West Cornwall Township to open public works bids on May 9

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Prepping for West Cornwall Township’s 2025 public works projects is underway, township supervisors learned Monday.

Bid documents will be posted with a May 9 opening, and results shared at supervisors’ May 12 meeting, township engineer Jeff Steckbeck said.

Steckbeck told supervisors that PennDOT is currently reviewing the township’s plan to complete improvements at its 67 W. Main St. property at the corner of North Zinns Mill Road and SR 419. Improvements include sidewalks, curbing, and two new inlets to handle stormwater runoff. An old inlet will be removed as part of the project.

In a related matter, Steckbeck said that parking lots and installation of parking meters at that property are in the design phase.

Also in design are drainage improvements behind the township building to alleviate water runoff onto South Zinns Mill Road.

Cavalry at Quentin, the proposed development at the intersection of state routes 419 and 72, is undergoing its third review by Lebanon County Planning, Steckbeck said. Proposed for the former Quentin Riding Club property is a mix of residential and commercial lots including a Wawa gas station and convenience store.

Also under review is Alden West, a development of 48 duplexes and part of Alden Place. A six-month extension has been requested, Steckbeck said.

Steckbeck also reported that the West Cornwall Township Municipal Authority has hired Hudson Green with Patriot Environmental Management LLC, Pottstown, as its new geologist. The authority, which operates three groundwater wells, is interested in developing a fourth well.

Issues in keeping the authority’s water tank full were not drought related as had been previously thought, Steckbeck said. Rather there was a line break in an 8-inch pipe at East Main Street and State Route 72.

The authority hired a leak specialist to find the leak, which has been repaired, Steckbeck told the board.

In other business, supervisors heard from Gary Verna, Lebanon County deputy director of Emergency Management, about the possibility of a staff member with the Department of Emergency Services serving as the township’s emergency management coordinator.

Several other municipalities have filled the local coordinator position with DES staff, Verna said.

“For a volunteer local coordinator, it’s hard to get the required certifications and trainings,” he said.

Using DES staff currently is free, but Verna said that as more municipalities opt for this approach, there could possibly be a per-capita fee.

“I’d like to learn more about this and what the training involves,” supervisor Dennis Tulli said after Verna’s presentation.

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, May 12. These meetings are open to the public and do not require registration.