By Nicole Brodeur, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: January 09, 1986The group at the river's edge told tall tales about the Bridgeboro Bridge while they waited to see it demolished.
One man spoke of the van that careened off the bridge, in Delanco, 15 years ago and was found beneath the waters of the Rancocas Creek the next morning. Inside, as the story goes, officials found the bodies of two men in the front seat and two women in the back, both naked and shackled to a wall of the van.
"That old bridge was a lot of trouble," said Delanco resident Bud Wallace, 74, as he leaned against the red bicycle he rode to the bridge in yesterday's biting cold.
Wallace said there were 12 deaths on the Route 130 bridge, which was replaced two months ago at a cost of $21 million by a sleek, new bridge that looms beside it. The new bridge was under construction for just over two years, and residents say it wasn't built soon enough.
"Too many lives were lost," Louis Anderson of Delran said as he sat in his car about 1,000 feet from the bridge, but still with a good view of the demolition site.
"It's an old landmark," Anderson said of the 58-year-old span, "but its (demolition) is going to benefit the people."
The demolition, however, did not go as smoothly as the first ride across the new bridge two months ago.
The second of three charges set under the bridge's cement counterweight - used to raise and lower the bridge - was supposed to break the counterweight apart. Instead, the weight shifted off its bearing, causing the northern end of the bridge to tip into the air and the southern end - planned for removal by a barge-riding crane - to splash into the water.
"The bridge didn't quite react the way it was supposed to," said Lou Conover, resident engineer for the state Department of Transportation. He said the third blast, which went off about 4:20 p.m., was used to knock the cement counterweight into the creek. Later, he said, the pieces would be removed from the water.
"I don't know if it was a miss. . . . The bridge just shifted," Conover said just before the third blast. "Maybe the charge was too big; you never know. You never know when you blast."
Merritt J. McAlinden, whose company oversaw the blasts, said he was uncertain of the consistency of the concrete used in the construction of the old bridge, which may have been one reason the first blast failed.
Conover said that the counterweight's shift might delay the demolition by one or two days but that the job should be completed in three weeks.
The blasts forced the closing of the new bridge for five-minute intervals, police said, to ensure that no one panicked at the sound or the shudder brought on by the explosion.
Letters To The Editor Bad Source
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20150922070409/http://articles.philly.com/1986-01-29/news/26053767_1_van-rescue-accidentPosted: January 29, 1986
I compliment you on enhanced coverage of Burlington County in general and the Township of Delran specifically. The Jan. 9 story on the demolition of the Bridgeboro Bridge, however, did your readers an injustice by including a description, from an unidentified source, of the accident involving the van that ran off the bridge approach and into the Rancocas Creek. It was not accurate. This information could have been researched before the story was published.
The accident occurred in May 1977, when the van, traveling north on Route 130, left the roadway on the approach to the bridge, demolished a billboard and landed about 80 feet out in the Rancocas Creek, in about 20 feet of water. Of the four occupants, three died soon after impact. The fourth, a woman, was trapped in the rear of the van, unconscious, in an air pocket. The rear doors of the van had been chained shut by the owner for security purposes.
The trapped woman was rescued by four members of the Delran Fire Department and Emergency Squad, which had been dispatched upon report of the accident. She recovered from her injuries and neither she nor the other woman was ''naked" or "chained," as the article related the unidentified source's story. The rescue efforts were recognized by the New Jersey State First Aid Council and the New Jersey College of Surgeons as the outstanding rescue in the state during 1977.
Daniel J. Paolini 2d
Delran, N.J.
25 Communities Seek Funds Under County Block Grant
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20151222082202/http://articles.philly.com/1987-01-07/news/26190260_1_countywide-projects-municipalities-drainageBy Charlie Frush, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: January 07, 1987Twenty-five of Burlington County's 40 municipalities hope to receive funds for municipal projects under the county's projected $1.9 million 1987 Community Development Block Grant program.
And the county plans to spend a chunk of its 50 percent share of the grant to promote new housing in a 26th community.
The second and final public hearing on the program is scheduled before the county freeholders at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Burlington County Administration Building's board room.
Katherine J. Carella, coordinator of the program, said that the county allocated half of the federal grant to the municipalities and the other half to countywide projects. Under the latter, Moorestown Ecumenical Neighborhood Development (MEND) would receive $100,000 to develop low- and moderate-cost housing units on North Church Street, she said.
"We're hoping to receive the same allocation as last year," Carella said. Last year, the county received $1.9 million.
Because of presidential deferral, however, the funds weren't received by the county until August, although they had been expected in March. Carella said the funds could be similarly delayed this year.
Carella said that 37 of the 40 communities in the county have participated in the program, although not all of them every year. Funds are distributed mostly for capital improvements or housing projects that benefit low- and moderate-income areas. Most grants are used by the municipalities for streets, curbs and storm drains, Carella said, and because the allocations generally are $50,000 or less, it often takes several years for a community to complete a project.
The municipalities seeking the most funds in 1987 include:
* Bordentown City, $50,000 for continuation of the Farnsworth Avenue business district improvements and sidewalk reconstruction.
* Burlington Township, $48,225 for continuation of Sunset Road sewer system improvements and replacement of the Sunset Road pumping station.
* Beverly City, $47,500 for replacement of curbs and sidewalks on Laurel Street.
* Fieldsboro, $40,000 for upgrading of water lines along Fourth Street.
* Palmyra, $40,000 for continuation of the Orchard Avenue drainage project.
* Pemberton Township, $50,000 for water mains along Pemberton-Browns Mills Road.
* Riverside/Delran, $60,000 for jointly administered Hooker Street drainage-basin project and road overlay on Greenwood and Oak Avenues.
From the county's half of the grant, the largest expenditures would be for:
* The Occupational Training Center, $310,243 to employ handicapped residents in the resource-recovery recycling program.
* Economic development, $150,000 for activities to expand economic opportunities to retain and create jobs for lower-income people.
* Senior citizen transportation program, $150,000 for operating costs for countywide transportation.
* Administration costs, $200,000 for administration of the block grant program.
The block grant funds are distributed by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, to which the county will submit its 1987 application on Jan. 26.
Central Fountain Urged In Mt. Holly
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20151017192911/http://articles.philly.com/1987-01-13/news/26186616_1_school-board-school-budget-fountainBy Jane Lenel, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: January 13, 1987Seven residents wearing large "Fountain in the Square" stickers urged the Mount Holly Township Council at its meeting last night to help "get the town moving" by approving placement of a fountain in the center of town.
A centrally located fountain would call attention to the historical nature of the community, help revitalize business, and make Mount Holly the only town in South Jersey with a fountain in the middle of town, residents said.
Debate about where to place the fountain, which was approved by the preceding council, has been going on for about a year, according to a township official.
"It would be a shot of B-12 for the town," one resident said, who named numerous businesses that he said had spent thousands of dollars to improve the appearance of their stores.
Town officials said they would continue to consider the matter.
In other municipal business last night:
BARRINGTON. The school board voted 5-4 to grant a 30-day extension to Commercial Site Selectors of Pemberton on an agreement for the sale of the former Culbertson School on Clements Bridge Road. The firm has until March 2 to complete the terms of the agreement, and after that the board will have the option of terminating it, said board President William Wilson. In December, the board voted 5-4 to sell the school to the group for $425,000.
BERLIN TOWNSHIP. The committee unanimously approved a three-year contract with its director of public works, J. Michael McGee. Under the contract, McGee will receive a salary of $27,000 this year and will receive incremental raises for a total salary of $30,000 by the third year. He will be responsible for increasing duties, including township road programs, leaf removal and vehicle maintenance. The committee also appointed Deborah Ruge to a one-year term on the planning board.
BURLINGTON CITY. Because the cost of transporting special-education students has risen 42 percent, the school board will seek a cap waiver from the county for the 1987-88 school budget. Currently, the school budget can increase no more than 13 percent. The board said an additional $44,697 was needed for transportation.
"I feel confident that they will approve this waiver because it is really needed," said board secretary William F. Ryan Jr. He said the costs increased because there are more special-education students and because new buses to accommodate physically handicapped students must be purchased.
CHESILHURST. The school board awarded a $3,000 contract to Bowman and Gallagher Co. of Voorhees to perform accounting services. The board also accepted the resignation of member Wanda Washington, who served two years of a three-year term. Board members said that Washington resigned for personal reasons and that they were uncertain when she would be replaced.
DELRAN. The school board approved a March 10 bond referendum on funding for new roofs for the Millbridge Elementary and Chester Avenue Middle Schools. The bond amount is pending contract bids, but finance committee member Ronald Napoli said the project could cost $800,000 to $1 million. The committee will accept bids next month, and work will be completed during the summer, Napoli said.
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP. The school board authorized spending $2.95 million to construct additional classrooms at the Loring-Flemming and J.W. Lilley Elementary Schools. If approved by voters in a March 10 referendum, the additions would accommodate 400 to 500 students who are expected to enroll in the two schools over the next three years.
The money would be used to construct 11 classrooms at the Lilley school in the Erial section and 12 classrooms at the Flemming school in Chews Landing. The plans are subject to the approval of the state Department of Education.
LOWER CAMDEN COUNTY REGIONAL. The school board approved a motion setting the procedure for planning a new school building. School Superintendent Paul Winkler said that the financing for and size and location of the proposed building had not been discussed but that one would be needed by 1990 to relieve crowding at Overbrook Senior High School and to accommodate the growing population in Winslow Township.
The board approval allows the district to inform the state Education Department of its intention to begin planning and site selection and to hire an architect. The district serves junior and senior high school students from seven municipalities.
MANTUA. The school board voted unanimously to appoint Martha Page as teacher of perceptually impaired students in Center City School. She is replacing Lori Peterson, who took a leave of absence. Katherine Smedley was appointed teacher's aide for neurologically impaired students in the fourth and fifth grades at the Center City School. Eleanor Wyatt was appointed acting child-study-team coordinator, and Emily Kohl was appointed acting learning disabilities teacher-coordinator.
MEDFORD LAKES. At a work session, school board President James Willson said the board planned to introduce at its meeting next Tuesday a new policy regulating the distribution of printed materials that students take home from school. The policy will be introduced in response to a problem the board encountered with a private group that sought to distribute pamphlets. He did not identify the group. Willson noted that Feb. 12 is the final filing date for announcing school board candidacies. Two seats will be up for election on the school board in April.
MERCHANTVILLE. The council told members of the borough's emergency medical squad that although the council supported plans to construct a building to house the squad and its equipment, more information would be needed before a final decision could be made on approving the construction. The 27-member squad now meets in the basement of the Municipal Building and houses its ambulance at one of the borough's fire halls.
MOORESTOWN. The council heard from a group of 18 Overbrook Circle residents who complained about poor drainage and pools of water on their cul-de-sac. Council members agreed to study the problem. No deadline for the study was given. The council also discussed the tentative scheduling of public hearings in March concerning the renovation of Memorial Field. No dates were set.
MOUNT LAUREL. The Township Council requested that Hovnanian Enterprises, the developer of Laurel Knoll East, modify a sign that will mark the entrance to the residential development. In an executive work session, the council concluded that the proposed 10-by-6-foot sign would impair vision of drivers at Union Mill and Bently Road. The council suggested that the developer conform with normal standards to ensure safety at the intersection.
OAKLYN. School Superintendent William Thompson said that a program to cover asbestos in the Oaklyn School was not completed during the Christmas break as expected but that students attending classes were in no danger. Thompson said asbestos was still visible in the mechanical drawing room, art room, boiler room and the kitchen. He said he was confident that crews from Insulation Services of Haddonfield could complete the job this weekend.
SOUTHAMPTON. The school board appointed David Serlin of Burlington City as acting solicitor. He will replace his father-in-law, Maurice Denbo, who died in November. Serlin will serve until June 30.
TABERNACLE. Elementary school students will choose the new names for School No. 1 and School No. 2, board member Richard J. Frazen said. At a Dec. 18 meeting, Parent Teacher Association and school board members decided to hold a contest in which students would draw pictures and write essays to support their choice for a new name. The contest, most likely to be held later this month, will tie in with the celebration of School No. 1's 50th anniversary this year, Frazen said.
VOORHEES. The Township Committee released the last performance bond pending against developers Ponds & Spitz for a 15-home development, Staffordshire II, off Route 561. The committee released the $30,714 bond after the township engineer approved a street installed by the developers.
WILLINGBORO. The school board reduced its regular meeting schedule from four Mondays a month to three, eliminating work sessions and making all meetings public sessions. The new policy will be effective through February and will be reviewed by the board in March.
"The change will allow the board to complete district business in a more timely fashion," said board member J. Robert Wisniewski. In the past, he said, agenda items often failed to be acted on due to extensive work session debate. Under the new schedule, the board will meet on the first, second and third Mondays of the month at 7:30 p.m.
WINSLOW. Winslow school employees who are health-maintenance-organization subscribers or their wives will be eligible for free breast-cancer screening conducted by the Fox Chase Cancer Center, the school board announced. Dates for the tests have not been scheduled. Employees who do not belong to an HMO can be tested but will be billed $85, which may be paid by their medical insurance.
WOODLAND. The state Agriculture Department warned the township in a letter to expect a heavy gypsy-moth infestation in the spring. At a meeting last night the Township Committee read the letter, which also informed local officials that the state would not be available to spray for the moths, but committee members took no action.
WRIGHTSTOWN. The Borough Council asked Solicitor Ernest Severs to draw up two ordinances to deal with abandoned cars and to hire an official whose job would be to enforce property-code violations. Officials said they were concerned that at least six businesses and residences in the borough were not up to code. One of the businesses has at least 12 cars junked on the property, they said. The council also approved mercantile licenses for 16 taxicabs at $100.75 apiece and 24 cabdriver licenses at $5.75 each.
Delran Council Backs Soil-program Transfer
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1987-02-04/news/26180208_1_conservation-district-soil-program-ordinanceBy Virginia Bohn, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: February 04, 1987The Delran Township Council has adopted, on the first reading, an ordinance that would shift responsibility for the review of soil-erosion and sediment- control programs from the township to the Burlington County Soil Conservation District.
If the ordinance receives final approval, it would make Delran the last municipality in the county to delegate the responsibilities to the conservation district, which is run by the state.
The ordinance was approved unanimously by the council at its regular meeting last Wednesday. A public hearing and a final vote on the ordinance are scheduled for Feb. 25.
Donald Yarus, district manager of the conservation district, said that under the terms of a state law enacted in 1975, local municipalities were left with the choice of running their own soil-control programs or leaving the job to the state.
Under the terms of Delran's ordinance, the district office would review plans to control soil erosion and sediment at new industrial, commercial and residential developments that cover more than 5,000 square feet of land. In the past, the task had fallen to the township engineer, Alaimo Associates of Mount Holly.
Council Vice President Andrew Ritzie said the change would save the township time and money, although he did not know how much.
Through county taxes, residents already pay for the services offered by the conservation district, he said, and having the service performed locally only duplicates the cost.
In reviewing a developer's erosion-control plans, the conservation district must make sure that the plans comply with state standards. The developer is responsibile for providing water disposal and protecting the soil surface during and after construction of new developments.
Going The Extra Mile For N.j. Roads
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20150920223934/http://articles.philly.com/1987-02-18/news/26181009_1_total-state-contribution-trust-fund-authority-largest-public-works-programBy Eddie Olsen, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: February 18, 1987The $3.2 billion Transportation Trust Fund, the largest public works program in the history of New Jersey, is running out of money more than a year ahead of schedule.
Hazel F. Gluck, commissioner of the Department of Transportation, has proposed renewing the program through 1991 and creating a new package worth $3.9 billion that would include $311 million in projects for Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties.
Renewal of the program needs approval by the legislature. On Feb. 26, the Transportation Department will present a joint Senate-General Assembly committee with a status report on the program and a detailed proposal for extending it until 1991.
The trust fund was the centerpiece of Gov. Kean's budget for 1984-85, when he said he would eliminate the backlog of transportation projects throughout the state. Those projects included the creation of Route 90 in Camden County, the completion of the Route 55 Freeway in Gloucester County and the construction of the new Rancocas Creek bridge on Route 130 in Burlington County. These projects and others are either under way or completed, but a backlog persists, according to Gluck.
By June 30, $2.7 billion of the $3.2 billion fund is expected to be spent. The program was scheduled through June 30, 1988.
"At the same time the funding is running out," Gluck said, "demands for transportation improvements are increasing."
In attempting to explain why state officials are running out of money a year earlier than planned, Gluck said, "Remember, this was a new concept to the department as well as (to) the governor, legislature and the public." Inflation was a contributing factor, she added. For example, there were construction expenses that increased between 5 and 15 percent, increases that were not planned for.
