Concerns raised about flooding at bridge

EAST ROCKHILL >> Flooding at a bridge on Stone Edge Road continues to be a problem, resident Louis Ditonno said at the July 27 East Rockhill Township Board of Supervisors meeting.

“It’s been flooding out for as long as I’ve been here, 35 years, and every big storm, we can’t get to our houses,” he said.

Portions of nearby streets have to be closed because of the flooding, he said. The homes can be reached by going a longer way around, but during storms there are branches and other debris on the roadway, which would make it difficult for the homeowners to get out in an emergency, he said.

“I think it’s time for the board to take that problem seriously and have some kind of conversation about raising that bridge, try to stop that flooding out,” Ditonno said.

“The township has worked on that. The township has done engineering on that. The township has put some money aside for it,” board Chairman David Nyman said.

An upstream property owner, however, did not agree to give an easement that would be needed for the bridge to be raised because raising the bridge would also increase the amount of water backing up, he said.

“So you’re telling me one property owner has say over 500 houses?” Ditonno asked.

“Every property owner has say on their own property,” Nyman said.

The township could use eminent domain to force the property owner to grant the easement, Ditonno said.

Using eminent domain is not something the township board takes lightly, Nyman said.

Board member Jim Nietupski said he wouldn’t support using eminent domain.

“That is an absolute last resort that has to be very extreme for me to even consider eminent domain,” he said.

Ditonno said he understands, but said it would be for the greater good.

The flooding at the site isn’t only because of that bridge, township engineer Steve Baluh said.

“The problem starts with water not being able to get through the railroad bridge and then works its way back to Stone Edge Road,” he said.

In answer to a question of how raising the bridge would also increase the water back-up, he said that is counter-intuitive, but would be the result.

The change would not affect the largest storms, designated as 100-year storms, he said.

“What it will affect is what they refer to as the 10-, 25-, 50-year storm,” he said. “The lower storm events will back up a little bit more than they do today.”

The plans include putting in fill that would raise the flood plain along with raising the bridge and road, he said.

“It’ll improve the road situation, but it holds some more water behind it,” Baluh said. “When it can’t flow over the road, it backs up a little bit. That’s the balancing game that we’re trying to play there.”

Nyman said the township can take another look at the situation.