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West Cornwall Township supervisors voted Monday to table action on a proposed development of 16 townhomes off of South Zinns Mill Road after hearing from nearby property owners about stormwater runoff issues in the area.
Pausing for 30 days allows the township to invite county officials to hear neighbors’ concerns that the existing stormwater management infrastructure isn’t working. Several residents urged supervisors to address current problems before approving a development that they worried could exacerbate water problems.
The subdivision and land development plan and stormwater management plan for Iron Mill Townes have been approved by the Lebanon County Planning Commission as well as the Lebanon County Conservation District.
“The community needs to have the opportunity to talk to the people who are writing letters of approval,” said Dennis Tulli, who made the motion to table. “Their answers may not appease all of you, but at least you’ll get a chance to talk to them.”
The proposed Iron Mill Townes with 16 townhomes in four units is bordered on the north by residential homes, to the east by South Zinns Mill Road and Quentin Storage Units, to the south by SR 322, and to the west by an apartment complex currently under construction.
Chuck Hess with project developer Landmark Homes said the proposed townhome project is addressing stormwater on site. Two stormwater basins will be constructed along with a pipe to channel stormwater to North Zinns Mill Road and, ultimately, to Fairview Golf Course’s irrigation pond.
Neighbors are describing a long-standing drainage problem separate from the proposed townhomes, Hess said.
“We are collecting and managing the stormwater from this site — our design is compliant,” Hess said.
Supervisor David Lloyd agreed that there are two separate issues — stormwater runoff and approving the proposed Iron Mill Townes.
“Let’s get some analysis of the west side (of South Zinns Mill Road),” Lloyd said. “Let’s get some answers on what’s been an ongoing problem.”
Township engineer Jeff Steckbeck said maintenance issues, such as a clogged pipe or silted swales, with the storage facility’s stormwater infrastructure could be the cause of the current problems. The storage facility’s NPDES permit authorizes inspection by county and local government officials.
“Sometimes stormwater management systems go ‘out of compliance’ due to neglect, silting, clogging of inlets, outlets, pipes,” he said in an email Tuesday.
In other business, Steckbeck said the development plan for Cavalry at Quentin is under review at the county and could come before supervisors in May or June. Cavalry at Quentin is the site of the former Quentin Riding Club at the intersection of state routes 419 and 72.
Steckbeck, who also serves as the municipal authority engineer, reported there will be no rate increase in water and sewer rates for Quentin customers of the West Cornwall Township Municipal Authority (WCTMA).
But about 40 customers in the far northeast end of Mount Gretna known as Stoberdale will see a $21/quarter increase in sewer bills starting in May. Those customers are billed by WCTMA but are served by the Mount Gretna Borough Municipal Authority, which raised its rates.
Steckbeck also said about half of WCTMA customers have proven they do not have lead service lines. The other half will require excavation to expose buried pipes to verify material, he said in an email Tuesday.
West Cornwall Township supervisors meet at 73 S. Zinns Mill Road on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. The next meeting will be held Monday, Feb. 10. These meetings are open to the public and do not require registration.
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