The program was designed to operate on $230 million a year in state funds from 1985 through 1988. But within a year of the program's inception, the Department of Transportation was forced to seek an additional $325.5 million for fiscal 1986 and $431 million for fiscal 1987, because of "accelerated construction schedules and increased project costs," Gluck said.
Despite the extra appropriations, the program still has come up short, Gluck said. In seeking to renew the program, the department proposes to provide $320 million a year in state funds through 1991. Combined with the Trust Fund Authority's issuance of more than $200 million in bonds, the total state contribution would be $525 million annually. Expected annual federal funding of $455 million would provide New Jersey with a total of $3.9 billion over the next four years.
Of that total, $640 million would be allocated annually for highways. In addition, the Department of Transportation would earmark $210 million annually for New Jersey Transit, $105 million each year for municipal and county governments and $25 million annually for general improvements.
One proposed source for generating an additional $200 million a year is New Jersey's gasoline tax. The Department of Transportation has been lobbying state legislators for an increase from the current tax of 8 cents a gallon to 13 cents a gallon. Only 2 1/2 cents is now dedicated to transportation; under the proposal, 7 1/2 cents would be.
Such a funding mechanism would require approval by the legislature and by voters in a statewide referendum.
State Sen. Walter Rand, a Camden County Democrat who is chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said he intended to study the renewal proposal before taking up the gas-tax issue.
Meanwhile, Deborah Lawlor, a spokeswoman with the Department of Transportation, said that a recent Gallup Poll commissioned by a coalition of labor and business groups indicated that 40 percent of motorists who knew about the Transportation Trust Fund said they would approve of a 5-cent increase in the motor-fuels tax.
Rehabilitation of highways and bridges is not just a New Jersey problem. In 1983, it was determined that $371 billion would be needed to rehabilitate 30,000 bridges and 94,000 highways throughout the country, according to a Congressional Budget Office study.
When Kean proposed the trust fund program for New Jersey in 1984, he said it would correct 40 years of neglect on roads and bridges. Business and labor leaders agreed that the program had shown results. Gluck said that 38,000 new construction jobs could be linked directly to trust fund projects. Those jobs, Gluck said, have been a factor in helping New Jersey post the second-lowest unemployment rate in the nation: 3.6 percent annually as of January.
"I think it would be difficult to find another equally compelling reason for the economic boom the state has been enjoying the past several years," Gluck said.
*Significant trust fund projects in South Jersey have included Route 90, which is a new state freeway in Camden County that is under construction on Haddonfield Road west of Route 130. When completed, the road will extend to Route 73 in Pennsauken. The project will cost $22.5 million.
A Camden County plan on the drawing board and earmarked for an appropriation from the proposed trust fund renewal is a $17 million project that would eliminate three traffic circles: Collingswood, Airport and Ellisburg. In all, the Transportation Department has recommended expenditures of nearly $90 million for Camden County projects through 1991.
In Gloucester County, the trust fund has provided $37 million to complete the northernmost 20 miles of Route 55 from Deptford to Route 42.
In 1985, a 4.2-mile section of Route 55 was opened from Route 42 to Route 47 in Deptford. In early 1986, a three-mile section was opened from Route 47 to Woodbury-Glassboro Road in Mantua Township. A remaining section is under construction from Mantua Township to Malaga in southeastern Gloucester County.
Route 55, to be finished in 1989, will link Deptford with Port Elizabeth in Cumberland County. Kean has termed the long-awaited Route 55 "the metaphor of South Jersey and the rest of the state" - a direct route south.
The trust fund also provided $23 million for the addition of a lane to Interstate 295 in West Deptford.
During the next four years, the Transportation Department wants to provide an additional $135 million for Gloucester County projects, including improvements to Routes 41, 42, 47 and 130.
In Burlington County, the trust fund provided $6 million for resurfacing Route 73 from High Street to Route 38 in Mount Holly, and $15.6 million for the addition of a second lane to Route 38 in Mount Holly between the New Jersey Turnpike and Pemberton Road. Both projects are nearing completion.
The trust fund program was also responsible for the early completion of the $21 million bridge on Route 130 over Rancocas Creek in Bridgeboro. The project was originally scheduled for completion last month, but it opened in August 1985.
In March, plans were announced for a $50 million project that would widen Route 73. The project, which was postponed, has been lumped with others proposed in the Transportation Department's renewal program. Work on the Route 73 widening is not scheduled to begin until 1990.
According to engineer James Morrison, the Route 73 project would be a top priority for South Jersey. It would include a three-mile stretch from Fellowship Road in Mount Laurel to Baker Boulevard in Evesham.
To pay for the completion of the Route 73 widening and several other Burlington County road projects, the Transportation Department will seek to provide up to $86.7 million through 1991.
While nearly $700 million in trust fund money has been used for improvements to the state's major rail- and bus-transportation systems, Gluck proposes to increase the allotment to $900 million under the trust fund renewal. In addition, she said that funding for New Jersey Transit should increase from a total of $50 million to a total of $105 million a year to ''upgrade, improve and expand" public transportation.
Sen. Rand, who sponsored the trust fund law, said its renewal was necessary. "We haven't finished all the things we have to do," Rand said. ''The whole state is in an uproar with detours, but you have to do it."
Other major projects that the trust fund has financed include engineering and construction of the Interstates 295 and 195 interchange in Burlington County, $68.7 million; improvements to the Garden State Parkway in Middlesex County, $60.9 million, and improvements to Route 1 from Trenton to New Brunswick, $58 million.
The state's costliest project was the completion of Interstate 287 through Bergen, Passaic and Morris Counties, for $398.6 million.
Delran Voters Approve $1.1 Million Bond Issue
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20150914160423/http://articles.philly.com/1987-03-18/news/26219072_1_bond-issue-new-roof-roof-repairsBy Gary H. Sternberg, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: March 18, 1987Delran school district voters approved a $1.1 million bond issue last night to fund new roofs for two schools.
By more than a 2-1 margin, the voters gave approval to rebuild roofs on the Mill Bridge Elementary and Chester Avenue Middle Schools. The vote was 181-77.
"We're pleased because it's something that's necessary as far as the students are concerned," said Robert L. Kerr, business administrator and board secretary.
On Monday night the board tentatively approved contracts for the work, pending the outcome of yesterday's referendum. Work on the roofs is to begin when school lets out for the summer and should be completed before students return to classes in September.
The board approved the bid of $264,000 submitted by the I. Alper Co., of Camden, to put a new roof on the Mill Bridge school. A $474,000 bid by Aulsso Roofing, of Vineland, to put a new roof on the Chester Avenue school also was approved Monday.
Both bids were lower than the board had anticipated. "It appears that approximately $100,000 could be shaved off the bond issue," Kerr said.
In addition to funding the two contracts, the bond issue will pay for legal fees, architectural fees and other expenses involved in the roof repairs.
Kerr said that while the roof work was being done, the schools' air- conditioning units also would be replaced.
Bond Includes Plan To Ease Delran Flooding Problem
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1987-09-02/news/26210793_1_water-problems-lawn-mower-township-officialsBy Patricia Quigley, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: September 02, 1987Brian Bauer has a swamp in his back yard.
And not by choice.
Bauer, who lives on Patricia Avenue in Delran, told the Township Council last week that he has flooding on his lawn and in his house, a condition that he said was not unusual on his side of the street, which is in the Swedes Run development.
But it is a condition township officials plan to investigate. At a meeting last Wednesday, the council gave preliminary approval to a $1 million bond ordinance that would provide a drainage system for Patricia Avenue, in addition to financing several other road and drainage projects.
A public hearing on the ordinance was scheduled for Sept. 23.
Bauer, who has lived on Patricia Avenue for three years and has been complaining about water problems to township officials for almost as long, said residents had a wide range of problems resulting from the flooding.
About 15 properties on Patricia Avenue are affected by the flooding, which Bauer attributed mainly to runoff from a soccer field that slopes down into the back yards.
Bauer said he paid $260 this summer to have his lawn mowed by a professional landscaper because he could not handle the waterlogged grass.
Another Patricia Avenue resident, Robert Leonard, said of one of his neighbors: "I actually watch him go out there with a Weed Wacker. That's how he has to cut his back lawn."
In addition, another man said he ruined his lawn mower when he tried to mow wet grass.
Other residents are afraid to allow their children to play in their back yards. Leonard, the father of three children, ages 1, 2, and 4, said he was concerned about their safety. Bauer said that there was water four inches deep on at least 10 properties, and that the water turned to ice in cold weather.
Mosquitoes are a problem in the summer. Residents have called on the Burlington County Mosquito Commission so many times that they know most of the workers by name.
In addition to the outdoor problems, residents also have flooding in their homes. Bauer has drained 60 to 100 gallons of water out of his basement nearly every day since April, he said.
Bauer also said he and his neighbors were worried about erosion and property values. "If I was to transfer tomorrow, my house is unsaleable," he said.
Bauer said that when he first complained to township officials, they told him the problem was his, attributing it to a nonfunctioning French drain, which is generally a stone-filled trench.
"There is a definite problem there," said David Benner, a consultant from the township's engineering firm, Richard A. Alaimo Associates of Mount Holly. ''We recognize that."
The engineer said, however, that the problem was probably not due to the soccer field, and that it was present before the field existed. He said the ground was not regraded when the field was developed.
Benner said that there had been a drainage system for the properties at one time, but that it had failed. According to the engineer, there is no indication of what the existing system is composed of. He said officials believe the system contains a series of underdrains - underground terra cotta pipes that gather water entering the ground and drain it elsewhere.
But he said there were no plans for such a system on file with his company, which was appointed the township's engineering firm in 1972, after the development was constructed.
Benner also said there was no way to determine who installed the system.
"The only thing I see there is a pipe coming into one of the inlets on, I believe, Swedes Run Drive," Benner said.
Benner said that if the township installed a functioning underdrain, it could detour the water before it affected the Patricia Avenue properties. He also said that it might be possible to connect the proposed underdrain with existing drains, but that a decision could be made only after a thorough investigation.
The engineer said the problem could be resolved in two to three months, depending on whether the township can forgo the normal bidding practice if the flooding is determined to be an emergency. The next steps are to investigate the extent of the problem, develop a plan to resolve it, and sign contracts for the work.
"We will get a solution," Bauer said. "I have faith in the system."
Communities Receive Grants From State For Roadway Repair
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20160101181032/http://articles.philly.com/1987-11-08/news/26173284_1_hough-grants-new-roadBy Charlie Frush, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: November 08, 1987Thirteen Burlington County communities have received grants totaling $838,500 from the state Transportation Trust Fund for municipal road projects.
There were 192 grants given to all the counties in the state this year, according to Hazel Gluck, state transportation commissioner. The program, now in its fourth year, runs out Dec. 31 unless it is renewed by the Legislature.
Bordentown Township secured the largest grant, $100,000, in Burlington County for a project on Dunn's Mill Road, and Delanco got the smallest, $13,000, for work on Poplar Street. To qualify for the funding, the projects must be under way within a year.
The others were Bordentown City, $30,000 for Mary and Spring Streets; Cinnaminson, $88,000 for Adams Street; Edgewater Park, $70,000 for Perkins Lane; Evesham, $30,000 for Tuckerton Road; Fieldsboro, $63,000 for Washington Street; Florence, $97,000 for Olive Street; Moorestown, $80,000 for Hartford Road (Section 2); North Hanover, $50,000 for Wrightstown-Sykesville Road; Pemberton Borough, $86,000 for the St. John Street-Hough Street Bypass; Pemberton Township, $90,500 for Ridge Road, and Southampton, $41,000 for Eayrestown-Red Lion Road (Section 2).
Here are details:
EDGEWATER PARK. Perkins Lane, the roadway selected by the township for the program, is certainly a good candidate. It will be reconstructed from Railroad Avenue to Delanco Road, a distance of a little over six-tenths of a mile.
"It's in dreadful condition," said Lew Bott of Alaimo Associates, the township engineering firm. "It has been in a gradual state of deterioration. First of all, it's a very narrow road, and there are no curbs. Over a period of time, the process of freezing and thawing has broken up the road, and the edges of the road have broken off."
Bott said that the new road would be 20 feet wide and that bids probably would be sought in the spring.
CINNAMINSON. Adams Street, a four-block road that runs from Division Street to Route 130, has potholes and the paving is very old, according to township administrator John Ostrowski. The street will be reconstructed with six inches of base course and two inches of macadam.
PEMBERTON BOROUGH. Although technically it is not a bypass, the St. John Street-Hough Street corridor is used so much by motorists heading to and from Browns Mills or the Burlington County College that it is commonly referred to as one.
By traversing one block of St. John and four blocks of Hough, drivers bypass the traffic signal at Hanover and Elizabeth Streets.
The project calls for installation of curbs and repaving on the two streets, according to Gene Engelbrecht of Alaimo, the engineer for the borough.
DELANCO. Poplar Street hasn't been resurfaced in more than 30 years, township administrator Jeff Hatcher estimated. It runs for only about a block and a half from Rancocas Avenue to Franklin Street. It will be resurfaced. The grant does not cover engineering costs, Hatcher said, which can run between 10 to 20 percent of the cost of a project.
PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP. Ridge Road will be repaved with some shoulder improvements for drainage for 0.85 miles from Vance Street to Mirrow Lake.
BORDENTOWN CITY. Work is under way on Spring Street, which in addition to repaving will get new curbs and sidewalks, and the Mary Street project probably will be started in the spring. The work on Spring Street is from Elizabeth to Mary Street, and for Mary, it's from Spring to Pine Street.
SOUTHAMPTON. This will mark the second section of the Eayrestown-Red Lion Road to be renovated with trust fund money.
Section one, for about two miles from the Red Lion Inn to Church Road, was repaved in the summer. The road is badly "alligatored," according to township engineer Harold Maser of Maser Associates, and will break up if not repaired.
MOORESTOWN. The trust fund largess has twice come through to help the community reconstruct sections of Hartford Road.
It has come through again, and the $80,000 in the latest commitment will permit the township to build up another three-tenths of a mile of the road.
Work on the first section, in fact, got under way two weeks ago for the stretch of 2,500 feet from the Delran Township line toward Cox Street. The trust fund's new $80,000 commitment will permit the work to continue for another three-tenths of a mile. The road is closed, and completion of phase one will require another three or four weeks. Section two will probably begin in the spring.
In both cases, full reconstruction of the road is being done, with drainage improvements, according to township administrator John Terry.
FIELDSBORO. Washington Street, one of the community's main roads, will be reconstructed for about 700 feet from Fourth Street to Second Street with new drainage pipes and inlets.
According to R. Louis Gallagher, township engineer, the road is broken up in places, lacks curbing and suffered from poor drainage. Gallagher said the community hoped to continue improvements to the road for another three blocks, from Fourth Street to the Delaware River.
FLORENCE TOWNSHIP. Olive Street will be widened from 24 to 30 feet and new curbs and drainage installed as it is reconstructed for 600 feet from Delaware Avenue to a point between Third and Fifth Streets. Olive is 2,800 feet long, according to Gallagher, who is also the engineer in Florence, and the entire expanse is in bad condition.
NORTH HANOVER. There's a catch in North Hanover's plans to repair the mile of the Wrightstown-Sykesville Road within the township limits.
The problem is, it's a county road.
"I have been on the Township Committee for nine years," Mayor Stan Horner said, "and we have been trying for nine years to get the county to repair this section, with no luck at all. I'm sure they had a higher priority."
So the township soon will consider entering a cooperative agreement with the county next year, whereupon the road would be turned over to the township and the county will furnish funds to add to the state grant to reconstruct the road.
"The road is very bad," Horner said, and the township is already maintaining it in winter. "We have to use this road to get to some of our other roads."
A big problem has been the height of the road. It stands above surrounding property, Horner said, and rainwater runoff goes into the yards of residents, all of whom have septic systems that then fill up.
BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP. Dunn's Mill Road, once just a country road, will be modernized in a project that will get rid of the deep drainage ditches along its side and turn it into a suitable artery for the traffic it receives as the main road to the high school and as a connector between Routes 206 and 130.
"We're going put in storm drains, remove the ditches, put in curbs and then excavate the road sub-base, put in new base and repave it curb to curb and widen it a few inches," said Glen Petrauski, township director of public works. The road is now 22 feet wide.
The section to be reconstructed, from Interstate 295 to 206, is 2,600 feet long.
