ORWIGSBURG — The Orwigsburg Borough Council voted Wednesday to spend up to $110,000 on repairs to stormwater systems in the borough.
By a unanimous vote, the council voted to adopt a resolution authorizing the allocation of liquid fuels money for three projects, Marshall Drive and Ridge Road, Lehigh Avenue, and Church and Columbia streets. The state Department of Transportation’s approval is needed because they are spending some of the liquid fuels allocation they receive from the state, Borough Manager Robert Williams said.
Work could start shortly after approval is given and be completed this year, he said. The exact length of each section to be fixed was not provided. The borough will save thousands of dollars by doing the work themselves, he said.
On Marshall Drive and Ridge Road, there will be trench restoration work of the storm sewer costing approximately $39,000. The work on Lehigh Avenue consists of swale construction, storm sewer installation, and partial road reconstruction and overlay, borough documents show. That work is estimated at $39,000. At Church and Columbia streets, work will consist of storm sewer improvements and road construction on East Church Street for $33,000, Williams said.
In other business, the board adopted a resolution appointing three people to the Uniform Construction Code board that will meet on an as-needed basis. The council appointed Bill Knecht, Nick Bagdonis and Roy Heim for a one-year term. Williams said the borough was part of a regional UCC board before but that it was disbanded. He said they are trying to be proactive in forming the board, which will hear appeals from those in the borough about the code.
The council approved an update to an ordinance requiring the registration of rental properties in the borough. Williams said not much has changed since the last update three years ago. However, one of the changes in the ordinance relates to the storage of trash and recycling containers for rental properties other than in the front of the property. The building code official will look at the rental properties within 18 months of the effective date of the ordinance, which was Wednesday, and determine a suitable location. Requirements may be waived depending on circumstances. Williams said a location for homeowners might be adopted in the future.
Williams reminded the council and the audience of the zoning hearing board scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday. An appeal was filed to the zoning hearing board relating to the Blue Mountain Retirement Community to make a recommendation on the written comments provided by Greg Stewart, borough engineer, and Tom Yashinsky, the borough code officer. Stewart said previously the Blue Mountain plan “does not meet enough of the criteria” to comply with regulations. The board does not have to make a recommendation Thursday and will have a set time to do so.
The borough Planning and Zoning Commission voted March 16 to recommend denial of a retirement community plan. The Blue Mountain Retirement Community plan proposed by The Rhodes Organization, Boyertown, seeks to develop a 27.725-acre site that it owns along East Market Street between Breezy Acres and Kimmels roads. It planned for 400 rental units open to different age groups. A decision was needed March 16 because the council needed to take action on the plan no later than May 8, according to the state Municipalities Planning Code. Extensions of 90 days were previously provided to the borough for it to act on the plan.
Before this project was submitted, The Rhodes Organization had The Pine Creek Adult Community plan approved in 2009 by the borough council. That plan was similar but included underground parking and other changes.
Gretchen Coles Sterns, the attorney for J. Jerome Skrincosky, president of Hawk Valley Associates, PC, Mohnton, had submitted the Blue Mountain Retirement Community plan in August 2015 after the borough council denied requests for zoning ordinance amendments by The Rhodes Organization for The Pine Creek Retirement Community.
Three new people, Joshua Mairose, Lane Koury and Slade Bugajinksy, were hired as part-time summer workers in the borough at $10 an hour.
The council authorized the borough solicitor to revise or revoke an ordinance that established that police officers had to live within a 7-mile radius of the borough and to do the same for a resolution that set the required miles at 15-mile radius. Residency requirements will no longer be required. Williams said the issue had just come to his attention at a recent civil service meeting May 3. Currently, Williams said it is his understanding that two officers do not live in the borough. Williams said the change will have to come before the council.
Several community events will soon take place in the borough. The community yard sale is 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 21 and the Memorial Day parade starts at 8 a.m. May 30. The Lion’s Memorial Day BBQ will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Community Hall, Grove Street.