For years, raging stormwaters have brought citizens to Bethlehem Township Commissioner meetings. The most vocal have been Chetwin Terrace residents, but it's also a long-standing problem in various other locations. Perhaps the most serious example is the 1977 death of Debra LaForm. Her car had stalled out near Easton Avenue and Santee Road during a downpour. She placed a call for help at the then Butztown hotel. But on the return trip to her car, she was sucked into an 18" drainage pipe. Since that time, the problem has only become worse.
This is a problem that cries out for regional approach. From Lower Saucon to Upper Mount Bethel Northampton County communities are connected. One community can create stormwater problems for another.
Northampton County spends precious tax dollars on open space. In many cases, it is well worth it. In others, it is a waste. Instead of preserving cliffs or swamps that never will be developed, it makes sense to spend some money to study the extent of our stormwater problem. Bethlehem (City) is in the middle of its own study, and that's fine. But there needs to be a regional study, perhaps performed by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, to identify problem areas.
Once that happens, the solution should be one that protects citizens and their property while simultaneously improving water quality.
Funds available include open space tax funds, Marcellus Shale legacy funds and table games revenue.
Some Northampton County Council members are aware of this problem and are willing to work together to help solve it. But there will be no overnight solution.
18 comments:
I think you're in the right church, but the wrong pew. Redirecting funding legislated for other needs is a bad idea and lacks transparency. Calling something "X" and using the money, at a later time, for "Y" is misleading and one of the reasons people despise the way government often schemes with money. Cut the Open Space (or shale, or gaming) tax and create a storm water runoff tax fund, per voter approval. Perhaps it's time to look at the non-itemized Johnstown Flood tax on liquor to provide relief from ..... wait for it ..... flooding. That would solve the funding problem transparently.
I am not talking about redirecting funds. Limiting stormwaters and improving water quality is a legitimate open space concern. It is specifically mentioned in Marcellus Shale legacy funds. And table games revenue can be used for anything that is in the county's best interest.
The stormwater planning you're calling for is already covered in the ACT 167 Stormwater Management Plans by LVPC, which take a regional approach to stormwater management and evaluate each watershed in the Lehigh Valley. The amount of stormwater that a new development is permitted to release from its site depends on its location in the watershed. They're available on the LVPC website, but are kind of tricky to find.
Keeping open space from being developed is in itself one method to improve stormwater runoff. Therefore, redirecting money from Open Space to stormwater management would be counterproductive. Also, any solution that would involve retrofitting an existing problem, such as Nancy Run, would likely require more money than what is available in Open Space. That doesn't mean that Bethlehem Township or LVPC shouldn't try to come up with a cost-effective solution and/or find sources of funding, but taking from Open Space isn't the answer.
I am aware of the Act 167 stormwater management plan. It is completely inadequate. The empirical evidence since 2006 confirms that it is wholly inadequate. That study was prepared to comply with state law. I am suggesting a study that actually outlines the problem and suggests real answers.
Keeping open space undeveloped is indeed one way to prevent storm water run off. I am not suggesting a redirection of money from open space. I am suggesting that combating stormwaters is part and parcel of open space. Instead of throwing money at undevelopable cliffs and swamps, and making the rich all that much richer, I am suggesting that some of the funding available be used for stormwater management. The detention and retention ponds in newer developments just are not solving the problem. There needs to be an honest and hard look, and not by developers or the open space industry.
That industry actually argued that removing a dam on the Monacacy would prevent flooding in Colonial Bethlehem.That totally failed, but the Wildlands got grant money.
If a good project for environmentally sensitive land comes upo, I'm all for preserving it. But this program has deviated from its original purpose. Let's get back on track.
The place is governed by fools &!worse.
I'd love to see the FBI swoop down there.
They have many good people, including becky bradley.