Delran Is Ready To Begin Area Road Improvements
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20150920192634/http://articles.philly.com/1988-01-29/news/26281642_1_township-officials-repaving-roads-improvementsBy Patricia Quigley, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: January 29, 1988Delran has embarked on "the most aggressive road program" in the township's recent history, calling for improvements to roads in virtually all areas of the township, township officials said.
On Wednesday, the Township Council awarded a $1.7 million bond anticipation note to MidLantic Bank/South, based in Haddonfield, to finance the program and buy equipment.
The interest rate on the note is 5.25 percent, according to Mayor Richard Knight.
"It's the most aggressive road program Delran has undertaken," Knight said. "We have seen over the past three years the infrastructure is having more and more problems. Among those problems are caving storm drains and flooding."
Some of the roads in the 7.5-square-mile township are 15 to 20 years old, he said, and have received only patchwork or were not built well originally.
The improvement program "literally touches every neighborhood in Delran," Knight said, including Suburban Boulevard, Harper Boulevard and Stecher Avenue, and Tenby Chase drainage inlets.
Knight said the bulk of the money would be used for reconstructing and repaving roads and for drainage improvements.
Officials developed priorities for the roadwork based on a review 2 1/2 years ago by township engineer David Benner of Richard A. Alaimo Associates, Mount Holly. The council subsequently inspected the areas.
Work is expected to start in the next few months and last into 1989. Officials estimate that the project will take 12 to 18 months to complete.
Holy Cross Permitted To Construct Expansion
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20151226220601/http://articles.philly.com/1989-06-14/news/26105640_1_school-study-expansion-series-of-fund-raising-activitiesBy Ruth Masters, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: June 14, 1989Holy Cross High School has received approval from the Delran Planning Board to construct a $3 million expansion to the Route 130 school.
The 30,000 square-foot addition would serve as a student-activities center that would house art studios, a darkroom, a band/choral room, a second gymnasium, other athletic facilities and additional classrooms.
Sister Mary Persico, the school's principal, said last week that the additional space would alleviate overcrowding. The shortage has forced the band to practice in a storage area and has forced study halls to convene in the auditorium. Particularly severe is the crunch experienced by winter athletic teams that must vie with one another for practice time in the school's single gym.
Holy Cross, which is part of the Diocese of Trenton, is the only Catholic high school in Burlington County and consequently draws students from throughout the region.
Another motivation for the expansion, Sister Persico said, is a school study predicting that the school's population may rise from the current level of 1,500 to 1,800 within the next five to 10 years.
"Even if the population doesn't expand, we have a present need," said Sister Persico, who has been principal for two years.
Vice President of Development Dennis Dranchak said last week that 8,000 square feet in the existing building would be renovated as part of the same project. Among the areas to be overhauled are weight training, storage, locker and coaching rooms.
Both Dranchak and Sister Persico said that the school promised the diocese that it would not begin construction until all of the necessary money had been raised. They could give no estimate on how long that would take.
None of the $2,100 that each student pays in tuititon annually will be appropriated to the expansion. Instead, Dranchak said, the school will conduct a series of fund-raising activities to raise the $3 million.
The kick-off event will be a $250-a-plate dinner to be conducted June 29 at Merion Caterers. Former Phillie Greg Luzinski will receive the school's Lancer Award, given for outstanding contribution to the school. Luzinski coaches baseball and football at the school. Other former Phillies are expected to attend the function and toast one of their own.
The school also hopes to garner money through a direct-giving campaign aimed at alumni, and past, present and prospective parents, and through an auction scheduled for the fall.
Delran Board To Study Need For Building School
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20150914084749/http://articles.philly.com/1989-03-30/news/26126136_1_school-board-new-school-building-schoolBy Gary H. Sternberg, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: March 30, 1989The Delran School District will conduct a study to determine whether two planned residential developments totaling 1,490 units will require the township to build a new school, school board President Ronald Napoli said last night at a meeting of his board and the Township Council.
School officials also agreed to provide the council with information to enable it to determine how recreation and school space should be distributed on 11.25 acres that developers plan to donate for public use.
The land is being donated by Bergen County-based InterDevelCo, which is planning to build 746 units, and Marlton developers Joseph and Steven Samost, who are planning a 744-unit development. Construction for both is to start this spring.
The two adjacent developments, bounded by Creek, Hartford and Bridgeboro Roads, will each consist of single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums.
The developers agreed to donate the 11.25 acres off Hartford Road after negotiations with the township. The Samosts agreed to build a football field and a tennis court on their parcel while InterDevelCo agreed to build a baseball field and basketball court on its parcel. Space on the parcels is also set aside for a school if the school board decides to build one.
"We want to site where you would put your building," council President William Smock told members of the school board last night.
The school board agreed last night to provide the council with the plans for the 600-student Millbridge Elementary School so that council members could get an idea of how much space is needed to build a school.
Council members said the fields and courts would be installed during the early stages of the subdivisions, but both council and school board members agreed that some recreational facilities may have to be removed if a school is eventually built on the site.
Council Authorizes Site's Condemnation
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20150919213147/http://articles.philly.com/1989-07-05/news/26132901_1_easement-township-plans-drainageBy Ruth Masters, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: July 05, 1989The Delran Township Council has authorized condemnation proceedings against property owned by two residents who refused to grant the township a storm- drainage easement.
The township plans to sue Mark and Joanne Pippitt of the 800 block of Faunce Street in order to gain access to a 15-by-33-foot strip of land. The Pippitts rejected a May 1 offer of $2,100 for the easement.
Accepting the offer would have given the township access to the land in order to lay and maintain drainage pipes. The Pippitts are out of the country and could not be reached for comment.
The easement is for a project that would replace a non-functioning drain at the end of Stecher Avenue. The existing drain has resulted in flooding at neighboring properties, said township administrator Jeff Hatcher.
Joseph and Barbara Kowaleski of the first block of Stecher Avenue received $800 for granting a storm-drainage easement. Hatcher said no other property owners were asked for easements for the project, which is expected to cost the township $35,800.
The houses at the end of Stecher, which is a dead-end street, abut those at the end of Faunce Street. One Faunce Street resident complained that heavy rains turn her back yard into a lake and that soil erosion from the flooding has led her to replace her grass three times in the last seven years.
Hatcher and several council members said they were not sure why the Pippitts rejected the township's offer but added that condemnation would allow the township to take possession of the needed land. In return, the couple would receive the fair market value of the property, Councilman Andrew Ritzie said. The $2,100 offered the couple in May was fair-market value based upon a township appraisal done in March.
Hatcher said no starting date for the project has been set since work cannot begin until the easement dispute is resolved. He added that road reconstruction and curb installation work costing about $197,300 also would be done.
Delran Clears Up Right-of-way Issue
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1989-08-06/news/26150166_1_drainage-problem-road-reconstruction-pipesBy Ruth Masters, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: August 06, 1989Delran Township has settled a misunderstanding with two residents over access to land needed to install drainage pipes.
In its June 28 meeting, the Township Council authorized legal proceedings against Mark and Joanne Pippitt of the 800 block of Faunce Street, believing that the couple had rejected a $2,100 offer for right of access.
The township wants to lay pipes beneath a 15-by-33-foot strip of the Pippitts' land to correct a drainage problem at the end of Faunce Street and Stecher Avenue.
In a May 12 letter to the council, Bob Bucker, who has power of attorney for the Pippitts, said that the couple had questions about taxes, land ownership and the possible destruction of trees. Bucker has been dealing with the township on behalf of his daughter and son-in-law, who are out of the country.
The tone of the letter led the township's attorney to conclude that it was a rejection and to recommend condemnation proceedings, according to Jan Schlesinger, a partner in the firm representing Delran. Schlesinger said he thought the Pippitts may not have understood what an easement was.
"The township kind of jumped the gun," Bucker said. "Based on my conversations with my daughter, they just had some questions. They didn't reject it."
Township administrator Jeff Hatcher said the settlement "is the original one."
"The only thing that went on is that we met with Mr. Bucker and indicated where the easement would be going. There are no guarantees involved, but I think they are satisfied that only one tree will be killed," Hatcher said.
The drainage repair is part of a road reconstruction and curb installation project that is expected to cost $197,300.
School Board In Delran Prepares For Pupil Boom
Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20150914035912/http://articles.philly.com/1989-08-20/news/26149182_1_firm-or-consultant-school-board-new-developmentBy Ruth Masters, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: August 20, 1989While the two developers of 1,500 housing units in Delran are inching toward groundbreaking, the township's school board is wrestling with the issue of how to handle the potential influx of 600 students into the township within the next few years.
Bergen-based developer InterDevelCo may begin construction on the first of 745 housing units on a 135-acre tract as early as Nov. 1, according to company vice president Ed Gallacher.
The complex will have 188 single-family houses, 365 townhouses, 192 garden condominiums, 75 of which will be low-income. The first of the single-family homes is scheduled to be completed next spring.
However, Joseph Samost, the developer who proposed building 707 units on a contiguous 125-acre tract, has not yet received final approval for his plans from the Township Council. Preliminary plans call for the construction of 183 single-family homes, 308 townhouses and 216 condominiums, 75 of which would be for low-income families.
Attorneys for Samost would not say how close the company was to submitting final plans. After the plans are submitted, the council will hold a public hearing and then vote on their approval.
Both tracts are in the area between Creek, Hartford and Bridgeboro Roads. Both developers have agreed to set aside about 5.5 acres for recreational use and for a school, if one is needed.
School board President Ronald Napoli said last week that the board was not certain that a new school would be needed. The district now has a student population of about 2,200. Peak enrollment during the 1974-75 school year was 3,300 students.
The board is conducting a room-by-room study of the district's high, middle and three elementary schools to determine the amount of unused space. In addition, it will conduct an impact study of the new development.
"Right now, we are analyzing the use of our present facilities," Napoli said. "There is no question today that there is some unused capacity. The degree is what we have to determine."
"We will then analyze the impact of the new development on student population and then determine if we need a new school and what size it would be," he said.
District Superintendent Bernard Shapiro said last week that the school board was still wrestling with the issue of the growth study, although he said there was a consensus among school board members that a committee involving community members should be formed.
"The intent is to keep the study committee small enough to be manageable, but big enough to involve the community," he said, adding that the committee could be formed in early fall.
The board may also hire an outside firm or consultant to help with population projections and determining the latest demographic trends.
State Delays Could Threaten Delran Projects
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1990-02-18/news/25883147_1_state-delays-bins-school-boardBy Joseph N. DiStefano, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: February 18, 1990Delran school officials said Monday night that there are four projects that are threatened by the delay in approval of the state's 1990 budget.
School board Vice President Robert Mull said the likelihood of a conservative education appropriation may postpone the projects or force cuts in other areas.
Mull said new Department of Environmental Protection regulations require Delran to replace in-ground heating fuel tanks at Cambridge, Aronson and Delran Middle Schools, at a cost of $50,000 each. The department requires replacement based on age, regardless of the tanks' conditions.
Mull also said the district planned to put up three flagpoles at the football stadium and a backdrop at the baseball field.
A street-side enclosure for large trash bins will be built on Hartford Road near the high school to make it easier to remove waste and prevent health hazards, Mull said. The bins are now behind the high school.
In other business, the board unanimously voted to award a contract for busing students to the Kingsway School to Miller Transportation Co., but decided against contracting out the bus route to Charles Street School in Palmyra.
Delran Set For Repairs At 2 Schools
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1992-05-10/news/26013575_1_repairs-school-board-life-expectancyBy Josh Zimmer, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT
Posted: May 10, 1992Plans to repair two of the Delran school system's long outdated heating and ventilation units were spared the budget ax last week.
Repairs on the troublesome old systems could begin this summer, according to superintendent Carl Johnson.
The nine-member school board voted to preserve the $60,000 to $80,000 in capital funds needed to repair the heating and ventilation units in the Aronson Bell and Cambridge Elementary Schools.
The systems have frequently broken down over the years, though they have not caused school shutdowns, said William Blatchley, director of buildings and grounds.
"It's normally a critical breakdown problem," Blatchley said. "We've been able to keep them running, but you can only keep the dice rolling so long."
The oil-fired, hot water/steam units have already surpassed their normal 50-year life expectancy, he said.
The Aronson Bell school opened in 1918 and Cambridge in 1923. Only repairs and retrofits to the equipment, where parts were no longer available, have kept the systems functioning, Blatchley said.
The expected project would not overhaul the systems but would involve replacing parts, Blatchley said.
The school board had intended to start renovations during the 1990-91 school year, as part of a five-year plan that modernized similar systems the previous two years at the high school and Millbridge Elementary School.
Delran Board Orders Traffic Study Near Middle School
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1992-09-10/news/26024855_1_school-addition-middle-school-school-boardBy Josh Zimmer, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT
Posted: September 10, 1992In response to Delran residents' concerns that an addition to the middle school would create a traffic problem on an already busy Chester Avenue, a $3,000 to $5,000 study is underway to determine how streams of buses and extra cars would mix with existing traffic.
The school board, which awarded the contract for the study Sept. 2 to the Medford traffic engineering firm of Horner & Canter Associates, wants to allay any fears that might accompany its $7.9 million construction referendum scheduled for next month. If approved, the Cambridge and Aronson Bell Elementary Schools would be closed once a 39,638-square-foot elementary school addition to the middle school is completed.
The referendum also proposes funds for expansion and modernization of the administrative offices, currently in Aronson Bell.
"We're just doing this to make sure people are comfortable with (the referendum)," James Hatzold, chairman of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, said last Thursday.
At a special July board meeting to introduce the proposal and to schedule the Oct. 13 referendum date, many residents criticized the project, saying it was too expensive and would create a dangerous traffic situation. Many of them came from the neighborhoods surrounding both schools where children often walk to school.
Chester Avenue is a heavily trafficked street on weekdays, when hundreds of workers stream in from Route 130 to their jobs at Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc.
The two-week study will analyze car counts being taken near or on Chester Avenue, Jerry Canter, vice president of Horner & Canter, said Friday. The study began before school opened Tuesday, so it would take into account school and non-school traffic.
Hatzold said the board wanted to present the findings at Monday's meeting, but Canter said the earliest it could be completed was later next week. Holy Cross High School, with an entrance off Chester Avenue, starts several days later, and traffic to and from there will also be included, Canter said.
Hatzold said the new school hours, starting from approximately 9:15 to 9:30 a.m. and ending from 3:15 to 3:30 p.m., will not coincide with traffic to and from Macmillan.
About 450 Macmillan workers begin at 7:30 a.m. and leave at 3:30 p.m. Another 250 workers arrive in three other shifts staggered at 30 minute intervals.
The last shift starts at 9 a.m. and leaves at 5 p.m., a company personnel clerk said Friday.
The board says passage of the referendum is necessary to replace the outdated Cambridge and Aronson Bell Elementary Schools, each built about 70 years ago. The buildings, which can house about 293 kindergarten to fifth- grade students, are both at or near capacity.
The middle school addition would house an estimated 500 K-5 students. With an influx of about 250 students expected from families moving into a new, 713- house development on Hartford Road, the board says it must act now to increase capacity and modernize its facilities.
Stinging Defeat In Delran Of A Bond Issue For School
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1992-10-14/news/25999801_1_bond-issue-school-board-cambridge-elementary-schoolsBy Josh Zimmer, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT
Posted: October 14, 1992DELRAN — Voters last night resoundingly defeated a proposed $7.8-million bond issue to build an elementary school.
The vote was 1,811 against to 726 in favor.
"The voters expressed their concern about unregulated spending," said activist Albert Fynan, who helped organize residents against the proposition.
If the measure had passed, residents would not have seen a tax increase for the first four years, but they would have paid an estimated $38 annually over the next 20 years, according to the school board.
Despite an aggressive public relations campaign, the school board apparently failed to convince residents that the project was crucial to accommodate an expected influx of 200 students from a 713-housing development that is under construction.
Two of the district's three elementary schools are at or over capacity, the board said.
"This means we don't have a solution for the problems we were trying to address," Superintendent Carl I. Johnson said. "We're going to continue to get more children, and we're going to continue to try to maintain two old buildings (Aronson Bell and Cambridge Elementary Schools) and we have no additional classrooms."
The proposal called for building an elementary school by adding a 40,000 square feet to the existing middle school on Chester Avenue, which would accommodate 530 students. The addition could have been expanded to fit 200 more children. In addition, Aronson Bell and Cambridge schools, both about 70 years old, would have been shut down or demolished.
The proposal also included funding for new administrative and child study team offices, furniture, repairs to the high school, middle school and Millbridge elementary school and $963,000 in architectural fees.
The board contended that renovating the two existing schools would have cost more than the one addition.
