L. Pottsgrove Police Decals Remind Us to Stay Home

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the Lower Pottsgrove Police Department

If you have been glued to the media recently, you should not have to be reminded of the "Stay at Home" orders issued by our government and Public Safety officials, subsequent to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, thanks to a local graphics company, Pizzico Signs of Limerick Township, Lower Pottsgrove Police agency will now be sporting reminders on its cars. 

Owner, Rick Pizzico, personally visited the police station Friday morning to donate decals advertising this reminder to all citizens. Pizzico personally applied these stickers to the agencies marked patrol units. 

It is just another way to educate citizens on the importance of following these "Stay at Home" orders to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, "helping all to stay healthy, save lives and help us all get back to normalcy sooner rather than later," the police posted on the Crimewatch page. 

"We are doing our part. Please do your part and practice social distancing. Stay Home," police wrote.

New Cop in Lower, More Route 422 Work Coming

Photo by Evan Brandt

NEWEST ADDITION: Michael Tantorno's children hold The Bible as he takes the oath of office Monday night as Lower Pottsgrove's newest police officer as administered by District Judge Edward Kropp while his family, Police Chief Mike Foltz and township commissioners look on. He will fill the vacancy left by  Sgt. Bob Greenwood, who retired last week after 34 years of service.

Talk about burying the lead.

It wasn't until the very end of last night's Lower Pottsgrove Commissioners meeting that Township Manager Ed Wagner broke the big news.

For the past six years, residents and drivers on Route 422 have been dealing with the $307 million project to replace two bridges over the Schuylkill River, at Armand Hammer Boulevard, over the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks, as well as pavement and access ramp re-construction.

Well, far from being over, another phase is about to begin.

Wagner said he received notice from PennDOT that the roughly five miles from the Royersford to Sanatoga interchanges is the next area to be under construction.

The work is slated to begin this spring and will last into 2021, Wagner said.

Pavement will be repaired and replaced, as will bridge decking along with drainage repairs and the installation of rumble strips.

"Lane closures will occur on the non-peak hours," said Wagner in what could certainly be called cold comfort to those whose patience has already been frayed daily by six years of delays and construction.

But that's not all folks.

The construction of one of two new Route 422 bridges

over the Schuylkill photographed in 2014.

According to the web site set up by PennDOT to track Route 422 work, more is coming.

Design work is currently underway for work on 1.7 miles of expressway from the bridge over the railroad to the bridge over Park Road. 

A $60 million, four-year project, the site anticipates the project to go out to bid in the summer of 2020, while the work in Limerick is still going on.

This project includes two bridges carrying Pleasantview Road and Park Road over U.S. 422, and two bridges carrying U.S. 422 over Porter Road, Sanatoga Road and Sanatoga Creek. One culvert at Sprogels Run, located just east of Porter Road, will be removed and a new two-span structure will be built over Porter Road and Sprogels Run. The acceleration lane for the westbound on-ramp from the Sanatoga Interchange will also be improved as part of this phase.

The $35.6 million project on the section of highway from the Berks County Line, east through the Stowe interchange now underway is expected to be finished by this coming October.

And next month, final design is set to begin on the section of Route 422 from the Keim Street interchange to the Route 724 interchange.

This $40 million project will last three years with the earliest bidding date coming in summer of 2021, according to the site, which was last updated in November.

Parking Changes

In the headaches-for-drivers department, the township commissioners also authorized the advertisement of a change in parking restrictions on Hause Avenue.

After police conducted a safety study, the department recommended, and the commissioners agreed, that no parking restrictions should be extended from the intersection with High Street north past the curve in the road that makes it dangerous.

And with that, here are the Tweets from the meeting:

More Route 422 Work Coming Our Way

Lower Pottsgrove Police Kudos and Sanatoga Green

Photos by Evan Brandt

Lower Pottsgrove Township Commissioner Ray Lopez shows one side of the township police commemorative medallion now being presented with police and citizen awards.

Police news was front and center Monday night as the Lower Pottsgrove Township Commissioners gathered for their first meeting of the month.

Police Chief Michael Foltz recognized Sgt. Scott Weidenhammer and his wife Vicki for all they did to ensure that the police department received its re-accreditation.

Lower Pottsgrove is one of about 110 law enforcement agencies out of 1,100 across the state that have achieved accreditation through the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police — Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission.

First accredited in 2014, the department must meet the 133 standards every three years to remain in good standing and Weidenhammer was in charge of that effort, as well as his other duties.

Commissioners Stephen Klotz and Earl Swavely, left and right,

applaud as Chief Mike Foltz congratulates Sgt. Scott
Weidenhammer 

and his wife Vicki for their work on
the re-accreditation of the police department.

"There are a number of times when he was in here working on that when it was not his shift," said Foltz. He added that when the committee is here for its inspection, if was Weidenhammer and his wife who acted as hosts, with Vicki providing some home cooking as well as other support.