Id be careful about lvpc doing anything. Their so called transportation plan has no planning in it. Looks cute but its weaksauce. Don't need to spend money taking pictures of my flooding issues and giving me ten generic bar charts about it. The township knows the problem but won't spend the money to fix it. Go study that.
As long as there are greedy politicians and developers, this issue with storm water runoff is only going to get worse. Look at Bethlehem ,Palmer and Hanover Township's or should I say West New York ? Enough said.
Good Luck. The major issue in Bethlehem Township comes from the City of Bethlehem's East Hills area. This problem has existed for half a century if not more. East Hills was fully developed before Act 167 went into place. I am sure the City of Bethlehem will put priority on this one and spend its taxpayer monies and resources to fix the issue. In the past the City balked at anything to solve the problem unless it was not on its nickle. If the Township is willing to "carry all of the water" if you will, I bet the city may participate.
Bernie - according to Campos and Brown, there are no Open Space funds. Our county taxes were raised 1/2 mill in 2008 to fund Open Space, but it isn't mandatory the funds be used for that. This year, Brown tried to steal every penny he could except the $1m that must be spent on parks, by a 5-year long ordinance that expires soon.
Before you advocate taking "Open Space funds", someone needs to suss out where that $3.7m is going, and if it isn't going for Open Space, call that revenue stream something else. Or rescind the 1/2 mill. Or, change it to Bernie O'Hare's stormwater management fund.
I can't wait to see how Brown suggests we spend that $3.7m this year, after making Council scrape at the last moment for $1.1m from other places last year to fund farmland and open space. They went to table games to get it. There are only so many rabbit holes, and you're suggesting raiding the same ones. With Brown's total lack of transparency, this promises to be another late term abortion.
Much as I like to hear Bernie O'Hare's stormwater management fund, that is not what I suggest. I instead propose modifying our open space to include stormwater remediation and improvements in water quality as specific goals. IF Brown refuses to fund open space, council can do this for him. But the Opens Space Advisory Board does itself no favors when it unanimously endorses the preservation of undevelopable boulders in Williams Township while ignoring the problems caused by stormwaters. I am proposing that the program be redefined for this purppose in addition to everything else. There may even be a need to set up an authority. Revenue avaialable also includes Marcellus Shale and table games.
Did anyone ask Tom Nolan how to fix it, he always has the answers. Perhaps he can also explain why Brodhead Road has more potholes than every other road in Bethlehem. I'm sick of getting front end alignments because I work on that road.
Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution seeking a major grant to fix that roadway.
Love the retro sensationalism from 1977.
I do admire the obvious research involved.
Who says bloggers aren't "real" journalists?
Not I.
OK, great. Now instead of 4 project areas for Open Space, now add O'Hare's Stormwater Management Plan. Let's assume the same 1/2 mill is to fund this, which should be no problem, because hey, it's $3.7 million dollars.
Now Brownie or the next idiot in a suit with $5 terms like "synergies" and "economies of scale" and "team" defunds everything, and takes the $3.7m to play with and doesn't tell council what that is. No different than what happened this year. Council has to look around the cupboard for scraps, which have been trimmed down because Brownie's pet project of reforming towns by awarding grants to questionable businesses is sapping $1m from the table games kitty.
Big difference from what is happening now. Add spending and the income is fixed and still hidden because some a-hole took it and didn't show where it went.
If I wanted to sensationalizze it, I'd point out that this young lady was sucked through an 18" drain pipe. I'd point out they could not find her body for eight hours. I'd point out that a volunteer firefighter was nearly sucked in, and had to be pulled away. And maybe i should have pointed out all of these things because otherwise, assholes like you will minimize the tragedy and claim there is nothing to see here.
@10:33
Always good to hear from Mrs. Hudak, even if it is the same old nasty song again and again.
FYI --- Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection chopped the storm water management planning program. Feds have new unfunded mandates too. Talked to Bradley, she wants plans updated. They need money to do it though. Yes, still needs to be a regional approach because watersheds are bigger than a single township.
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