After voting last night, 71-year-old Ann Saputo said her taxes were already high enough.
"I voted a big 'No,' " she said. "I'm paying $3,300 (in taxes). I'm at the point now where I think it's outrageous they want to build a new school. I'm on a fixed income."
Taxes were the issue on voters' minds, but in the months preceding the referendum, residents also expressed other concerns.
Many residents consider Aronson Bell and Cambridge to be neighborhood schools, where children either walk to classes every day or live within a short busing distance.
In addition, Cambridge residents were concerned that children would be forced to make an unsafe walk across the heavily trafficked Chester Avenue in order to reach the new elementary school, Fynan said.
School Wouldn't Add To Taxes, Delran Says A New $7.6 Million Bond Would Replace A Bond That Is Expiring, Officials Say. Voters Will Decide Feb. 17.
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1994-02-06/news/25859445_1_new-bond-new-school-middle-schoolBy Laurent Sacharoff, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT
Posted: February 06, 1994DELRAN — More than a year after a $7.8 million bond referendum for a new school failed resoundingly, voters in Delran will decide Feb. 17 on a $7.6 million bond that backers say has one important selling point:
No new taxes.
The money would build a 30-class intermediate school that is needed, administrators say, to make room in the crowded system for more pupils from two planned 700-unit housing developments.
No new taxes would be needed because an old bond will expire in 1995, and the new bond would simply replace it. By approving the bond, voters would forgo a possible - although not guaranteed - tax reduction of up to $55 per resident per year, said Carl Johnson, superintendent of schools.
"This is a window of opportunity to do this type of thing that would be out the door, so to speak," Johnson said.
Lining up a new bond right after an old one expires is not a new idea to school districts. Edgewater Park plans to do the same thing in April for about $550,000.
In Delran, a 20-year bond that had raised money for its high school expires at the end of 1995.
If the plan is approved, Aronson Bell Elementary School would be razed immediately to build a new school serving up to 750 pupils from grades three through five on the Creek Road site. Johnson expects the school will be named Delran Intermediate School.
The new school would be finished by September 1995, Johnson said. Construction would be funded with short-term loans to be repaid when the new bond starts in 1996.
Delran has three elementary schools: Millbridge, Aronson Bell and Cambridge. If the plan passes, Cambridge would be closed and Millbridge would take all kindergartners through second graders. As a result, all Delran students will go to the same schools as they progress through the system.
The previous referendum called for building a smaller elementary school next to the middle school.
During construction, Aronson Bell pupils would be put in other schools, although Johnson said no plans had been finalized.
Voting will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. Feb. 17 at Millbridge School, the middle school on Chester Road, and the high school at Hartford and Conrow Roads.
New School To Herald A New Era For Delran Delran Intermediate Will Offer The District More Than Nice Digs. It Will Also Bring Unity And Equity, Officials Hope.
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1995-08-07/news/25711082_1_new-school-house-grades-school-systemBy Natalie Pompilio, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT
Posted: August 07, 1995DELRAN — Route 130 has been a physical barrier for residents here since before the Depression, when it was a two-lane dirt road called the Burlington Pike.
Recently, the six-lane highway has been an educational and social barrier for the town's young people as well.
Aronson Bell Elementary, once located near Rancocas Creek in the Bridgeboro section, and Cambridge Elementary, nearer to the Delaware River, were in Old Delran, the established part of town that includes the land west of Route 130 and a small part of the east side near the Rancocas.
Millbridge Elementary, on Conrow Road, is in New Delran, the rest of the land east of Route 130 that was built up after World War II.
Today, the school district is breaking ground on a new intermediate school, the first step in a plan that it hopes will bridge those divisions.
The problem, in the words of School Superintendent Carl Johnson, has been ''education equity."
Aronson Bell and Cambridge were very small; for example, each had one first-grade classroom, while Millbridge had four. The geographic isolation of the two smaller schools, as well as their size, hindered learning. Students at Millbridge were receiving benefits such as team teaching and specialized instruction that the other schools' children weren't.
Another problem was a social one.
"I had parents come up to me and say their children had a hard time adjusting to the middle school because their children had been isolated at Aronson Bell or Cambridge," Johnson said.
When the new school, tentatively named Delran Intermediate, opens in September 1996, it will house grades 3 through 5. Students in grades K to 2 will attend Millbridge School; grades 6 to 8 will stay in Delran Middle School, and grades 9 to 12 will be in the high school.
The new system will allow students to meet in kindergarten and travel through the school system together, as well as give them new educational opportunities.
To Michael Gallucci, principal of the high school, the change was long overdue.
The 25-year veteran of the Delran school system said he was especially excited about the process because, "I get the product."
Aronson Bell Elementary was torn down last summer; its grounds are being used for the new building. Cambridgewas closed at the end of this past school year, and the township is considering using it as a recreation or community center.
"Those two schools were antiquated when I came on board in 1970," Gallucci said.
Residents apparently agreed. Voters approved a $7.8 million plan for the new school in a February 1994 referendum.
The new school was originally scheduled to open this September, but permit problems delayed the building process. In October 1994, the architectural plan submitted to the county's Soil Conservation District fell short of drainage requirements. In March, a second plan was submitted that was finally approved in June.
While the school is under construction, fifth graders from Aronson Bell will attend class at the middle school, while grades K to 4 will be housed at Millbridge. To accommodate the additional students at Millbridge, the district has bought four portable classrooms at a total cost of about $120,000. These units will be sold back after this school year. The superintendent estimated that the district would get back 80 percent of the purchase price.
Busing the students to their new schools will not cost any additional money, Johnson said. The district now buses about 75 percent of its students, and that percentage will remain about the same, he said. The only hurdle, he said, will be getting through this school year.
"We're going to have to deal with some inconveniences this coming year, but there's light at the end of the tunnel," Johnson said.
In Delran, The Bell Tolls For Cambridge School The Building Will Be Razed In November.
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1995-09-24/news/25719111_1_new-intermediate-school-cambridge-school-school-boardBy Natalie Pompilio, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT
Posted: September 24, 1995DELRAN — Adele Yuka remembers running around Cambridge School, banging pots and pans together. World War I was over, and the students were celebrating with a makeshift parade.
"It was a beautiful school," Yuka, 85, said. "We all loved that school."
The daughter of Polish immigrants, Yuka attended third and fourth grade at Cambridge. Her favorite teacher was Miss Thomas, who had to retire when she married. Miss Thomas read the Bible to the students every morning and let them dress in ethnic costumes.
"My sister and I had long gowns and we stood in front of everyone. One of the boys had to wear black bloomers and I still can't forget that," Yuka said.
Yuka and other alumni of the elementary school will always have their memories but they won't always have their school. The 77-year-old building is targeted for demolition beginning in November.
With Delran's new intermediate school under construction and scheduled to open in September 1996, the school board no longer had use for the building. The school was offered to the township, perhaps as a recreation or community center, but the council turned it down. The school board voted unanimously in late August for the school's demoli-tion.
Although many residents of the Cambridge section of Delran are saddened by the loss, they said they would rather see the school torn down than used for anything other than education.
"The neighborhood couldn't handle it," said Henry Shinn, who has lived in the quiet community, which was once a largely Polish settlement, for the last 10 years.
As a school, he said, the building was in use from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. But as a community center, for example, the building would have been open late nights and on weekends.
Leaving the building as it had been since the end of school last June, with its windows boarded over, didn't please residents either, Shinn said.
"In the last month, we've had problems with kids around the school, hanging there late at night, breaking bottles," he said.
But Shinn is sad to see the school go.
His parents attended Cambridge School and his 5-year-old son, Jon, would have started kindergarten there this September.
Instead, Jon is attending private school.
"I was really disappointed. He would have been the third generation to go to kindergarten in Delran schools. The school's got a lot of memories tied up in it," Shinn said.
Built in 1918, the four-room building cost $12,804 and originally housed grades 1-7.
Stoves kept the rooms warm, but students had to brave the weather if they needed to use one of the outhouses.
Most were farm children who were lucky to make it as far as seventh grade before being kept home to work the land.
That's what happened to Russ Hullings' grandmother.
"She loved that place. She had wonderful penmanship and she was always so proud of it," the Riverside resident said. "She got good marks and was always encouraged to keep on her studies, but she was a farm girl and she was needed there."
A local historian, Hullings generally opposes tearing down old buildings.
In Riverside, two turn-of-the-century structures - Henry Taubal's Mill and Holt's Box Factory - were recently destroyed.
"It's a travesty that we lose another of our old treasures," he said of Cambridge School. "Surely there's some use for it."
Hullings said that whenever his grandmother spoke of Cambridge School, ''she was happy."
Lorraine Schmierer, 61, said her grandchildren are the fourth generation of her family to attend Delran public schools. When she went to Cambridge, she said, "you knew everybody."
One of five children, one year apart, who attended the school, Schmierer remembered that if any of her siblings got into trouble, their mother could just walk in and talk with a teacher.
"You didn't need an appointment. She could just come in and pull you out of school. It worked well," said Schmierer, a former Delran mayor.
As for the quality of education, Schmierer said, "I didn't do too bad in life."
Homes were saved
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20110506/OPINION/305069764Posted: May 6, 2011
On April 16, a monumental storm hit Delran at 2 a.m.
The river waters swelled and poured water relentlessly into the backyards, streets and basements of both my family and those of my fellow neighbors on Stewart Avenue, and high tide had not even hit at that point.
The backyards became basins of water measuring more than 5 feet, and sweeping with it lawn furniture, backyard items and anything in its path.
It flooded gardens and usurped mountains of mud, grass and debris.
This water was unmerciful and unforgiving, pouring into basements and ruining appliances, family treasurers, walls, foundations and so much more.
Delran volunteer firefighters heroically arrived on scene and stayed until way past sunrise pumping water out of basements and homes while all of us stood helplessly watching this torrent waters sweep through our vehicles, homes, backyards and drowning our streets with no break in sight.
They were both professional and honorable, working endless hours throughout this natural disaster.
We could never thank them enough for everything that they did for all of us that early morning.
We applaud, appreciate and commend their outstanding volunteer service.
They saved our homes, our sanity and brought us hope.
We want to thank the firefighters of Delran from the bottom of our hearts.
The service that you provided really made a difference; it does count.
John and Maggie Atzert and family
Delran
Delran approves $800,000 in roadwork bonds
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20110719/NEWS/307199775By Todd McHale
Posted: Jul 19, 2011DELRAN -- Several streets will be repaired and the Hartford and Conrow roads intersection will be improved under a plan approved by the Township Council.
The council approved two bonds that totaled $810,200 for the intersection improvement, reconstruction and repaving of Parry Road from Tenby Chase Drive to the Cinnaminson border, and reconstruction of Swedes Run Drive.
The improvements are part of the township's annual road program, council President Tom Morrow said.
"It's a difficult process," Morrow said. "We have tiered levels for our roads, and that's how these roads were picked."
The supervisor of public works and the township engineer analyze the local roads and recommend to the council which ones are most in need of repair.
This year, the council agreed to bond $600,200 for the Swedes Run Drive and Parry Road projects and $210,000 for the Hartford and Conrow roads intersection work.
Officials estimated the work on Swedes Run Drive would cost about $460,000 and the work on Parry Drive to be about $140,000.
Both roads have been patched over the years but are due for complete repaving, Morrow said.
"If we can get the bids back by August, I'd like to see the work begin as soon as September," he said.
Morrow was not as hopeful about the Hartford Road project because the township must acquire some property at the corner and deal with wetlands issues.
Once officials sort out those details, the work calls for street widening to make room for a right-turn lane on Hartford Road. Other improvements include curb replacement, drainage upgrades, repaving and mill overlay.
The work is needed because of traffic from the Hartford Corners shopping center, Millbridge Elementary School and area housing developments.
"This is not the answer to it all," Morrow said. "This is the best we could do now. We would love to put in a signal there, but we don't have the budget for that."
It was unclear when the work would begin on the Hartford and Conrow intersection.
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163; email: tmchale@phillyBurbs.com;
Twitter: @toddmchale
County deals with flooding
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20110930/NEWS/309309760By Todd McHale
Posted: Sep 30, 2011
Canoes and kayaks made for the best mode of transportation for many Burlington County residents Thursday afternoon as the Delaware River and Rancocas Creek spilled over their banks.
"This is crazy, A guy on a canoe just went by," Delran resident Gail Wilson said shaking her head. "This is like the third time this has happened since April."
Area homes living near the creek and river once again were flooded shortly after the tide began to roll in about 3 p.m.
Jim Hayes, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Westampton, attributed the flooding to extreme high tides from the new moon on Tuesday coupled with recent rains and a southeasterly wind that pushed ocean waters into the Delaware Bay, up the river and into the tributaries.
Whatever the reason, many residents are sick of it.
"Something has to be done," said Linda Gilbert who lives down the street from Wilson on Stewart Avenue. "You're up all night trying to save your stuff."
By late afternoon, numerous residents on Stewart Avenue and River Drive in Delran had water flowing into their properties.
As some took to the water, which was once the street, a number of neighbors complained of constant flooding problems of late.
"Look, you can see it bubbling up in the street," said Bonnie Orfe outside her Stewart Avenue home. "Any kind of water it comes up. And this will lay here for three weeks."
And as the water table rises in the area many residents said they can't even use the facilities in their own homes.
"You can't use the toilets," Orfe said.
The last time the water rose, she and her family had to go to a nearby convenience store to use the bathroom.
Down River Road in the East Riverton section of Cinnaminson residents could understand the frustration. The area also has experienced flooding conditions several times in recent months.
"It comes through the walls," Cinnaminson resident Kim Fitpatrick said outside her Zeisner Avenue home, which is near a tidal inlet for the Delaware River.
The area between River Road and the river has been known to flood but many longtime residents said the rising water lately has been as bad as it's ever been.
"I don't know what to do," Fitzpatrick said. "We have two sump pumps and one of isn't working."
As she spoke a sewerage authority crew pulled up and began inspecting the drains in the neighborhood.
However, Fitzpatrick didn't hold out much hope.
"They can't do anything," she said. "There's nowhere for the water to go."
Back in Delran, Bob Gilbert said his home had more than $25,000 in damage from the flooding this year.
"We lost the heater, central air, washer and dryer, water heater in April," Gilbert said, in addition to the personal belongings in the his home's basement.
Ironically, Gilbert's neighbors voiced their concerns about the situation to the Township Council just two days earlier.
Harry Etsell of River Drive told the council that the flooding in the area has led to significant erosion of the banks along the creek.
"I would say we lost about 10 to 20 feet (of the bank)," Estell said. "The trees across the street are in the water."
Another resident, Maggie Atzert of Stewart Avenue, said she wasn't looking to blame anyone but could use some assistance.
"We just want some help," Atzert said.
Township officials told the residents that they would try to help but are limited on what they can do given that the waterway and banks are actually under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers and not the township.
Council President Thomas Morrow told the residents they planned to send the township engineer out to inspect the area and pursue funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
However he warned the residents that it could take some time.
"I don't know how long it will take," Morrow said of FEMA awarding any grants.
Unfortunately for the residents the area was hit again two days later.
But, Stewart Avenue resident Fred Wolff believes he knows the solution to the problem.
"Dredge it." Wolff said. "We had this problem 30 years ago until they dredged the river."
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163;
email: tmchale@phillyBurbs.com;
Twitter: @toddmchale
Burlington County residents pumping out after latest flood
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20111001/NEWS/310019908By Todd McHale
Posted: Oct 1, 2011
A day after floodwaters once again spilled over the banks of the Delaware River and its tributaries into homes in Burlington County, property owners and officials continue to search for answers.
"It's a very difficult problem," Delran Mayor Ken Paris said of the flooding from the Rancocas Creek. "Unfortunately, there's not an easy fix."
For the third time since April, dozens of homeowners in Delran and Cinnaminson have found themselves inundated with water coming from the river and creek.
If that wasn't bad enough, Thursday's high tide also caused the Pompeston Creek to spill over its banks in places it hadn't before.
"I've lived here for 40 years, and I've never seen the water go over the bulkhead (off Canal Avenue)," said Cinnaminson Township Committeeman William "Ben" Young, who is also director of Public Works.
Dozens of homes on Zeisner Avenue and Kern Street in the East Riverton section of Cinnaminson were flooded as well.
"It's these extreme conditions," Young said.
The National Weather Service in Westampton attributed Thursday's flooding to extreme high tides from the new moon Tuesday, coupled with recent rains and a southeasterly wind that pushed ocean water into the Delaware Bay, up the river and into the tributaries.
Regardless of the reason, residents want solutions to their flooding woes.