"We are certainly not the biggest department in the state to be accredited, but the fact that we are, and were re-confirmed shows the professionalism of this department," said Commissioner Earl Swavely, himself a former police chief.

"It's not any easier three years later," said Commissioners Vice Chairman Stephen Klotz.

Weidenhammer was presented with a commendation and his wife with a citizens award and both received the commemorative medallion the township had made up for police-related awards.

Next up was Sgt. William James, who wanted to thank the commissioners for the opportunity to attend the FBI National Academy, particularly given that only about 1 percent of those who apply are accepted.

Lower Pottsgrove Police Sgt. William James addresses
the township commissioners about the FBI Academy.

During his 10 weeks at the academy, James completed 30 hours of coursework in fitness in law enforcement and 45 hours each in courses including effective writing, public speaking, employment law issues for law enforcement executives, essentials for law enforcement leaders and law enforcement approaches to counter terrorism.

He said the difficulty of the work is the equivalent or a graduate school-level course.

Foltz also detailed a busy April for the department which included a DUI stop that netted several arrests, including a. weapons charge, to a vandalism spree in Rolling Hills and Walnut Ridge housing complexes on Easter weekend, in which one officer was nearly hit with a thrown battery.

In the another item of frequent discussion in the township building, Pottsgrove Schools Business Manager David Nester was on hand to provide the commissioners with the demographic study the district had delivered recently.

It told a much different tale of how many new students two large housing developments on tap in the township -- Sanatoga Green and Spring Valley Farms -- might generate.

The upshot, "the numbers are conservative but about twice what the developer predicted," Nester said.

Pottsgrove Schools Business Manager Dave Nester, right,

outlines the results of the district's latest demographic study.

He was informed by Chad Camburn, one of the township's engineers from Burshich Assoc., that Spring Valley Farms is contemplating changing its plan from two-story family homes to single story ranches marketed toward homeowners over 50, which would reduce the number of children the district would have to accommodate.

"That's much appreciated," Nester replied.

Camburn also said the number of townhomes in the Sanatoga Green project has bee reduced slightly, but that the developers there are pushing very hard to move the process forward.

He said last month he and the township received 12 submissions from Castle Caldecott LLC. "They're being very cooperative, but they're anxious. Hopefully, after they get preliminary approval, they'll take a breath," he said.

Camburn also said that between Sanatoga Green, a commercial property being proposed for the adjacent property, and the development of commercial property adjacent to the Turkey Hill on East High Street, that PennDOT, Limerick and Lower Pottsgrove are ready to back a regional traffic study for the entire Sanatoga Route 422 interchange area.

Look to future reports in The Mercury for more on these items.

In the meantime, here are the ever-lovin' Tweets!

A 4-Year Police Pact and More Homes to Watch Over

Photos by Evan Brandt

Engineer Rolph Graf outlines for the commissioners the Spring Valley Farms plan that calls for 178 homes in the parcel on the lower left corner, and two other parcels, 40 and 43 acres respectively, that will be deeded to the township for open space.

Once again, the Lower Pottsgrove Commissioners demonstrated proficiency in local government by approving a major housing development; approving a major four-year police contract and expanding by 12,160 square feet Coventry Christian School on Pleasantview Road  -- all within a 30-minute meeting.

Those of us who suffer through long meetings thank them, although the pace was so swift that a reporter who stepped outside the meeting room to get the spelling of a name missed the entire adoption of the police contract.

And while there may be no honor among thieves, apparently there is among local journalists as Joe Zlomek, editor extraordinaire of The Sanatoga Post, immediately conveyed this fact to said wayward reporter.

So let's start with that.

The contract changes little except pay and health benefits, according to Commissioners Vice Chairman Stephen Klotz, who also heads up the police committee and had a hand in the negotiations.

The contract provides a 3 percent raise in the first year; a 3 percent raise in the second year; a 3.25 percent raise in the third year and a 3.25 percent raise in the fourth year.

Those increases will collectively add $203,000 to the township payroll after four years, said Township Manager Ed Wagner.

Currently the average salary on the police force is $56,241 and the highest is $91,112, said Klotz.

The 19 officers affected by the contract -- only Chief Michael Foltz is not in the union -- will continue to make no payments toward health insurance premiums, but they did agree to move to a new health plan offered by Aetna, Klotz said.

That plan, which has a high deductible for famlies, saves the township $162,000 over the course of the contract, thus off-setting all but $41,000 of the increased payroll costs.

The officers agreed to accept the high deductible plan because the township will pay 100 percent of the deductible costs incurred in the first and second years; 75 percent in the third and 50 percent in the final year of the contract.

A close up of the sub-division. The homes will all be located in the

parcel on the lower left corner, shown in faint outline.

Those costs, of course, will depend on actual experience and how much the officers and their families access their health care, making them difficult to predict.

Also significant in the whirlwind of voting Thursday night was the approval of Spring Valley Farms, a development at the corner of Bleim and Pleasantview roads on 143.67 acres.

