Quarry battle hiking expenses

Township over budget for legal, engineering costs; but still within budget overall

At the year’s mid-point, the township is on budget overall, but there are a few expense categories that are running over budget because of unexpected costs, Township Manager Marianne Morano said at the July 24 East Rockhill Township Board of Supervisors meeting.

Two of the areas that are over budget are for legal and engineering costs associated with the Rockhill Quarry case, she said. Sewer department costs are also running over budget because of unanticipated machinery repairs, she said.

The quarry expenses are for the ongoing zoning hearing board case after the quarry, which has been inactive in recent years and now wants to resume full operations, appealed the township’s denial of a zoning permit this year. The township says special exception approval is needed from the zoning board in order for active quarrying to resume. The township is also seeking an injunction to stop current work at the quarry site to prepare for the planned resumed quarrying. The injunction request has been transferred to federal court in Philadelphia and a hearing is set for August, Patrick Armstrong, the township’s solicitor, said in answer to questions at the July 24 meeting.

In May, the township noted the legal fees for the year would top the $38,000 budgeted for that category and agreed to hire a second law firm to assist with the quarry battle, bringing on the firm of Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox and approving a $10,000 retainer payment to the firm.

“We have expended the retainer that we placed and they will bill us now on a monthly basis,” Morano said at the July meeting.

The $10,000 was spent as of the end of June, she said, and the township has not yet received a bill for July.

Board members David Nyman and Jim Nietupski both said they think bringing

in the additional law firm, which has environmental and quarry expertise, was a good move.

“I think they’ve been a valuable asset,” Nyman said.

General fund expenses approved for payment at the July meeting totalled $217,432.24, according to a bill list with the meeting agenda.

Included in those bills was $3,761.65 to C. Robert Wynn Associates, the township’s engineers, of which $1,358.04 was listed as quarry related work during June. Another $8,736.90 went to Grim, Biehn & Thatcher, the law firm for which Armstrong works. The Grim, Biehn & Thatcher payments included $6,961.25 for quarry related work during May.

Neighbors of the quarry

have raised concerns about the plans, including truck traffic and road safety, noise, blasting and effects on neighboring wells.

Concerns and questions were again raised at the July meeting.

Township officials said they are responding to issues raised by the residents, but are limited in what they can say publicly or in emails because of the legal cases.

Also, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection controls quarrying operations; the township does not, Nyman said.

“That’s tying our hands as well,” he said.

In answer to a question about trees recently removed at the quarry, Morano said that was done so new electric lines could be run to the quarry.