"This has been going on since April," Bonnie Orfe of Delran said. "I don't know what happened, but we've lived here for 14 years and never had a drop of water before the first flood in April."
High water rose again during Hurricane Irene, followed by Thursday's deluge.
"It looked like a wave of water coming down the street," Orfe said.
On Friday, the Orfes and their neighbors on Stewart Avenue and River Drive spent the day pumping out their basements.
"It comes through the floor," Linda Gilbert said. "It's a 24-hour job."
Many residents in the area believe dredging could ease the situation.
"That damn river and creek need to be dredged," said Orfe's husband, George.
Richard Pearsall, spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said the northern stretch of the river has been dredged twice in the last few years.
"The river was dredged between Beverly and Delanco in 2007 and from Bristol (Pa.), to Newbold Island (in Mansfield) in 2009," Pearsall said. "We're maintaining the channel to the 40-foot level."
"We haven't done the Rancocas Creek for years," he added.
The last time the agency dredged the creek was when it was still being used as a commercial route, according to Pearsall.
In the meantime, the Army Corps of Engineers and the state are in the midst of completing a comprehensive study on the river and its tributaries.
Pearsall suggested that if flooding problems persist in Delran and Cinnaminson, local officials should bring their concerns to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
"We could include them in the study," he said.
Delran plans to have its engineer look into the problem and report back to the Township Council. Both municipalities also plan to seek funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Meanwhile, residents just want something done, and soon.
"You've got people crying and don't know what to do," Bonnie Orfe said. "When do we get our lives back?"
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163; email: tmchale@phillyBurbs.com;
Twitter: @toddmchale
Delran makes improvements to flood-ravaged area
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20111027/NEWS/310279712By Todd McHale
Posted: Oct 27, 2011
DELRAN -- No one expects the high water to not return, but officials hope that recent repairs to the drainage system will ease some of the flooding conditions in the Riverside Park section of town.
The neighborhood, just off the Rancocas Creek where it meets the Delaware River, has experienced flooding conditions numerous times over the last few months.
"We're trying to do what we can to solve the problem," Mayor Ken Paris said.
During a recent inspection, township employees discovered a damaged drainage pipe.
"A wastewater line had collapsed directly under a sinkhole on Stewart Avenue," Township Councilman Mark Schwartz said.
Workers replaced the line, filled the hole, and inspected it to ensure that water could drain through.
"Once we put the new pipe in, we ran a camera through it to make sure there were no other problems," Schwartz said. "We would hope that there would be some improvement, but that's not going to fix everything."
The township plans to make other improvements to the drainage system in the area, according to Schwartz.
"The infrastructure is old over there," Paris said. "As we find a bad line, we fix it."
Dozens of homes on Stewart Avenue and River Drive were inundated with floodwaters three times since April. Most recently, water spilled over the banks of the creek Sept. 29. So much flowed into the neighborhood that a number of residents used canoes and kayaks on the street.
The National Weather Service in Westampton attributed the flooding in September to extreme high tides from the new moon, coupled with recent rains and a southeasterly wind that pushed ocean water into the Delaware Bay, up the river and into the tributaries.
Additional heavy rains in April and all the rainfall that fell during and after Hurricane Irene also led to flooding.
Numerous residents said they lost thousands of dollars in property during the floods.
Officials said Tuesday that they will continue to address the problem and seek additional funding.
"We're taking this very seriously," Council President Tom Morrow said. "We're still looking for funding from the state, but more than likely it's going to be from the federal side."
Morrow said the township will continue to seek assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
In addition, the township is looking into installing some drainage pipes equipped with "flapper valves" to limit some of the water from flowing into the neighborhood during high tides.
In the meantime, residents and officials can only hope for some drier days and lower tides until the situation is resolved.
"We're trying to alleviate the problem," Schwartz said. "Obviously, there has to be a long-term solution."
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163;
email: tmchale@phillyBurbs.com;
Twitter: @toddmchale
County to raze more structures on flood-prone Rancocas Creek
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20111213/NEWS/312139746By Danielle Camilli
Posted: Dec 13, 2011MOUNT HOLLY -- The Burlington County Board of Freeholders is expected to move ahead with the next phase in a plan to raze homes along the flood-prone north branch of the Rancocas Creek.
But with more interest from property owners than funds for the 4-year-old flood-mitigation program, others will have to wait for assistance, officials said.
At Wednesday's meeting, the freeholders are expected to authorize seeking bids for the demolition of 15 structures, including homes and outbuildings, on properties they purchased as a result of repeated and severe creek flooding.
The bid package also will include a Mount Laurel structure that the county's Buildings and Grounds division no longer needs. Most of the structures are in a flood plain in the Ewansville section of Eastampton and Southampton, but there are also properties in Delanco, Delran, Hainesport and Westampton.
Matt Johnson, the county's open space coordinator, said at a freeholder conference meeting last week that all the buildings were inspected, cannot be repurposed, and must come down. Some have fallen victim to vandalism since the county purchased them.
"They've become an attractive nuisance," Johnson said.
He estimated the cost of the demolitions would be about $330,000. The bids would be due by the end of January, with work expected to begin in early spring.
It is the third round of demolitions by the county in its flood-mitigation program, announced in 2007. Since then, the county has acquired nearly 40 properties for $5.7 million to address the chronic flooding, Johnson said Monday. It has spent another $500,000 in demolition, or about $250,000 per phase, he said.
The county uses money from its dedicated open space and preservation account to fund the program since the acquired land is returned to its natural state with no chance of development. The demolition of the structures and removal of their septic systems also improve environmental conditions for the creek, Johnson said.
Along with devastating floods in 2004, 2007, 2010 and again this year, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection had identified sections of the creek that exceeded acceptable levels of fecal coliform. The levels are largely a result of the old septic systems built in the flood plain and some wastewater systems with direct discharge into the creek, officials have said.
In 2007, when the county announced its plan to address the chronic flooding and environmental issues, officials said about 300 properties were within the flood plain of the creek's north branch, from Hanover Street in Pemberton Borough to about Mill Dam Park in Mount Holly.
Officials estimated the cost at $30 million to purchase all of them. The freeholders and county staff had hoped to get assistance from the state and federal governments but, despite repeated applications, have not received any outside funding, Johnson said Wednesday.
With no other sources, the county has expended its funding for the program.
"We just don't have enough money to go around," Johnson said.
But there is still interest in the program. Johnson said he has a waiting list of about 30 residents who have approached the county about acquiring their properties.
"Currently, there is no funding for anymore acquisitions," he said.
Help still could come for residents along the creek, officials said.
County spokesman Ralph Shrom said he recently forwarded 35 to 40 properties, including those on Johnson's waiting list, to the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management for potential funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Hazardous Mitigation Grant Program, which is administered through the state.
The program's funds are available following a presidential disaster declaration. Burlington County was one of more than a dozen counties in the state declared a disaster area after Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee last summer.
Communities, including county governments and nonprofits, can apply for grant assistance on behalf of affected individuals and businesses. All funds must be used to reduce or eliminate losses from future disasters, according to the state Office of Emergency Management.
Projects can include elevating flood-prone homes or businesses; acquiring and demolishing or relocating homes; retrofitting buildings to minimize damage from high winds, flooding, earthquakes and other hazards; and implementing minor flood-control projects to protect critical facilities.
Most owners have expressed an interest in having their properties acquired, but one on the list was open to getting the home elevated, Shrom said. Officials did not know when they would learn of the availability of any funding through the FEMA program.
Danielle Camilli: 609-267-7586;
email: dcamilli@phillyBurbs.com;
Twitter: @dcamilli
Riverside Park flooding should be a priority
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20120711/NEWS/307119676Posted: Jul 11, 2012
This is a story about Riverside Park, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Delran, and the ticking time bomb of future flooding that may well encompass the entire park.
In the summer of 2011, a substantial portion of the park was flooded after torrential rains that lasted for days. Many homes were severely damaged. In fact, as a lifelong resident of this neighborhood, I can tell you that it has been at least 50 years since rising tides caused a similar, near catastrophic event.
As a result of that event, the Delran Township Council (in the late 1950s early '60s) took immediate action and substantially raised the height of the riverbank. It also installed two "flapper valves" at the end of Stewart and Alden avenues, which empty rainwater into the Rancocas Creek, but do not allow river water to re-enter the pipes.
Several years ago, these valves became inoperable because of a lack of maintenance and, as a result, now allow river water to enter the pipes, causing many storm drains to overflow and also causing flooding. I might also add that due to both silt and bank erosion, river waters are extremely high, at crest levels, and threaten to surge over the banks.
During the flood of 2011, several council members surveyed the massive flooding and resulting damage to homes in the park. These same council members assured residents that "swift" action would be taken to alleviate the constant flooding problems. But here it is, July 2012, the beginning of hurricane season, and absolutely nothing has been done. At every township meeting I have attended since, when asked what is being done to help the residents, the council's response has always been "we're working on it" or "we're looking for grant money."
The only person on the council who has attempted to provide much needed help is Pat Pomerantz. Upon her election, Pomerantz immediately contacted the Army Corps of Engineers for assistance. What did she get for her efforts? Chastised and ostracized by the other members of council.
The only reason the flooding problems persist in our neighborhood is because the council has its priorities elsewhere, and that is the shame of it all. It's as if the members would prefer the park be underwater -- the less to worry about.
This council can find millions for other, less critical, projects, such as purchasing useless property with open space funds, and even $30,000 to beautify ball fields, but cannot find one single dime to help secure the safety of the residents of Riverside Park. I cannot help but use the term "dereliction of duty" for this council.
In closing, I am sickened by the council's brazenness, but hopefully not for long. November is just around the corner.
William E. Pfeffer
Delran
Delran residents want answers to flooding problems
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20120727/NEWS/307279748By Todd McHale
Posted: Jul 27, 2012DELRAN -- More than a year after floodwaters spilled into homes in the Riverside Park neighborhood, residents continue to look for answers from the township.
"It has to be addressed now. These houses can't go under water time and time again," Stewart Avenue resident Charles Gilbert said.
Three times, homes on River Drive, Stewart and Alden avenues and other portions of the neighborhood have sustained heavy damage due to flooding, in April, August and September 2011.
"You should do something," Gilbert said. "We've been kind of left hanging out to dry."
Gilbert and several of his neighbors came to the Township Council's meeting Tuesday night to voice their concerns about the lack of progress on finding a solution to the deluge of water in the neighborhood just off the Rancocas Creek where it meets the Delaware River.
Township officials said workers have fixed a drainage pipe that collapsed under a sinkhole on Stewart Avenue and plan to make additional improvements to the system, including installation of "flapper valves," on some of the pipes to limit water from flowing into the neighborhood during high tides.
The municipality also sought assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which suggested the township build up the berm along the river.
Council President Gary Catrambone said the township understands the residents' frustration but there's little the township can do without some funding from the state or federal government.
"I recognize that your homes are in jeopardy," Catrambone said. "For us to say we're going to raise the river berm, that's going to take forever" given the expense and the necessary approvals required from the state Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency for such a project.
Meanwhile, Mayor Ken Paris said the township continues to seek assistance from state and federal government.
"FEMA didn't do (anything). They wanted to give us a loan," Gilbert said of the federal agency's response to the flooding.
Alden Avenue resident Nicholas Retzko said he has grown tired of waiting.
"This is not right," he said. "It's time to quit trying to do."
Township officials encouraged the residents to notify state and federal officials of the ongoing problem but to be prepared to be patient.
"We are dealing with the state and federal government," Paris said.
Gilbert said there's not much else he can do given the situation.
"Nobody's going to buy my house," he said.
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163;
email: tmchale@phillyBurbs.com;
Twitter: @toddmchale
Delran approves funding to address repeated flooding
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20120930/NEWS/309309734By Todd McHale
Posted: Sep 30, 2012
DELRAN -- Drainage work will soon get under way in the Riverside Park neighborhood as part of the township's plan to address flooding problems.
The Township Council has adopted a $98,000 bond ordinance to pay for reconstruction and improvements to the drainage system. The work will be done to the River Drive outfall at Stewart Avenue.
For months, officials have attempted to resolve an ongoing flooding problem in the neighborhood near the Delaware River and Rancocas Creek.
In April, August and September 2011, floodwaters spilled into homes on River Drive, Stewart and Alden avenues, and other parts of the neighborhood, causing significant damage to residences.
With the funding in place, the township plans to use it to pay for a "duck bill" to be installed on the drainage pipe. The valve is designed to shut and not allow water to go up the system during flooding conditions, according to Township Administrator Jeffrey Hatcher.
But Hatcher warned residents during a meeting last week that the work will not begin immediately because the township needs to get permits from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which could take up to six months to be approved.
And there's no guarantee it will completely resolve the issue.
Councilwoman Patricia Pomeranz said she has continued to reach out to state and federal officials for funding.
She said state Sen. Diane Allen, R-7th of Edgewater Park, told her that the community may be eligible for assistance through the Blue Acres program administered by the DEP's Green Acres.
Blue Acres is designed to acquire land in the flood ways of the Delaware, Passaic and Raritan rivers, their tributaries, and other areas in the state prone to flooding, and to dedicate that land for recreation and conservation.
The program is also intended to move residents to higher ground and out of areas that are continually subjected to flooding.
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163; email: tmchale@phillyBurbs.com; Twitter: @toddmchale
Tough Mudders helping VFW rise from the ashes
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20121019/LIFESTYLE/310199683By Kristen Coppock
Posted: Oct 19, 2012
DELRAN -- A group of VFW supporters is braving fire, ice, electricity and lots of mud Saturday on a 12-mile obstacle course to help Post 3020 rebuild its gathering place.
The structure was ravaged by an Easter Sunday fire, leaving the veterans' organization without its banquet hall, kitchen and canteen. The facility served as the VFW's headquarters and its revenue stream, as well as providing the community with a familiar place to hold events and private parties.
"It's devastating," said Rita Chagnon, a VFW supporter. They just don't have the money to rebuild the way it should be rebuilt."
The Riverside resident and at least six others will show their support by participating in a Tough Mudder endurance run in Englishtown, Monmouth County. Designed to be a personal challenge, not a race, the obstacle course is billed by its organizers as "probably the toughest event on the planet."
The regional run is one of 35 being held nationwide in partnership with the national Wounded Warrior Project organization. All the courses were designed for the British Air Force and require agility, endurance, strength, stamina, mental toughness and teamwork.
"It's littered with various obstacles, ropes, hills, and a place where we need to swim. It's all through a whole lot of mud. The first quarter mile is dry, then you get hit with a bucket of ice and you're wet the entire race," said Jared Rodriquez, a team member with past Tough Mudder experience. "It's a lot of fun."
Most in the group have never participated in a mud run. Under Rodriquez's tutelage, several members have been training regularly for six months, often meeting at Pennington Park in Delanco for workouts.
"Training for a race is different than training for weight loss. You have to train for strength and power and endurance," he said. "I feel like we're ready. I'm completely confident."
The "Rising From the Ashes" team also is raising money to support the VFW Post through the sale of T-shirts. They are being sold at $10 for sizes small through extra large and $12 for larger sizes.
"They are hoping that their hard work and determination will not only inspire others to get physically fit, but to also keep the spirit of the VFW Post 3020 alive and donate to the cause," said team supporter Gail Persichilli of Riverside.
The group consists of VFW and auxiliary members, as well as general supporters. Military veterans participating are Rodriquez and Riverside residents Andrew Concepcion and Joshua Aston.
Chagnon, who is not a VFW member, said the organization has given much to the community. In addition to providing donations and equipment to other nonprofit groups, she noted that it gave her brother (Concepcion) a welcome-home party upon his return from service in Iraq.
"The VFW is a group of people who are a cornerstone in our community," she said. "It's time to give back."
The organization also is holding a Fall Fest on Saturday. Hosted by the Ladies Auxiliary, it will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Post on South Fairview Street and feature crafts, a flea market, hayrides, pumpkin painting and food for purchase.
For more information about the VFW, call 856-461-9785.
Kristen Coppock: 609-871-8073; email: kcoppockbct; Twitter: @kcoppockbct
Delran VFW threatens to leave community after disagreement with township
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20121224/NEWS/312249869By Todd McHale
Posted: Dec 24, 2012
DELRAN -- The members of the VFW Post 3020 say they don't want special treatment. The members of the local government say they're just following normal procedures.
Therein lies the dispute.
Members of the longtime post approved a motion last week to allow the organization's leadership to look into surrounding communities to find a new location. The VFW has been without a permanent home since a fire destroyed its building on Fairview Street last Easter.
