeting. On Friday morning, Feb. 8, at 9 a.m., township officials along with their 537 planning engineer, will walk the Echo Valley neighborhood to look at a system of gravity for the neighborhood. Residents who wish to join them appear to be welcome to join them. You can contact Township Manager Mike Trio at triom@newtowntwpdelco.org to be notified of the meeting place.

It seems that after a few meetings with residents, the supervisors directed James MacCombie to design a plan for a gravity system in the entire neighborhood. His preliminary plan, which was available at Monday’s special meeting, means that only four homes in the Echo Valley neighborhood potentially require a grinder pump. When asked at the meeting, MacCombie said that if it was his home, he would want gravity for his sewage facility alternative. 

At the meeting, MacCombie also indicated that he had moved the location of some of the pump stations. Is it possible that they were moved further away from residents’ homes? And, have those residents nearest the new locations been notified of this change? I hope so.  It certainly would seem to be another step in the right direction, in my view, if MacCombie and township officials take the time on Friday morning to visit the new pump station locations and truly look to find locations that do not negatively impact residents. 

At the same time, township officials can look at the historic home on Goshen Road that has asked for exemption from connection to public sewer. I sure hope the supervisors grant this request. This homeowner is maintaining a township historical treasure. If the homeowner is concerned that connection to public sewer could damage in any way the integrity of the historic home, we should trust his judgment. 

The historic homes in Newtown should, in my view, be given consideration that acknowledges their value to the community. Unlike Mr. Nawn who did not seem to look favorably on this request, I do not think this request is due to the homeowners' not wanting to incur cost. I honestly think that those that choose to live in historic homes believe in maintaining our history. I am grateful for their willingness to own and maintain these buildings.

Now, after moving forward with Friday’s meeting, I am hoping that the supervisors will have a location meeting in the Springton Pointe Estates and Springton Pointe Woods’ neighborhoods. Both these neighborhoods had many residents attending Monday’s meeting that asked for the supervisors to look at changing the proposed plan to consider alternatives that would not negatively impact their neighborhoods. 

And, it seems it would be possible given the information provided by Springton Pointe Estates homeowners’ association that the plan could be changed in a way that is cost neutral and better environmentally than the current proposal. These two neighborhoods should, in my view, get the same alternatives’ review that is now taking place for the Echo Valley neighborhood.

Planning may now take a little longer, but it looks like further planning will make for a better plan for all residents.