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Photos by Evan Brandt
In order to keep planning for the massive Limerick Town Center project moving forward, three of four Limerick Supervisors agreed in concept Tuesday night to plow the snow from Swamp Pike and the new traffic circle that PennDOT requires and everyone hates.
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After months of construction, the first meeting in the new $10.5 million Limerick Township buidding was a bit anti-climactic, no balloons, music of speeches, although that -- along with the requisite ribbon-cutting, coming in October apparently.
Of course it was a big night for Shaun Semmeles.
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Limerick Fire Marshal Greg Breyer, right, presents
Fire Inspector
Shaun Semmeles with his
Emergency Management Coordinator Certification Tuesday. |
Semmeles is a fire inspector for the town and he and his family were in attendance as Fire Marshal Greg Breyer presented him with his basic certification as emergency management coordinator.
"With this certification, Shaun took it upon himself to see what the requirements would be and her surpassed them," said Breyer.
"He's really stepped up and helped us establish an Emergency Operations Center in the new Limerick Fire Station without spending any taxpayer money," Breyer said.
Here is a video of the presentation.
Congratulations to Shaun, but other things of import were discussed last night as well.
Perhaps of greatest interest is the Town Center project proposed for 30 acres at the intersection or Ridge Pike and Swamp Pike that includes more than 300 senior living units and 160 townhomes at the intersection of Ridge Pike and Swamp Pike.
In addition to the townhomes and the 308 senior units — comprised of a mixture of independent living, assisted living and “memory care” units — the plan also calls for three retail buildings that have 32,000 square feet of space on the first floor, with apartments above.
Last month, the township supervisors granted preliminary site plan approval for the project, moving it one step ahead in the land development process.
In order to win Montgomery County approval for the senior unit portion of the project, the township supervisors had to agree to allow the county to take ownership of the new roads that will be created by the project, but to plow those roads and the traffic circle that will be created and paint the traffic circle.
The township also had to agree to plow Swamp Pike to the New Hanover Township line.
Supervisor Ken Sperring, who has expressed his strong opposition to the traffic circle, said he opposes taking over responsibility for plowing and painting it.
"That circle will be a disaster, I've plowed for 20 years, plowing it with traffic coming will be a disaster," said Sperring.
But Supervisor Kara Shuler argued it would be better for the residents, and safer during snowstorms, to have the township take care of it than waiting around for the county contractor. Supervisors Thomas Neafcy and Patrick Morroney agreed with Shuler and Township Manager Dan Kerr said he would let the county know.
Supervisors Chairwoman Elaine DeWan was absent.
The county will re-imburse the township for the plowing at a higher rate than PennDOT pays the township to plow state roads in the township, said Kerr.
All that is required now is approval by the Montgomery County Commissioners.
In a less interesting but arguably more important action, the supervisors voted last night to take steps to eliminate all township debt.
Assistant Manager Beth DePrete explained that with the $75 million the township was paid by Aqua PA for the sewer system, all township debt -- $3.5 million remaining on the Public Works Building and the $5.2 million borrowed for the new township building -- can be retired.
That will save the township $1 million in interest payments.
A remaining $3 million bond cannot be paid off until 2020, but the supervisors agreed to set up an escrow fund to make payments automatically until it can be retired in 2020.
With no debt, the township will also lose its AAA bond rating DiPrete warned, but the supervisors said with $55 million invested wisely, they have no need for a bond rating.
With that money available for capital projects and interest earnings, "I don't see us borrowing money or raising taxes for another 30 years," said Sperring.
And with that remarkable statement, I give you the Tweets from the evening ...
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