The dispute centers on a township requirement that the post must have money in an escrow account in order to meet with the municipal attorney, engineer and other professionals about plans to rebuild.
"I was stupefied," post commander Todd Epperly said. "I'm shocked. We're a VFW. I felt we were being milked for money."
Several other members were just as disappointed in the township's actions.
Former commander Tom Farrell said it seems the town doesn't want the VFW anymore, after more than 40 years in the community.
"They want us to jump through all these hoops," Farrell said. "They want us to go out and get soil samples and all these other things. We just did that three years ago when we were going to expand the building."
The post has more than 300 members from Cinnaminson, Delanco, Delran, Palmyra, Riverside and Riverton.
"The building served as a place where veterans could get together with others for camaraderie, deal with postwar stresses, and raise funds for numerous community groups, including the Fire Department, FOP and the Boy Scouts, just to name a few," Epperly said.
The fire is believed to have been started by a smoldering cigarette in the meeting hall.
"We don't expect special treatment," Epperly said. "We expect to have to follow codes and get permits just like anyone else, but the township seems to be making it harder than necessary to rebuild on our own property."
"There's a standard process for any developer," Township Administrator Jeffery Hatcher answered. "Any applicant that wants the engineer and solicitor to review their application must pay for their services. Otherwise, it will be passed on to the taxpayers."
Mayor Ken Paris said he's disheartened by the organization's response.
"It's a shame, because we try to do everything we can to support veterans," Paris said.
But he didn't believe the organization should be given a pass that every other applicant must abide by.
Member Carl Clegg said VFW posts are essential to veterans returning home from war.
"Ultimately, it's a place to share experiences. We've seen and done some things only fellow veterans will be able to understand," Clegg said. "It's important for us to have a place like this to come to. We just want to see our place rebuilt."
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163;
email: tmchale@phillyBurbs.com; Twitter: @toddmchale
With little success, Delran neighborhood tries to stay dry
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20121230/NEWS/312309731By Todd McHale
Posted: Dec 30, 2012
DELRAN -- Residents of the Riverside Park neighborhood believe they've suffered enough.
Time and time again they've been flooded out over the last two years. And just in time for the holiday season, it happened again.
"It's just heartbreaking," Stewart Avenue resident Jennifer Pfeffer said of the most-recent flood just days before Christmas. "We fix up our house and then you have to do it all over again."
Since April 2011, floodwaters have spilled into the neighborhood five times, impacting homes on River Drive, Stewart and Alden avenues and portions of other streets. The neighborhood sits just off the Rancocas Creek where it meets the Delaware River.
In each of the five storms, Maggie Atzert's Stewart Avenue basement got several feet of water.
"I have had to replace two heaters, two water heaters and our washer and dryer twice," she said. "We need help. We can't continue to live like this. It can't be healthy."
Township officials said they've tried to resolve the problem but there's only so much that can be done given the circumstances.
"When we get a major storm and you have the wind blowing up the river, a new moon and high tide coincides there's not a damn thing we can do about it," Council President Gary Catrambone said. "The water table is so high down there the residents tell us that the water is not only coming over the banks it's coming from the ground and through walls of their basements."
After the first major flood in April 2011, the township fixed a drainage pipe that collapsed under a sinkhole on Stewart Avenue.
In addition, the Township Council has earmarked $98,000 to make additional improvements to the drainage system, including installation of a flapper valve.
The valve is designed to shut and not allow water to go up the system during flooding conditions. Before installing the valve, which extends to the river, the township will need permits from the state Department of Environmental Protection that could take months to be approved, officials said.
The municipality also continues to work with the Army Corps of Engineers to find a solution and pursue funding from the state and federal government.
"We're exploring every angle," Catrambone said. "This isn't an easy fix."
The Army Corps of Engineers suggested the township build up the berm but officials cautioned that too could take a while.
"It's not like the old days when you could fill up a couple dump trucks and dump them on the river bank," Catrambone said.
Even though a lot of residents said they have insurance, they're concerned their policies will be canceled if they continue to put in claims.
"Every time we turn around we're putting in a claim," resident Bob Gilbert said. "I haven't even got paid for Sandy and we're putting in another claim."
And at this point, he knows he can't just pass the issue on to someone else.
"We can't sell our house. Nobody's going to buy it," Gilbert said.
Instead, he and the others just keep a close eye on the weather and the time of high tide and hope for the best.
"We live by the tide, so we know when to take precautions and move everything we can up in the basement." Gilbert said.
Catrambone said the township has been told by state officials that the residents may be eligible for assistance through the Blue Acres program administered by the DEP's Green Acres. The program is designed to acquire properties in flood prone areas and dedicate that land for recreation and conservation.
Seventy-seven-year-old resident Ruth Wentworth said she's lived in the neighborhood since 1958 but never experienced what she and her husband have over the last 21 months.
"Yeah we had a flood every 10 or 15 years but nothing like this," she said. "I hate to complain but I just can't take it anymore. Every time we see rain we get nervous."
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163;
email: tmchale@phillyBurbs.com;
Twitter: @toddmchale
Proposal for Rancocas Creek residents is a cop-out
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20130218/NEWS/302189685Posted: Feb 18, 2013
Many Burlington County residents are aware of the flooding situation we have had along the Rancocas Creek and Delaware River over the last two years, not only in Delran, but also in Cinnaminson, Palmyra, Riverside, Delanco, and other towns along these banks.
As many other towns are trying to find ways of correcting the problems, Delran officials want the residents to just go away. Mayor Ken Paris and Assemblyman Troy Singleton, D-7th of Palmyra, are going to meet with the residents of the Riverside Park section of town to discuss the Blue Acres Program. For those of you who are not aware, this is a program whereby, if you are approved, the state will purchase your home and then pay to have it demolished. The space is then left for the town to maintain as open space.
This is not a solution. It is a cop-out. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been involved and has offered several solutions, but the mayor chooses not to work with the Army Corps in resolving this issue. The township engineers have developed three plans of action, the most expensive of which would only cost the taxpayers of Delran about $50,000. How is this possible? If the Army Corps agrees to take on the project, it will fund 65 percent of the cost, leaving 35 percent to the local government. Then, through the Shore Protection Program, the state will fund 75 percent of the 35 percent. Meaning for every dollar the project costs, the township would be responsible for 9 cents of every dollar. This project, depending on the solution taken, is estimated to cost between $3.5 million and $4.5 million.
There are about 106 homes affected by these floodwater issues. If each homeowner was to apply for his or her home to be purchased through the Blue Acres Program, that would amount to an average home value of $150,000 (which is low). That is a cost of $15.9 million. Then there is the cost of demolishing the homes, which is about $30,000 per home, for another cost of $3.1 million. So now we have spent $19 million, lost the tax revenue, still need to spend township dollars to maintain the open space, and, more important, displaced homeowners, who in some cases have lived in their homes for more than 50 years.
What are the mayor and the assemblyman thinking? In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, do they really think homes along the river and creek will be approved for this program over the homes along the Jersey coast? I believe there is only about $47 million to go around. After these people go through all the red tape and are denied, then what is the mayor going to do to protect residents?
Pat Pomeranz
Delran
Delran urges residents affected by flooding to act
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20130409/NEWS/304099730By Todd McHale
Posted: Apr 9, 2013DELRAN -- No guarantees, but township officials hope additional documentation from residents about the flooding problems in the Riverside Park neighborhood will lead to some assistance.
At the municipality's request, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provided a survey to be distributed to about 100 homeowners in the area to document any flood damage they have experienced in the last two years.
The neighborhood -- just off the Rancocas Creek where it meets the Delaware River -- has been inundated with floodwaters several times since April 2011.
Township Council President Gary Catrambone said the survey is designed to demonstrate the extent of the problem to the federal agency.
"This will give us a stronger argument if we can show the extent of the damages," Catrambone said.
Local officials urge every impacted resident to complete and return the survey as soon as possible to get the process underway. The tentative deadline is May 1.
"The more we can show proof of the claims, it will better the chance of the Army Corps coming in and trying to help us mitigate it," Councilman Michael Schwartz said.
The federal agency has been in discussions with township officials for more than a year, Army Corps spokesman Steve Rochette said.
The intent of the survey is to provide enough documentation to the agency to determine if further study of the flood-prone area is warranted, and if the municipality qualifies for any future projects, according to Rochette.
But federal and local officials made no promises.
"Right now, we're not even on their radar with them," said Catrambone, especially in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. "All this will do is to give them the impetus to notice our problem."
Meanwhile, the township continues to wait for approval of a permit from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection before it can proceed with drainage improvements and the installation of a flapper valve that will prevent water from flowing up the system during flooding conditions. A permit is needed because the pipe extends into the river.
"It's in the DEP's hands," Catrambone said. "We'll start working as soon as they give us the go-ahead."
The township has repaired a drainage pipe that collapsed under a sinkhole on Stewart Avenue after the initial flooding.
On Monday, officials said about 25 percent of the surveys have been returned.
Anyone with questions is asked to call Township Administrator Jeffrey Hatcher at 856-461-7734, ext. 113.
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163; email: tmchale@phillyBurbs.com; Twitter: @toddmchale
Delran receives federal funds to help stop floodwaters
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20130815/NEWS/308159621By Todd McHale
Posted: Aug 15, 2013DELRAN -- Some federal funds soon will flow into the township to assist the municipality in addressing the ongoing flooding issues in the Riverside Park neighborhood.
Administrator Jeffrey Hatcher said the township has been awarded a $65,000 community development block grant to help pay for drainage improvements to the area that's been plagued with high water on numerous occasions in recent years.
"It's been a long time coming and we're happy to get it," Mayor Ken Paris said.
Since April 2011, floodwaters have spilled into the neighborhood more than a half dozen times, impacting homes on River Drive, Stewart and Alden avenues and portions of other streets. The neighborhood is just off the Rancocas Creek where it meets the Delaware River.
The township plans to use the money to build up the berm and extend a drainage pipe into the river. The pipe will be equipped with a flapper valve that's designed to shut and not allow water to go up the system during flooding conditions.
After months of waiting, the township received approval of the permits it needs from the state Department of Environmental Protection last month.
"We're just waiting for the engineer to put together the bid specs (for the project)," Hatcher said.
Once the bids are put out, Hatcher expects the work will begin within 60 days with a projected completion date in the fall.
After the first flood in April 2011, the township made improvements to the drainage system after a pipe collapsed under a sinkhole on Stewart Avenue.
Last year, the Township Council earmarked $98,000 to make additional improvements to the drainage system and install the flapper valve.
As the township waited for approvals, officials submitted the grant application for funding from the federal Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant program. The county administers the funds that are used to carry out a wide range of projects in the area.
Even though the Township Council approved spending the money on the project last year, Hatcher said it won't be an issue.
"We will either amend the bond ordinance and move the money to other projects or we just won't borrow as much money," Hatcher said.
Council President Gary Catrambone said he's thrilled with the influx of funding to resolve a problem that's being going on for years.
"I am very happy that this grant will give us the opportunity to redirect the money we allotted to pay for the Stewart Avenue valve repair to help address other flooding issues," Catrambone said.
And the work can't begin soon enough for officials.
"We agreed to make this repair about a year ago and I personally will be very happy to see this completed." Catrambone said.
But that's not to say that they're ready to make any promises that the improvements will be the final fix.
"When water is involved, you can never be sure if any approach will work completely," Catrambone said. "Our hope is that this repair will have a significant impact on both the number of times that flooding occurs and the severity of each occurrence in the Riverside Park section of Delran."
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163; email: tmchale@calkins.com; Twitter: @toddmchale
Veterans make a call for help in Delran
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20131111/NEWS/311119659By Todd McHale
Posted: Nov 11, 2013
DELRAN -- For decades, they have served veterans and donated countless dollars to worthy causes.
Now, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3020 could use some assistance themselves.
Eighteen months after a fire destroyed the nonprofit's building on Fairview Street, the organization continues to battle its way back.
As workers near completion of the exterior of the building, construction funds are running dry.
The shell of the 4,000-square-foot building stands tall next to a World War II-era tank, but inside there are no walls, kitchen, meeting room, canteen or restrooms. Just metal studs.
"We have a structure, and that's a huge part. But the inside is completely undone," post quartermaster Carl Clegg said. "We need everything from soup to nuts, and we still need a good amount of funds to do that."
While the VFW had insurance, that money covered only so much, and the post still needs hundreds of thousands of dollars more to bring it back to its former glory.
"The building is a base of operations for what we do," Clegg said. "We have really two distinct missions. One is to aid our fellow veterans who are returning home from overseas. In aiding them, what we do is give them a place where they can come and feel at home and be with their military brothers."
The VFW also helps veterans navigate through all the services available to them.
"It's to support our older vets that need help and our younger vets coming home today," post commander Todd Epperly said. "We're here to help them and to service our communities."
Over the last eight decades, the post has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to veterans, youth groups, individuals, and a number of organizations in Cinnaminson, Delanco, Delran, Palmyra, Riverside and Riverton.
Now it needs the public to give back in order to keep its mission going and provide veterans with a place to gather.
"We give them a sense of camaraderie," Clegg said. "A lot of times, young vets come home and they feel alone. And they feel that there's nobody there to support them."
"Being a veteran is kind of a different thing," he continued. "We ask our young men to go overseas and commit unspeakable things, and then come home and live as though those things didn't happen. That's not an easy thing for people to deal with. So one way that they deal with that is by having a place to come and be among people they can trust."
Anyone interested in donating to the organization's building fund can do so through its website at www.vfw3020.org, on Facebook at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3020, or by mail at VFW Post 3020, 1125 S. Fairview St., Delran, N.J. 08075.
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163;
email: tmchale@calkins.com;
Twitter: @toddmchale
Delran moves to stem the tide of floodwaters
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20140108/NEWS/301089582By Todd McHale
Posted: Jan 8, 2014
DELRAN -- Work to curb some of the flooding issues in the Riverside Park neighborhood could begin soon.
The municipality has awarded a $167,750 contract to Mathis Construction of Little Egg Harbor, Ocean County, for improvements to the drainage system in the area, which has been hit with multiple floods in recent years, Township Administrator Jeffrey Hatcher said.
Once the municipal engineer and attorney sign off on the contract, the construction company will be given a notice to proceed and have 90 days to complete the project, Hatcher said.
If all goes as planned, the project, which includes building a small head wall at Stewart Avenue and River Drive, installing a drainage pipe with a flapper valve, and making other improvements, will be finished by mid-April.
Mayor Ken Paris said he remains hopeful the work will reduce the amount of water flowing into the neighborhood, which is just off the Rancocas Creek where it meets the Delaware River.
Over the last three years, floodwaters have spilled into that section more than a half dozen times, impacting homes on River Drive, Stewart and Alden avenues, and portions of other streets.
"We've been trying to come up with the best resolution," Paris said. "We feel this will be a step in the right direction."
The drainage pipe equipped with the flapper valve is designed to close and not allow water to flow up the system during flooding conditions.
While no one expects the flooding to cease completely, Township Council President Gary Catrambone said municipal professionals believe the proposed improvements will have the biggest initial impact.
"This triage approach intends to stop the biggest, most troublesome path of flooding into this neighborhood," Catrambone said. "Understanding the global impact of rising sea levels, we recognize that this, or any, attempt to address this problem may not ultimately stop the water level from rising and flooding this neighborhood."
To help pay for the improvements, the township received $65,000 from the federal Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant program. The county administers the funds, which are used to carry out a wide range of projects in the area.
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163; email: tmchale@calkins.com; Twitter: @toddmchale
Delran nears end of long journey with sidewalk
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20140209/NEWS/302099623By Todd McHale
Posted: Feb 9, 2014
DELRAN -- A sidewalk project years in the making appears to be getting off the ground.
With enough funds available and designs up to the county's standards, township officials gave the green light to the Fairview Street project.
For years, the municipality has wanted to install a walkway along
the heavily traveled county road from Route 130 to the Riverside border, but a lack of money and a number of hurdles stalled the effort.
Meanwhile, pedestrians continued to jockey with cars traveling on the street and streaming out of the jughandle near the highway.
"It's a safety issue," Township Administrator Jeffrey Hatcher said.
Not only do pedestrians walk along the road en route to the bus stop, but Township Councilman Tom Morrow said he has also seen residents in wheelchairs and young mothers pushing strollers down that stretch of road heading to the bus stop and to businesses as vehicles whiz by.
"It's disturbing to see that," said Morrow, who lives in the area. "This has been a pet peeve of mine for the last five years. It's dangerous."
After submitting multiple applications for funding, the township in 2012 finally received the news it had been waiting to hear. The New Jersey Department of Transportation awarded it a $215,000 Safe Streets to Transit Grant.
