Step forward for basin project
Grants secured, contract awarded for Pennbrook basins to reduce flooding
UPPER GWYNEDD >> Plans to build three stormwater retention basins near Pennbrook Middle School in Upper Gwynedd have gotten two big boosts.
Township officials announced two state grants totalling $579,000 have been received for the basin project, and awarded a $921,000 contract for the project Monday night.
“We did budget around $500,000, so if everything goes correctly we’ll only have to spend a little over $340,000,” said com-
missioner Clare Edelmayer.
Since early 2015, township staff, engineering consultants T&M Associates, and the North Penn School District have been discussing the project to build three basins — two on school district property and one on township property — near Pennbrook, located near Hancock and North Wales roads.
The basins are meant to help meet state and federal requirements for removing sediment from stormwater runoff, while also helping with flooding in the nearby area — a concern Edelmayer noted was raised by several residents during hearings on the proposed “Newbury II” home project nearby.
“As we heard previously, some people were concerned about the water runoff, which we have been well aware of for several years,” Edelmayer said.
“These basins will help to eliminate downstream flooding conditions that are experienced by property owners living in the Dickerson Road neighborhood,” she said, and should
improve the water quality in the nearby Wissahickon Creek.
She and T&M Engineer Russ Benner described the contract for the basin project, which was modified after no bids came in for a first proposal in June, and explained how a modified contract was awarded to contractor Horst Excavating for a total of $920,967.55 and includes more than just digging and planting the basins.
“The bid that the township has chosen to accept, and award, is an option whereby the material that’s excavated from the school district, as well as the township’s basins, will be taken over to the Pennfield Middle School site and used for athletic field development there,” Benner said.
“There will also be an observation deck constructed on basin number one, and that will be used for the purposes of environmental education for the middle school students,” he said.
The commissioners thanked T&M for its help securing two large grants they announced Monday
night: in May, the township learned $305,000 has been awarded from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Growing Greener program, and an additional $274,000 from the Commonwealth Finance Authority was awarded July 1.
“It’s unusual to get two grants for the same project. We’re very happy,” said township Manager Len Perrone.
Upper Gwynedd’s commissioners approved awarding the construction contract, subject to a notice to proceed to be issued by the township. That notice is necessary because of final permits and permissions that must be secured from the North Penn School District, according to Perrone and Benner, who said work should start in the next few weeks and the sites will be secured to let work continue during the school year.
The township also plans to host a public meeting with the nearby residents to inform them of the project time lines, according to Edelmayer, who thanked the school district for their
cooperation and state Senator Stewart Greenleaf, R12th, and state Representative Kate Harper, R-62nd, for their help securing the grants.
“These basins will help to eliminate downstream flooding conditions that are experienced by property owners living in the Dickerson Road neighborhood.” — Upper Gwynedd Commissioner Clare Edelmayer