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| PennDot and Delco looking for answers on Project |
A few weeks back the news outlets reported that PennDot was urging Media Borough Council for decision on the Third St. Bridge project. PennDot went as far as to announce that the financing for the project could be jeopardized
if answers weren’t provided soon. This
week, Delaware County expressed the same concern by submitting a letter to
Borough Council asked why the project has not started.
It appears that Borough Council has yet to finalize the EAP (Emergency
Action Plan) that was request by the PA DEP and is required in order for the
repairs to begin. Based on the Schnabel
report, the draft has been created, but has yet to be circulated by Media
Borough Council to the county for comment.
Do you think it's an intentional move to miss out on funding?
ReplyDeleteYes, I would guess this is intentional. I am afraid that "winning" a political battle is of a higher importance than getting this proble, solved.
DeleteNIMBYS at work.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry but I am still fired up about the acronym FROGs that defines the Friends of Glen..............PROVIDENCE PARK!! It is just plain un-American. It is like putting ice cubes in the toliet man - it doesn't make any sense. Tedman I urge you to write a post about this - poor acronym use is never acceptable - especially for such a pompous group as the FROG-PPs. Thats right I am calling them the FROG-PPs because that is what they are gosh darn it!
ReplyDeleteI agree - why are we wasting our time focusing on the trivial donkey/elephant show when blatant accronym abuse runs rampant through our gated communities?
DeleteBefore you know it, the NIMBY's won't be satistfied in protecting just their back yards, but maybe the front or sides - I mean NIMFY would just be ridiculuous. NIM-GOP? FRO-GURT? Glen Providence Park doesn't need our love, it needs our respect.
If Glenn providence park wants our respect they should start with giving respect by properly using an acronym to describe their group. It is just plain rude to misuse an acronym to describe your group. Really, it is flat out insulting to the citizens of media and beyond.
DeleteWhat is the soonest the project can begin? What steps do the dam owners need to take?
ReplyDeleteExcellent question, Anonymous August 30, 2012 8:18 PM
ReplyDeleteFirst, someone needs to assume ownership--and that's a problem. The Stipulation and Order agreement sets out "responsibilities", but doesn't use 'the O-word'. Media borough is only "responsible" for design, construction and funding, and subsequent roadway maintenance.
In order to get the PennDOT 80% funding there needs to be an owner. And in order to get the DEP permits there needs to be an owner and, in this case, the DEP will require a "Statement of Cooperation" between the parties. And you can bet it will be pretty specific.
Dam permits of this type typically take 12-18 months to get, and PennDOT schedules their funding years in advance. Beyond that, this particlar project is unique because of the multi-party nature of it, as well as the litigious threats and lack of cooperation on the part of one of the parties, as well as the project's track record over the years.
Construction cannot possibly begin before Spring of 2015, and would more likely be funded for 2016; my best guess here is that construction begins in Spring, 2016 or 3028.
Patience will be needed on everyone's part....
So when's the court date, poo flinger?
DeleteHere's all you need to know about this guy: http://media.patch.com/articles/media-resident-charged-following-altercation-after-3rd-st-meeting
ReplyDeletePaul - Thanks for the informed response, free from name calling or unfounded rumor. Any Media resident who is alarmed by Tedman's accusations has the opportunity to obtain more accuarte information from municipal or state agencies.
ReplyDeleteNot exactly, Anonymous September 2, 2012 9:38 PM...
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the compliment, but more accurate information is not so easy to come by! And I must say, there is indeed a lack of transparency on this issue from borough council, though I'm sure Kent Davidson has little or nothing to do with it. But, read on....
Council has chosen to take up 'the Dam matter' amongst themselves, rather than turning it over to a committee or outside professional designer. In one workshop session I attended, the person beside me made the comment, "They're never gonna get anywhere with this, they're too busy fighting each other....". Well put, I think.
While 'the line' is that "Public comment is always welcome", when offered in workshop sessions it is ignored, and in legislative sessions it is deflected; Emails go unanswered, as well, and most councilpersons simply won't discuss the dam outside meetings. When I asked in the last legislative session if the EAP (a critical permitting document) had been revised and signed by the parties, President Hall simply stated the he "didn't know", and conveniently neglected to refer the question to the borough solicitor and the borough manager, both of whom were in attendance. Other questions were similarly sidestepped, but the public was reassured that council "is working very hard on this...." and it was suggested that dam matters would be best discussed "in another venue". (Council sets aside one-half hour a month to debate the matter.) I let it pass, but I believe the situation was pretty clear to all in attendance. This kind of approach from council just isn't isn't going to work. Meanwhile, the State's $650K grant is set to expire at the end of October -- yes, THIS October.... Perhaps borough Council will behave a bit more responsibly when they are dealing with their (our!) own money.
I have asked borough council three times in public (and several other times in emails and personal meetings) to inform Medians what is going on with the project, what the salient issues are, what the difficulties are and what the timeline and costs might be. They never do. I got the borough's Summer 2012 newsletter a couple weeks ago--nothing about the dam' it's as if it didn't exist. And "no report" in meetings from Paul Robinson, chairman of 'the dam committee' for at least the last two months. And even beyond that, residents who weren't sent the survey and project options mailing earlier this year were not sent a replacement mailing, even after the addresses that weren't mailed to became known.
Because of council's inaction, Friends of Third Street Dam is producing a newsletter and Dam Report for publication later this month. A draft will be circulated to council members and other dam principals prior to publication for fact-checking and rebuttal, and 'op-ed' space will be offered. I think most residents will be quite surprised, and concerned. But on the lighter side, I might just reveal 'the scoop' behind "poo finger"!
For now, I'm sending a letter to borough council that poses several questions to them, shares information from our research, and fact-checks several details. You can get a copy from borough manager Jeff Smith as a right-to-know request. If interested, Email your "RTK request" to jasmith@dca.net and request the Indorf letter to council titled "Dam progress". Mr. Smith always responds promptly, usually within a few days.
Did I mention...this is going to take some patience!? And, quite likely, another election....
For a jobless bum with an assaulting temper and no real stakeholder interest in the bridge or Dan, I think it's simply safe to say that you're mental.
DeleteIndorf - Media's version of a domestic terrorist. We'll be better off when he finds a new town to torture.
ReplyDeleteOr people could rise above name calling and partisan politics.
ReplyDeletePaul Indorf is a teddy bear. All he needs is a hug. Keep the dialogue going, Paul. Sticks and stones will brake my bones....
ReplyDeleteYou know the rest.
Or an assault...
Delete