"We couldn't do it without the funding," Hatcher said.
With the money in place, the township just needed to get all the necessary approvals.
But delays began to mount as the municipal professionals worked through the process of putting in a sidewalk along a county road.
Unlike sidewalks along municipal roads, a walkway along Fairview Street would not be permitted unless it met the county's design standards.
"The county has certain specifications that are more stringent," Hatcher said, referring to width and other mandates.
Morrow was shocked.
"I was beside myself," he said. "We finally have this money to fix this situation on a county road in our town, and we couldn't. I was almost ready to tell (the county) if they wanted all these things, maybe they should pitch in."
Officials complied with the mandates and eventually won county approval, leading to the project being put out to bid.
But with all the changes made to the design, the bids for the work came in much higher than the grant.
However, Mayor Ken Paris said the municipality had to find a way to complete the project.
"It's dangerous," Paris said. "There's a lot of people that walk from the (state) group homes in the area."
Fortunately, a recently completed road project finished under budget, and the town was able to shift $50,000 of that money to make up the difference, Hatcher said.
While the project still needs to go out to bid again in the coming weeks, officials don't expect anymore detours.
"I'm thrilled to death. This is something we've been working on for years," Morrow said. "If we can get it done by the end of summer, it will be a victory."
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163; email: tmchale@calkins.com; Twitter: @toddmchale
Riverside Park residents duped again
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20140227/NEWS/302279507Posted: Feb 27, 2014
Having read the article in the Burlington County Times on Jan. 9, "Delran Takes Action to Stem Floodwaters," by Todd McHale, I felt compelled to respond.
Last year, I attended a Delran Township Council work session. Discussed at that meeting, with the township engineer, were solutions to the flooding problems along the Rancocas Creek in the Riverside Park section. The engineer, having completed his studies, proposed three solutions to the flooding problem. The least expensive of which was to repair the Stewart Avenue outfall pipe and flapper valve and raise the berm along the 300 yards of waterfront. The approximate cost: $1.5 million.
This project would have solved most, if not all, of the flooding problems in that area for at least 20 to 30 years. But the council is now attempting to appease residents by going forward with a project that is equivalent to poking one's finger in the dyke until it bursts forward once again.
The already-contracted project will cost $167,750, and $65,000 of that is grant money the township received, leaving the true cost to Delran at $102,750 -- less than 1 percent of the original engineer's estimate.
What are these residents getting for this pittance? A flapper valve and a small head wall.
Township Council: Please don't insult my intelligence. A small head wall will only force the floodwaters around it, leaving water to find other avenues to crest the berm.
What is the motive for going forward with a project doomed to fail? Does the council really believe it can buy time from those residents who reside in Riverside Park while they continue to plow forward with Phases No. 2 and No. 3 of its "Field of Dreams" project off Hartford Road? Council members: Have you no remorse for the terrible tragedies that continue to beset these poor residents, who have nowhere to turn?
I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I would bet that in the near future you will see another bond ordinance in the legals section of the Burlington County Times appropriating another $1 or $2 million for the council's "Field of Dreams," complete with a large granite stone bearing the names of all the council members.
Fellow residents, it is quite apparent that a change in our local government representatives is paramount, for they have no right to serve the people of this town while blatantly disregarding the health, safety and welfare of the residents of Riverside Park.
William Pfeffer
Delran
Sidewalk saga continues in Delran
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20140810/NEWS/308109652By Todd McHale
Posted: Aug 10, 2014
DELRAN -- After years of work to install a sidewalk on Fairview Street and nearly a quarter-million dollars later, the project has come up shy by about a half a block.
"We ran out of money," said Township Councilman Tom Morrow, who has championed the effort for about five years because of safety concerns along the heavily traveled county road from Route 130 to the Riverside border.
As contractors completed the half-mile stretch last week, officials continue to search for more money to finish the job.
"The sidewalks are kind of like a house that doesn't have the trim on it yet," Council President Gary Catrambone said. "It's great. It's doing what we wanted it to do. Unfortunately, because of the restrictions we were working under, we have one section not completed. That's the section everybody's going to notice."
And they have.
"It's not right," said resident Donna Shepard, whose husband, John, suffers from ailing knees. "It's not cool, because you're going to have to cross the street and then cross it again to get to the (shopping center)."
"Why? It doesn't make sense."
The answer: money. To be exact, the township will need tens of thousands more to connect the sidewalk to one in front of the VFW.
"It's not like it's $5,000. It's $33,000," Catrambone said of the cost of continuing the sidewalk the rest of the way and adding the required curbing.
Unlike sidewalks along municipal roads, a walkway along Fairview Street is permitted only if it meets the county's design standards.
"It just got more and more expensive at every turn," Catrambone said of the extra costs.
Mayor Ken Paris said he doesn't blame the county.
"The county had specifications that they want to meet since it's a county road," Paris said.
For years, the township sought funding and the necessary county approvals for the sidewalk. Finally, after submitting multiple grant applications, the municipality was awarded a $215,000 New Jersey Department of Transportation Safe Streets to Transit Grant in 2012 to complete the project.
Even though the costs began to mount higher than expected, the township tried to make up the difference with thousands left from a recent road project that came in under budget.
The extra money helped, but the funds ran dry before the sidewalk could be completed.
"We stretched it as far as we could," Catrambone said. "We went back and found more money in an old (bond) ordinance, but it wasn't enough."
Still, Morrow refuses to give up.
"Going into next year's budget, I'm asking the council to allocate more money and reapply to the state to complete that job," he said.
"This is something I take close to the heart, because I live there and I see it."
Over the years, Morrow said he has seen not only children but residents in wheelchairs and young mothers pushing strollers along that stretch of road as cars speed by.
"Right now, we're just at the process of trying to come up with the funds next year to complete the project," he said.
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163;
email: tmchale@calkins.com; Twitter: @toddmchale
Delran should find the money to finish sidewalks
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20140814/NEWS/308149611Posted: Aug 14, 2014
In response to the Burlington County Times article "Sidewalk saga continues in Delran" (Aug. 11), I would like to add the following: The township has had this money for two years, as per the article. Mayor Ken Paris is trying to sideswipe the county by claiming it's the specs that held them up.
Why then didn't they start this project in 2012? It would've been done now -- with an allocation of budget in 2013. Could it be that a person was killed on that street because of no sidewalks and you're hurrying up to get the job done to look good? If the money was in place two years ago and the project started just after the accident, I have to think that as a citizen they were doing something else with that money. And if they're just going to finish part of the job, which they knew before the job was started, why didn't the township leave the Route 130 section bank of sidewalks and curbs unfinished and not the section down by the VFW and the shopping center where there are more people walking?
The article makes it look as if officials did all they could to get it done. They did not. They are covering something.
If it's money that's needed, take it out of that sports project the township is doing out by the high school that's costing millions of dollars. They would rather do that than think of the safety of the people who have to walk down Fairview Street.
If they're really interested in safety, I'm sure they can find $33,000 somewhere. Why not take it out of the pay-to-play program? Maybe if they didn't take pay-to-play, there would have been enough money to finish the project.
Tom Morrow: When you're allocating a budget, I hope you're allocating enough money to clear the snow off the sidewalk when it snows this winter. Who has that responsibility? It's the same township council that spent $850,000 for 3 1/2 acres on Fairview Street. I find it difficult that it can't find $33,000 somewhere.
As resident Donna Shepherd said, people are going to have to cross the street twice to get up to the highway. It doesn't make sense. Without curbs near the VFW, where will the stormwater go? Like Morrow said, it's very unsafe to walk there.
Don McCabe
Delran
Sidewalk project is too expensive
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20151213/OPINION/312139654Posted: Dec 13, 2015
Having recently reviewed Delran's website, I couldn't help but read with amusement Mayor Ken Paris' boast that the township is receiving a state grant of $176,000 for improvements along our portion of the Route 130 corridor. Specifically, according to Paris, these monies will be used to complete sidewalks along Route 130. This venture will eventually cost taxpayers millions.
The truth is that it's possible the engineering study alone could cost $176,000 or more for this project. What then will be the cost of contracting for this work? Millions, maybe?
In addition, the state requires the maintenance of these sidewalks. One example would be clearing the walks of ice and snow during winter months. All maintenance would have to be subcontracted out at a huge cost (more taxes). I have personally surveyed the Route 130 corridor, from Burlington Township to Cinnaminson, and found that less than 1 percent of the corridor has any sidewalk at all.
This proposed project is simply impossible financially. While Delran currently pays over $600,000 per year in debt service alone, Paris would like to spend (bond) millions more for sidewalks?
The cash cow has run dry. May I suggest that at the next work session, Paris, and all members of council, dedicate the session to finding ways to save tax dollars instead of spending them with little or no regard for the taxpayers of this township?
Bill Pfeffer
Delran
Delran marking history with special signs
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/article/20160104/NEWS/301049783By Todd McHale
Posted: Jan 4, 2016
DELRAN -- History matters.
In recognition of days gone by, the municipality plans to put up several historical markers at a number of sites.
Trinity Episcopal Church, Methodist Episcopal Church, Bridgeboro Grammar School, Cambridge School, New Riverside Cemetery, Fairview Christian Cemetery, the Conrow House, World War II Observation Tower and the Bridgeboro Bridge have been designated "historic sites" because of their significance to the town.
The effort stems from a request by the Delran Historical Society to allow it to identify a list of properties and old buildings that played a role in making Delran what it is today.
"The project enhances Delran's attractiveness to its residents and bolsters the town's reputation as a caring community that takes pride in its history," society president Mal Anderson said. "We want our residents to appreciate the places that helped create our town's rich past and feel a sense of connection to it."
Sites were selected after several years of work undertaken by the society's Historic Site Marker Committee, which compiled a list of properties that have long stood out in the community.
Society members brought the proposal to the Township Council earlier this year.
"We thought that this should be an ongoing program," Anderson said. "Initially, we would develop a short list of historic sites and go from there in ensuing years."
The mayor and council members loved the idea.
"We fully supported it," said Mayor Ken Paris, who acknowledged that he's a bit of a history buff.
"It's interesting," he said. "I think it's great for the young kids to know the history of their town."
In the coming months, each site will be marked with a small sign briefly describing its history.
Even though many of the locations are known by residents, council President Gary Catrambone said the markers will give the general public a little insight into the history of Delran, which was established by the New Jersey Legislature on Feb. 12, 1880, from portions of Cinnaminson.
"The committee worked tirelessly to research and to develop a short list of sites that were most significant to our town, and we are very grateful and indebted to them for their commitment and dedication," Catrambone said. "The fruits of their labor will be enjoyed by current residents and by future residents for decades to come. They will all be able to enjoy our unique heritage and rich history with a much deeper understanding than otherwise would have been possible."
Todd McHale: 609-871-8163; email: tmchale@calkins.com; Twitter: @toddmchale
Delran seeks to improve road conditions on Route 130 after pedestrian death
Source: http://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/local/delran-seeks-to-improve-road-conditions-on-route-after-pedestrian/article_c47d20e6-7611-11e7-b5e9-c7bcd96ea739.htmlBy Danielle DeSisto
Posted: Jul 31, 2017
DELRAN — Days after a man was struck and killed while crossing Route 130, officials are exploring ways to make the state highway safer for motorists and pedestrians.
Mayor Ken Paris worked with Assemblyman Troy Singleton, D-7th of Palmyra, last week to reach out to the New Jersey Department of Transportation and request additional safety measures to prevent any more tragedies.
“Unfortunately for us as a town, the state owns the road and maintains the road. It’s not ours to touch,” Township Council President Gary Catrambone said on Monday. “This is such a bad situation, and we’re looking for just any help from DOT.”
Resident John DeVece, 44, was pronounced dead at the scene after being hit by a Nissan SUV about 4:05 p.m. in the northbound lanes Thursday. The driver, a Willingboro resident, was not hurt and has not been charged.
The fatality is the 22nd in Burlington County this year, including two others in Delran, which occurred March 10 at Haines Mill Road and Tenby Chase Drive and June 29 at Route 130 and Chester Avenue.
Paris expressed his concerns about the Route 130 corridor to Singleton, who then sent a letter to DOT Commissioner Richard Hammer.
He asked that the agency include Delran in its pedestrian road safety audit of Route 130 this fall, and review if reducing lanes would calm traffic. A similar tactic, called a “road diet,” was implemented on Route 130 in Burlington City in April.
The city's section of the highway garnered attention after the death of Antwan Timbers, a 17-year-old student who was struck and killed by a vehicle in May 2016 while walking home. His death sparked state legislation to reduce speed limits on municipal or county roads near schools, and other campaigns to improve safety.
Singleton's letter also called for pedestrian push buttons and countdown signals at intersections in Delran. The DOT will advertise for bids next spring to bring those measures to Burlington City, according to the letter.
“Route 130 has the dubious distinction of being one of New Jersey’s deadliest roads, and I am seeking your further assistance in changing that,” Singleton wrote.
The county's stretch of the highway has proved to be especially dangerous for pedestrians. Its high death toll has prompted the nonprofit advocacy group Tri-State Transportation Campaign to label it as New Jersey's most dangerous for walkers for several years running.
Delran officials met with DOT representatives about two years ago to discuss improving safety on Route 130. At that time, the department allocated funding for police training and additional monitoring of the area.
"NJDOT takes the issue of pedestrian safety very seriously and has been working with state and local officials to improve the Route 130 corridor for many years," department spokesman Steve Schapiro said. "NJDOT looks forward to continuing to work with Assemblyman Singleton and other representatives on this important issue and will consider his recommendations for possible safety improvements to Route 130 in Delran."
The highway could use more safety measures for pedestrians and drivers than what was implemented years ago, Paris said. He would like to see the DOT re-evaluate right turns at red lights at some intersections and install more signs at crosswalks.
“It’s been a problem for several years now,” the mayor said. “We’re looking at anything we can do to make it safer.”
Along with its requests to the DOT, the municipality has implemented its own safety measures.
Last week, the Township Council approved the second and final phase of a $425,000 project that will add sidewalks along Route 130 from Taylors Lane to Fairview Boulevard, Paris said.
“Several times I’ve seen people walking in the street by Lowe’s and ShopRite,” he said. “The more we can get people out of the street, the better.”
Pedestrians cross Route 130 to get to busy shopping centers and neighborhoods along the corridor. DeVece was killed just blocks from his home behind the Millside Shopping Center.
“These are people that are crossing the street to get to work or the store,” Catrambone said. “It’s very sad. Nobody’s doing anything wrong.”
Danielle DeSisto: 609-871-8050; email: ddesisto@calkins.com; Twitter: @DeSistoBCT
Delran street signs to be sold to benefit historical society
Source: http://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/local/delran-street-signs-to-be-sold-to-benefit-historical-society/article_a5e666d2-793c-11e7-a9ea-8b3f546870c6.htmlBy Todd McHale
Posted: Aug 5, 2017
This pile of street signs is among hundreds slated to be sold in Delran as part of a fundraising effort for the local historical society.
Courtesy of Delran Township
DELRAN — Anyone in the market for an old street sign can get the chance to buy one.
The township is selling the signs to raise money for the Delran Historical Society. Residents who live on Fairview Street; Navy, Ohio State and Dartmouth drives; Bridgeboro, Haines Mill and York roads; and numerous others can own one to use for recreational, decorative or other purpose.
"I think it's a great idea," Mayor Ken Paris said. "If my street was one of the ones that was replaced, I would buy it. It's like a piece of history of the town, and I would be proud to have it."
The old signs will be available because "the state mandated that all street signs be updated to assist emergency responders find the streets more easily," Township Council President Gary Catrambone said.
New state Department of Transportation standards require more reflective signs, Township Administrator Jeffrey Hatcher said.
The sign replacement program was recently completed. All told, the municipality has about 270 street signs available.
Details are being worked out on how the sale will be conducted. To be fair, it likely will be a silent auction, officials said.
Instead of scrapping the old signs, officials saw an opportunity to assist the local nonprofit.
"Since the street names have historic value, council decided to allow the proceeds to be donated to the Delran Historical Society," Catrambone said.
Established in 2009, the organization is dedicated to collecting and preserving the town's history and educating the public. It recently put together a list of some of the community's most significant sites and is working with officials to erect historical markers throughout town.
Funds generated by the sign sale will probably go toward paying for the production of the markers and other related expenses, historical society president Mal Anderson said.
For more information, visit delranhistoricalsociety.org.
Once the township finalizes details about the sign sale, it will post a notice on its website, delrantownship.org.
