Construction projects to move ahead
Commissioners approve resolutions for work across county, including Upper Gwynedd
NORRISTOWN » With the approval of the Montgomery County Commissioners, three communities will be undergoing significant construction projects in the coming months.
The commissioners approved three resolutions Thursday involving Pottstown, Upper Gwynedd Township and Whitemarsh Township.
The first resolution passed by the board involved a municipal planning assistance contract with Upper Gwynedd Township and Upper Merion School District. The contract, which is the first to be made with Upper Gwynedd, focuses on a new comprehensive plan for the township, which will be updated from the township’s 2004 plan. The contract is for a total of $74,844 with the township paying 50 percent and a subsidy of $37,422 over three years. The contract initiates Sept. 1, 2018 through Aug. 31, 2021.
Additionally, Upper Merion School District has a school district enrollment study contract which would last three months running from August to October.
“This is a second study. We’re going to update to the original study that we’re going to be doing. It will be a full study looking at every data point and what’s happening with school enrollment and population trends there. It has had a lot of growth and we expect more with new construction. They just built a new elementary school so we’re going to help them see where things are at now,” said Scott France, county planning section chief.
Also among the resolutions was an authorization to enter into a construction agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway Corp. for an at-grade crossing for the Schuylkill River Trail in Pottstown.
“As you are aware Montgomery County is currently developing a portion of the trail within the borough which runs along Industrial Highway. This particular section of the trail must cross a railroad line which is owned by Norfolk Southern. As planned the trail will cross the railroad immediately adjacent to where Industrial Highway currently crosses the rail lines and in order to construct the trail crossing, Norfolk Southern’s engineering division have determined that it’s necessary to modify the existing road crossing and rail lines,” explained Henry Stroud, principle planner II for the county.
Due to railroad regulations, contractors are not permitted to work within two feet of the rails. The agreement would allow Norfolk Southern to make the necessary changes to the tracks, which would begin within 90 days once the agreement is executed.
The cost of the work would be covered by Montgomery County and Norfolk Southern has estimated the cost of the work to be $109,679.
A third resolution passed by the board includes work to be done on St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Whitemarsh Township as part of the Ridge Pike Improvement Project. The Ridge Pike Improvement Project will rebuild and improve a major road owned by Montgomery County and used by tens of thousands of drivers every day, according to the county website. The project includes four smaller projects along Ridge Pike between Norristown and Philadelphia.
The agreement, which has already been signed by the church would allow work to be done to reconstruct the retaining wall on the south side of the church.
“The agreement does refer to relocating several persons who are interred at the front of the cemetery at this point and it refers to the archaeological work that needs to be done to determine that there are no unmarked graves in that area where we will be working. We do not want to have any impact on any persons who are currently interred there. The fact that the area is rather historic since there was a lot of revolutionary war activity in the area, we don’t really know if there are unmarked graves there or not and we want to ensure that we find and deal with those before we go further,” said Crystal Gilchrist, principal transportation planner at Montgomery County Planning Commission.
During public comments toward the conclusion of the meeting, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele took time to announce the return of the annual Tour De Shore, a 65-mile bike ride from Philadelphia to Atlantic City. The bike ride, which raises money for families of fallen officers, is a tradition for many in Montgomery County law enforcement.
“Sunday is Tour de Shore and we will be riding 65 miles to Atlantic City and there’s been an incredible county response,” said Steele. “I got word this morning that we have raised $70,000 so far in these efforts and the funds go to the families of fallen officers and children’s charities. I’ll have bib number 178 which is Brad Fox’s badge number. I just wanted to commend all the county folks and everything that has happened so far. We’ve got a little ways to go on our goal but we’re doing real well.”