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Monday, November 17, 2014

Save Green Pond: Green Pond Marsh Designated a Wetland

Traditions of America has plans to develop Bethlehem Township's Green Pond Marsh into a 265-home gated development for active seniors. In fact, in late September, Traditions unleashed backhoes on the marsh, digging up 4' x 6' holes so it could conduct infiltration tests. They insisted that only a small portion of the site, about 27,000 sq ft, is an actual wetland. Bethlehem Township Police dutifully guarded the backhoes against dangerous brigands like the Sierra Club's Don Miles. .

Local police can certainly stop environmentalists and birdwatchers. Hell, even I could roll Miles. But the constabulary has no authority over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the state DEP.

According to Save Green Pond, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and PA Department of Environmental Protection visited the site last week on Wednesday, November 15 to conduct a wetlands survey.

They found that almost the entire 8-acre identified by Save Green Pond and Jack Glagola as a wetland is, in fact, a wetland.  Pink flags and ribbons outline the site.

This poses a major obstacle to tradition's plans for development at that site. It had proposed using this 8-acres as a detention pond.
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16 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 17, 2014 at 1:43 AM

    People have been saying as much at Twp. meetings but they were dismissed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. too funnyNovember 17, 2014 at 7:03 AM

    the American way - screw over seniors to save a bird.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousNovember 17, 2014 at 8:07 AM

    This is great new, now will they mandate the state put the road back to how it was before they cut the water source off from the pond (ie overflowing th entrees like it did for years and years)

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousNovember 17, 2014 at 8:08 AM

    *** Overflowing the street ***

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bernie O'HareNovember 17, 2014 at 8:17 AM

    Too funny, No senior is getting screwed over. There is no shortage of housing, especially for seniors with money. But that is one of few places where so many different kinds of birds congregate. The area is likely undevelopable anyway bc of the stormwater and traffic concerns. People who do live in BT are tired of the traffic and stormwaters, but you would add to that problem so J.B. Reilly can get richer.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bernie O'HareNovember 17, 2014 at 8:18 AM

    8:07, That road still overflows when it rains. The solution is an underground pipe.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousNovember 17, 2014 at 8:59 AM

    Great news.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousNovember 17, 2014 at 9:17 AM

    Screw over seniors?
    Is the Country Club and development operation tied into AARP?
    What am I missing?????????

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousNovember 17, 2014 at 11:07 AM

    "Screw over seniors"?? What a silly comment.

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousNovember 17, 2014 at 11:50 AM

    The proposal for the swamp is to keep it as a swamp. What's the controversy?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Bernie O'HareNovember 17, 2014 at 12:03 PM

    That's not the proposal. TOA planned on creating a stormwater basin and various ponds there.

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousNovember 17, 2014 at 2:41 PM

    If we leave it up to Marcia Hahn, you would have condominiums in these wetlands. Fortunately, cooler heads sometimes prevail.

    You can disturb wetlands if you demonstrate a hardship and what you will do to compensate for disturbing them.

    ReplyDelete
  13. cNovember 18, 2014 at 7:41 AM

    Why isn't the conservation community rallying to buy this land?

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousNovember 18, 2014 at 8:59 AM

    According to TOA this new perimeter actually works to their advantage and really has no negative impact on their plans. "Just some moving things around" and they plan on going ahead with the project. Good news for all township residents. I'm sure the township officials are looking forward to another round of whining from the locals, Gagolas, who's real agenda is not the birds but not in my back yard. Good luck TOA. Hopefully we can keep our seniors here by providing this type of development instead of forcing them to leave and "migrate" to saucon valley and the likes.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Bernie O'HareNovember 18, 2014 at 12:37 PM

    c, There have been meetings with the owner, but right now, it is under agreement to TOA. Can't interfere with a contract.

    ReplyDelete
  16. cNovember 18, 2014 at 5:47 PM

    OK Gotcha

    ReplyDelete

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