The project has been in the works for several years and takes advantage of a zoning provision which allows the developers to cluster the homes more closely together than otherwise allowed in exchange for preserving open space from development.

That will occur on the two other parcels, at top and upper right, which total about 83 acres and will be deeded over to the township.

This is how the lots in Spring Valley Farms would be arranged
on the 143 acres to be developed.

This is a smaller project than the 500-unit Sanatoga Green, which has generated several headlines, but has been in the planning pipeline much longer.

It will also add to the cumulative total of the increases in traffic and potential increases in school population that have begun to catch the attention of regional planners and school officials.

Late last year, Pottsgrove Schools Business Manager David Nester told the commissioners that the district is concerned about how many students might move into the district to live in Sanatoga Green. The developers have forecast 58.

Although Spring Valley Farms is not likely to add nearly as many children, it certainly won't decrease the student population.

Answers may come in the form of a demographics study the Pottsgrove School Board also commissioned in November.

As for traffic, members of the Pottstown Area Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Committee are on the hunt for funding for a regional traffic study which will help predict the impact of large housing projects like Spring Valley Farms and Sanatoga Green in Lower Pottsgrove, as well as a project of more than 760 homes in New Hanover and a 241-unit project in Douglass (Mont.) Township which received preliminary approval on Tuesday night.

But enough of that, we know you're anxious to get to the Tweets, and here they are:

New Cop, New Commissioner in Lower Pottsgrove

Photo by Evan Brandt

Newly appointed Lower Pottsgrove Township Commissioner Bob Mohollen with, his children, from left, Nick, 19; Samantha, 10 and Bobby, 21.

Two new faces joined the ranks of Lower Pottsgrove civic life Thursday night, although one of them has been around for a while.

The township commissioners unanimously selected Zoning Hearing Board member Bob Mohollen as the replacement for Jim Vlahos, who resigned suddenly two weeks ago.

Photo by Evan Brandt

District Judge Ed Kropp, right, administers the oath of office

to Lower Pottsgrove's newest commissioner, Bob Mohollen.

He was selected from among three candidates, the others being prior applicants to the board, Charles Nippert and former school board member B. Scott Fulmer.

Board Vice Chairman Stephen Klotz said unlike the last time the board replaced a commissioner -- when Shawn Watson stepped down last year under a cloud regarding unpaid taxes -- the candidates were not interviewed publicly.

He did not say why.

Solicitor Charles D. Garner Jr. said the law does not allow a member of the zoning hearing board to also serve as a township commissioner, and Mohollen said he had already tendered his resignation from the zoning board. The board voted unanimously to accept it last night.

Chairman Bruce Foltz said the township must now find a candidate for the zoning hearing board.

Photo by Evan Brandt

Lower Pottsgrove Police Chief Mike Foltz, right, welcomes 

David Allan McKenchie after his wife Jackie pinned on his badge.

The township already found a candidate for new police officer -- David Allan McKenchie.

He was sworn in Thursday night by District Judge Ed Kropp and his wife Jackie pinned his badge on him.

A graduate of Liberty University with a B.S. in biology and environmental science, McKenchie also graduated from Montgomery County Community College and most recently worked as a defensive combat instructor at Civillian Defense Concepts in Royersford.

He is a black belt and received perfect marksmanship scores, winning the Sgt. James Miller Marksmanship Award, at the Montgomery County Police Academy, which he graduated in April.

Here are the Tweets from the rest of the meeting.

Good-Byes, Change Orders and Savings

Lower Pottsgrove Sgt. Wil James, right, accepts a

letter of appreciation from Superintendent Shellie Feola,

center and High School Principal; William Ziegler.

Tuesday night, the Pottsgrove School Board said good bye to School Resource Officer Wil James, who was recently promoted to sergeant in the Lower Pottsgrove Police Department.

He received a certificate of appreciation for his 13 years with the district.

The board also accepted, without comment, the resignation of two other long-time employees: Facilities Director Mike Katzenmoyer and the retirement of music teacher Cynthia Youst.

Second graders at West Pottsgrove Elementary School also thanked the school board, seeing as January is School Board Appreciation Month.

And they discussed change orders for the high school, financing for the next phase of the high school project and re-financing of old debt, as well as the schedule for this year's budget process.

The Tweets are below:

New Budget. New Officer. Bigger Township Building?

Photo by Evan Brandt

New Lower Pottsgrove Police Officer Scott Burnick, left, is accompanied by his parents just before being sworn in by District Judge Ed Kropp Sr., right, and Lower Pottsgrove Police Chief Michael Foltz.

Thursday night, the Lower Pottsgrove Commissioners met for the last time in 2014 and adopted a budget, hired a new police officer and contemplated the idea of expanding the township building on Buchert Road.

Commissioners Chairman Bruce Foltz said the expansion has been needed for "16 or 18 years."

Here are the Tweets from the meeting, look for more complete coverage in the pages of The Mercury.