A Bridge Closed, A Road Crumbling, An Award Given

By what can only be described as a sheer, most welcome co-incidence, the New Hanover Supervisors meeting finished in plenty of time Thursday to ensure everyone there could get home in time to see the first game of the Eagles season.

Not that anyone was complaining.

State Rep. Marcy Toepel at last night's

New Hanover Supervisors meeting.

A little under 90 minutes, the meeting kicked off with state Rep. Marcy Toepel, R-147th Dist., making sure the supervisors knew that earlier in the evening, PennDOT had closed the New Hanover Square Road bridge over Swamp Creek.

During the closure, motorists will be detoured over Route 73 (Big Road), Route 663 (Charlotte Street) and Swamp Pike.

Built in 1934, the three-span, steel-I beam, bituminous bridge is 117 feet long, 29 feet wide and carries an average of 2,186 vehicles a day. The structure had a posted weight limit of 3 tons before it closed.

Because of that weight limit, the bridge was not used by Boyertown school buses, Toepel was told, so the closure would not create a problem for schools on Friday.

Those in the audience also found out there was a break-in at the concession stand at Hickory Park, but that the register is never left with more than $100 so no insurance will be involved.

An investigation is ongoing said Township Manager Jamie Gwynn.

And speaking of Hickory Park, the township's Parks and Recreation Department reminds you that the Fall Frolic, one of the biggest parks and rec events of the year, will be held Saturday, Sept. 8 from 12 to 5 p.m. at, where else? Hickory Park.

New Hanover Supervisors Chairman Chuck Garner, left,
presents Russ Oister with the township's first-ever
Distinguished Citizen Award.

Last night also marked a first.

The first New Hanover Distinguished Citizen Award to be given out.

The recipient was Russ Oister, who was recognized for his work with Supervisor and Environmental Advisory Board Chairman Ross Snook mapping all the streams and stormwater outlets in the township.

The work is to help the township comply with federal stormwater rules designed to prevent pollution.

Because it was done by volunteers, Supervisors Chairman Charles D. Garner Jr. said, it "saved the township thousands of dollars" rather than pay a consultant.

Here's some video of the award presentation (didn't get it all I'm afraid. Sorry Oister family ...)

The rest of the meeting was fairly routine with one exception.

Late in the agenda, the supervisors unanimously adopted the dedication of two roads, Holly Drive in the Hanover Green development; and Courtside Drive in the Hanover Preserves development.

In both cases, the developer had gone bankrupt. In the case of Holly Drive, an escrow security account created for just such a circumstance paid for the road to be finished. Not so much for Courtside Drive where, as Township Solicitor Andrew Bellwoar explained, not only did the developer go bankrupt, but the bank backing it went bell-up as well.

But that was of great interest to the people who live on Jay's Lane.

The same thing happened to them, it just happened 60 years ago. Their road, which is a private road, is falling apart and for more than a year, some of the eight residents who live there have asked the township to pave it.

The township agreed to do so, but only if each of the residents contributed thousands of dollars toward the cost given that the township does not own the road. That didn't happen, and now some of them are back, asking the township to pave it anyway.

No word yet on how that will go.

And now, here are the Tweets from the meeting.

Bridge Closed, Award Given, Road Needs Paving