Todd McHale: 609-871-871-8163; email: tmchale@calkins.com; Twitter: @toddmchale
Sidewalk repair after summer storm leads to questions by Delran official
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/20171010/sidewalk-repair-after-summer-storm-leads-to-questions-by-delran-officialBy Todd McHale
Posted: Oct 10, 2017
[TODD MCHALE / STAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST]
Township Councilman Michael Schwartz said the issue centers on ownership and who should pay for the damaged walkways in front of his residence.
DELRAN — Sidewalks damaged during a storm over the summer outside a councilman's home remain in disrepair — and in dispute — as the township tries to sort out responsibility.
Township Councilman Michael Schwartz said the issue centers on ownership and who should pay for the damaged walkways in front of his residence.
"Contrary to the misconceptions that some may have, the property line separating my property from the property owned by the township is inside the sidewalk," Schwartz said. "Therefore, the damage that occurred, and remains unrepaired, is solely on township property and is theirs to repair."
The sidewalks were damaged after a gust of wind in July toppled two trees, pulling up a portion of the sidewalk on Brown Street and damaging another on Fifth Street, according to Schwartz. Since then, some neighbors have complained that the damaged areas have gone months without being cleaned up or repaired, and that people have had to walk in the busy street to get around them.
Even though the municipality sent a letter to Schwartz saying he's in violation of the property maintenance code, the councilman believes the matter is a communitywide problem.
"If I had it my way, (the township) can't make people responsible for property they don't own," he said. "It's one thing to have to sweep snow off the sidewalk, but it's another thing to make people pay thousands of dollars for concrete to be put in."
[TODD MCHALE / PHOTOJOURNALIST]
Also, Schwartz discovered that tree roots were cut during road projects a couple of years back, leaving the trees susceptible to falling over under the right conditions.
The municipality has informed Schwartz that it is not responsible for any repairs or for a contractor's actions.
"I just cannot, as a member of the Township Council, allow that to happen," Schwartz said. "If I do not stand up for myself, I am also failing to stand up for my neighbors, many of whom have experienced similar disputes, or will, in the future."
One neighbor, who declined to be identified, would disagree, believing that the sidewalks pose a safety hazard and that Schwartz, as a councilman, should take care of his.
"I realize that it has been an inconvenience to my neighbors, and I apologize for that. But it is too important an issue to leave undecided," he said, adding that he is legally blind.
Township officials seem confident about coming to an agreement soon.
Township Administrator Jeffrey Hatcher said the matter is being worked out between the municipality's insurer and Schwartz's homeowner's insurance.
"My understanding was that, as of two weeks ago, there seemed to be a resolution to the issue coming soon, and hopefully we will hear something concerning that in the next several weeks to resolve the issue," Hatcher said.
Delran High School planning for digital fabrication laboratory
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/20181002/delran-high-school-planning-for-digital-fabrication-laboratoryBy Lisa Ryan
Posted: Oct 2, 2018
DELRAN — District science, technology, engineering and math co-coordinators Erica DeMichele and Mary Jo Hutchinson have big plans for next year.
That's when storage space and outdated rooms will be replaced with a digital fabrication laboratory at Delran High School.
Through the Fab Lab program, the school's former automotive shop will be transformed into an open-concept creative space featuring higher ceilings and natural light with a connection to the wood shop next door. The refurbished rooms will be home to laser cutters, 3-D printers, woodworking equipment and other tools for hands-on learning that models in-class concepts and teaches students important technological skills.
"A Fab Lab can take the kind of stuff we already offer and take it to another level," Hutchinson said, referring to current courses in agriculture, the school's robotics team, and more.
The district is part of the Delran STEM Ecosystem Alliance, which works to expose students to STEM skills and careers.
After those in the workforce beginning retiring, millennials and generation Z, those born between the mid-1990s and early 2000s, will need to fill employment gaps in STEM careers.
With this need and the rapid advancement of technology, the updated STEM curriculum will prepare students for the careers of the future, Hutchinson and DeMichele said.
The Fab Lab will give teachers and students a space to build instructive models such as a 3-D-printed solar system to visualize the distance between planets or create 3-D topographic maps of the New Jersey coastline to explore storm damage without having to leave the classroom.
Other features would include graphic design, electronics and computer-aided design projects.
Energy-efficient operations and easily-moveable furniture for collaboration are other modern elements that will be included.
The project is estimated to cost about $1.5 million with the district covering renovations and donations funding lab equipment.
The district will go out for construction bids next month and anticipates breaking ground in December in the old automotive shop, which is currently used to store maintenance equipment.
"It's really allowing us to reclaim an instructional space back for instruction," Hutchinson said.
Delran High plans to partner with Rowan College at Burlington County so some students in Fab Lab can attain dual credit at the high school and college.
Now in its second year, the Fab Lab would be open to all district classes for field-trip style enrichment for elementary and middle schoolers.
Hutchinson and DeMichele are taking teachers' input to ensure the lab meets their needs.
The lab will offer "enhanced opportunities for the kids to really make the learning come alive," Hutchinson said.
Educators like Delran Middle school eighth grade science teacher Katie Conroy are looking forward to the new tools so students will become eager to experiment and learn when they are at home.
"I think that it'll be a good way to take that learning outside the classroom," she said.
For eighth grade science teacher Jon Skvir, the possibility of stretching his own imagination is motivation enough.
"I'm looking forward to going there to learn and play on my own, and to hopefully bring those experiences to my classroom," he said.
Cost of Delran STEM lab increases by $300K
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/20190130/cost-of-delran-stem-lab-increases-by-300kBy Lisa Broadt
Posted: Jan 30, 2019DELRAN — The township school district expects to spend about $300,000 more than anticipated to create a STEM laboratory at the high school.
The district will spend about $1.8 million on the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fabrication laboratory, with hopes half of it will be ready for students by the fall.
The district's original budget created last spring was $1.5 million, a number that rose this winter due to unexpected project costs.
After going out to bid on construction, the district discovered electrical upgrades were required in the space currently occupied by automotive and wood shops. The current wiring can't support machines like laser cutters and 3-D printers, and electrical controls are needed to keep machines from overheating, according to business administrator Derek Mead.
"As we've kind of evolved through this project, we've done so over multiple years and multiple economies," said Superintendent Brian Brotschul. "And certainly pinpointing and targeting certain costs has been a challenge because of different conditions and variables."
The project will transform the former auto shop into an open-concept creative space featuring higher ceilings and natural light with a connection to the wood shop next door. The refurbished rooms would be outfitted with STEM tools for hands-on learning that models in-class concepts and teaches students important technological skills, officials have said.
The district planned for a soft opening of the entire digital Fab Lab in the fall, but due to the cost increase only the auto shop portion will be ready by the beginning of next year school, officials said.
The district could be responsible for paying for the entire project depending on the amount of grant or donor funding it receives toward the roughly $300,000 lab equipment cost, or for software and training for staff and students. So far, the district has received $25,000, including a $20,000 donation from Overdeck Family Foundation, Brotschul and Mead said. Grant funding will be used in the same fashion.
Mead said the district is constantly looking for grant opportunities, but the rolling basis makes it hard to estimate how much will be donated.
"Me as a business administrator, I expect we have to pay for the whole thing, as a precaution," he said.
The district originally anticipated spending about $500,000 to complete construction of the lab, with the remaining costs covered through donations.
In November, the Board of Education received construction bids between $849,000 to $1,192,000 for complete renovations, Brotschul said. The BOE rebid the project with bids only covering the automotive shop renovations for the 2018-19 school year.
The board voted unanimously in mid-December to award a $543,382 contract to Straga Brothers Inc., of Glassboro, Gloucester County, for auto shop construction. The board also agreed to withdraw $200,000 from capital reserves for other project costs, according to Mead.
The $700,000 total auto shop construction cost includes a base $465,000 construction bid, as well as line items amounting to $235,000 for some heating, ventilation and cooling work and for the installation of bathrooms, cabinetry and flooring. The electrical work that altered project costs was part of the base bid and could not be separated out from the total, Mead said.
Once the space has been outfitted with equipment, software and furniture, the total cost of auto shop renovations is expected to be $966,000. Work is expected to wrap up no later than June, officials said.
Renovations to the wood shop are less extensive, and will be pushed to next year, Mead said. The district will solicit bids and begin work to refurbish and update the wood shop this time next year, officials said.
Construction is expected to cost $750,000 out of the total $845,000 expense of upgrading the shop. It has some existing equipment, and needs fewer upgrades and less furniture than the auto shop, Mead said.
Officials expect that the lab — the only one of its kind in Burlington County — will be worth the time and expense since it will give teachers and students a space to prepare for employment gaps in STEM careers.
"A Fab Lab can take the kind of stuff we already offer and take it to another level," said Mary Jo Hutchinson, district STEM co-coordinator.
Coastal coalition meets for first time after flooding
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/20190630/coastal-coalition-meets-for-first-time-after-floodingBy Lisa Broadt
Posted: Jun 30, 2019Erosion, repetitive-flood areas and storm water management emerged as among the top concerns.
DELRAN — The Coastal Communities Coalition on Thursday held its first meeting after parts of Burlington County experienced devastating flooding.
Erosion, repetitive-flood areas and storm water management emerged as among the top concerns for representatives from Burlington City, Cinnaminson, Delanco, Delran, Palmyra, Riverton and Willingboro, the municipalities in attendance, according to Delran Mayor Ken Paris, who organized the coalition.
Speaking before the meeting, Paris said he hoped to compile a list of each community's most pressing flood-related issues.
“We’re going to categorize them and come up with the most heavy hitters and concentrate on them," Paris said Thursday.
On Friday, Paris said erosion would be one of the priorities.
“The shoreline erosion eats away at our usable uplands and results in an increased risk of flooding," in low-lying areas near river corridors, Paris said in an email.
To see some immediate relief from erosion-caused flooding, shorelines must be stabilized, and longer term, communities must have studies that evaluate and identify ways to reduce repetitive flooding, particularly because flooding is expected to worsen with sea-level rise, according to Paris and Jim Winckowski, township engineer.
At the same time, municipalities in the coalition are facing an “overwhelming maintenance burden” to keep drainage infrastructure and waterways clear.
“Combined with overbearing regulations and a lack of proper equipment, staying ahead of the game is becoming a nearly impossible task and over-utilizing the limited resources our independent local communities have,” Paris said.
State or federal assistance to maintain the infrastructure, as well as legislative reform to help streamline permitting and oversight is going to be crucial, according to Paris and Winckowski.
Paris formed the coalition earlier this year after realizing local communities might have a better chance of receiving state and federal aid if they banded together.
“We didn’t get far as an individual town, so I thought a coalition of neighboring towns facing similar issue would be the best way to get attention,” Paris said at the time, adding that projections that flooding will increase in the next 50 years add new urgency to the issue.
Paris contacted communities that, like Delran, are affected by Delaware and Rancocas flooding, and the group held an introductory meeting in late March.
Since then, 10 communities have joined the coalition and three or four more are expected to join, according to Paris.
“Lumberton just contacted us today and said they want to be part of the coalition,” Paris said. “I’m hoping that the number of towns participating speaks volumes to the need here in Burlington County.”
The coalition is to have another local meeting in late July and then, if all goes according to plan, meet with state and federal lawmakers by the end of summer, according to Paris.
“We want to identify our issues and concerns and get their buy in for support,” Paris said.
After that, the next step would be to present those issues to the the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other state and federal agencies, according to Paris.
“It seems like the rain we got in the past month it shows you the type of flooding we could be in for,” Paris said. “Hopefully we can get some funding.”
Roadwork starting next week in Delran, Mount Laurel and Moorestown
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/20190731/roadwork-starting-next-week-in-delran-mount-laurel-and-moorestownBy Lisa Broadt
Posted: Jul 31, 2019
MOUNT HOLLY — Roadwork will begin next week in Delran, Moorestown and Mount Laurel, the county said Wednesday.
The work entails pavement milling and overlay of Creek Road from Bridgeboro Road in Delran to Centerton Road in Mount Laurel.
The road will remain open during the project, though drivers could experience delays and should consider alternate routes, the county said.
The project is expected to wrap up Aug. 30.
Meanwhile, roadwork continues in other parts of the county.
In Cinnaminson, the milling and overlay of Branch Pike that began July 29 is expected to continue through Aug. 14. Drivers impacted by the work — which spans Branch Pike from Route 130 to Riverton-Moorestown Road — should consider alternate routes, according to the county.
The milling and overlay of Indian Mills Road from Stokes Road to Jackson Road in Shamong is to wrap up Aug. 7. Work on Indian Mills, also called County Route 620, began July 22.
Pavement milling and overlay of Hartford Road from Hainesport-Mount Laurel Road to Lenape Court in Mount Laurel is expected to be completed this week, according to the county.
The upcoming Creek Road project will be done by American Asphalt Co., of West Collingswood.
Delran HS unveils $1.8M STEM lab, announces expansion
Source: https://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/20191122/delran-hs-unveils-18m-stem-lab-announces--expansionBy Gianluca D’Elia
Posted: Nov 22, 2019
DELRAN — Dressed in personalized T-shirts they'd pressed themselves with new equipment, dozens of students eagerly showed off Delran's new fabrication and innovation laboratory to parents, local business partners and Congressman Andy Kim, at its grand opening.
The $1.8 million science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fabrication laboratory opened for use at the beginning of the school year, in an annex at the back of the high school that was once home to its former auto shop.
The project, completed by Garrison Architects, was supported by capital reserve funds, donations — including $20,000 from Overdeck Family Foundation — and the district's yearly budget.
However, the lab is not quite done yet. At Thursday's grand opening, Superintendent Brian Brotschul also announced that the board of education approved a $609,000 proposal Monday night from the Sewell-based W.J. Gross Construction for a project to expand the fabrication lab and add a wood shop.
"It's so exciting to have the lab up and running, and to provide all these opportunities we envisioned for our students," said Mary Jo Hutchinson, co-coordinator of Delran's STEM program. "We're looking forward to seeing just how far they go."
"The possibilities are limitless, as the work continues and we break through to the wood shop and add even more tools," she added.
Hutchinson said she's also looking forward to introducing the lab to younger students from kindergarten through eighth grade, and seeing students and teachers familiarize themselves with the space and host community events.
The lab includes a 26-station digital design studio, 3-D printers, paper and vinyl cutters, a heat press, a sublimation printer and large format banner printer, an electronics and soldering station, a shaper tool, and laser cutters.
In future construction, the school district will add a pass-through to the new wood shop, a desktop "shopbot" and a computer-controlled cutting machine. School officials have said the lab will prepare students for STEM careers and help close unemployment gaps in those fields in the future, noting that it's harder to retain women and minorities in STEM.
"It's been an amazing learning and teaching experience," sophomore Mason Williams said. "We've taught teachers, just trying to get it out to a general audience so eventually, everyone will be able to work in here and create something."
His older sister, Simone Williams, added, "You're always learning something new every time you're in the lab. It's always different."
Sophomore Andrew Menson said working in the lab is preparing him for a future career in STEM.
"Just being able to have this facility that's super high-tech and advanced, is really awesome because I'll be able able to experiment and get a sense of what I want to do," Andrew said.
The grand opening also featured a panel on the current status of STEM education with New Jersey Assistant Education Commissioner Linda Eno; Anna Payanzo Cotton, vice president of Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning at Rowan College at Burlington; Carolyn Mattern, Pharmacy Supervisor at Grand View Health; and Kya Jones, a sophomore and STEM ambassador at Delran High. The panel was moderated by Kim Case, manager of the New Jersey STEM Pathways Network.
"I like to think of it as Disney World," Jones said of the fabrication lab. "My favorite thing is the 3-D printers. You can build anything you could imagine. It's long, but to watch it building a creation in your head, it's magical."
.@AndyKimNJ speaks about the importance of science, tech, engineering + math education at @DelranSTEM's fabrication/innovation lab grand opening. "The outcomes that start from that room 2 doors down could have reverberations that stem beyond our wildest imaginations," Kim said. pic.twitter.com/xmoybzZQZO
— Gianluca D'Elia (@gianluca_delia) November 22, 2019Following the panel, Kim took the stage and discussed the importance of a strong STEM background. The Cherry Hill native shared that his father obtained a doctorate in genetics after surviving polio, homelessness and living in an orphanage during his childhood in South Korea.
"As a father to two baby boys now, raising them just a couple of miles from where I grew up, I see this community in a whole other light," said Kim, D-3 of Moorestown. "It helps me understand why my parents chose South Jersey to raise me and my sister. It all came down to the schools.
"The house was a little more expensive than they can afford, but they were willing to make that investment, the same way all of you are willing to make that investment in our kids today."
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