<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3qMvt6_1FH0PexW00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3qMvt6_1FH0PexW00" width="1536" height="1151" ><figcaption>Residents and officials fill the room at Cornwall Borough Council's meeting on Monday, Sept. 14. (Abigail Lindsay)</figcaption></figure>This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.Residents brought a range of concerns to Cornwall Borough Council on Monday, Sept. 14, from damage following a heavy late-August storm to continued questions about new developments.“My lot was like a river,” said resident Fay Wolfe, describing her yard following the storm.On Aug. 29, a storm categorized by the Lebanon County Conservation District as between a 250- and 1,000-year storm caused flooding throughout the borough to a degree many residents said they have never experienced before. “We’ve lived here 23 years and never had this amount of water come through,” said resident Patrick Leibich. “We’ve even had hurricanes come through and never had this amount of water running through our property.” As of the meeting, Leibich said they still have water running through their property as a result of the August storm. “We are having these issues that we’ve never had before the development,” said resident Marc Miller. Miller had his driveway washed away from this recent rainstorm, he said. The same thing had also happened a few years ago, when he said Byler Holdings replaced the stones for him.Resident Jane Clark noted that the borough’s stormwater management ordinance (11A-903) states that “the creation of any condition or the commission of any act during construction or development which constitutes or creates a hazard or nuisance, pollution or which endanger the life or property of others” is a permissible reason for council to suspend or revoke a permit.“Everything that has been talked about seems to be erosion and sedimentation control which is a DEP (state Department of Environmental Protection) regulation, that DEP says the Lebanon County Conservation District enforces and I don’t see the Lebanon County Conservation District issuing a stop work order,” said borough solicitor Josele Cleary.Clark had voiced her concerns at previous meetings about the potential for toxins in the soil at the proposed Knoll site and again called on council to do additional soil testing on the site. Resident Thora Schmitt presented a video, “The Truth About Byler’s Development and Our Safety,” which asked council to freeze all building permits for Byler projects, along with issuing a formal notice of violation, and called for other environmental testing. Council took no action on the requests, but noted wanting to look further into the information.Byler Holdings president and CEO Jonathan Byler said he believes the information in the presentation was “very inaccurate” and plans to have a written statement to council in response.Previously, council had discussed working with an outside engineering firm to conduct a feasibility study for the proposed Miners Village Bypass.After reviewing proposals from multiple engineering firms, Navarro &amp; Wright Consulting Engineers was selected to conduct the study. The firm submitted a proposal outlining a 17-part scope of work, with the total project estimated at $60,000.Paul Navarro, president and CEO of Navarro &amp; Wright, provided council with a brief overview of the proposed scope of work. Council approved moving forward with the first portion of the plan, which will focus on determining whether the proposed bypass is feasible.Council member Julie Bowman then led a conversation about deforestation around the Cliffs project, wanting to know when more trees would be planted. Schmitt said it was ridiculous that 300 acres could be deforested in one fell swoop.Cornwall Properties representative Mike Swank said the company plans to plant additional trees this fall. <ul><li>Approved a time extension of the Knoll Subdivision plans until Oct. 13. Council member John Karinch abstained. </li><li>Tabled action on purchasing a generator for the borough building. </li><li>Tabled the Ironmaster Road project. </li><li>Heard an update from Bowman on a traffic study with a focus on the proposed Boyd Street warehouse. Bowman said she is looking to schedule a public meeting prior to the next council meeting to hear questions from residents. </li><li>Unanimously approved the readvertisement to accept a portion of Iron Valley Drive and Cobalt Alley.</li><li>Unanimously approved a line of credit reduction for The Cliffs at Iron Valley for $113,494.37.</li><li>Unanimously approved a line of credit reduction for the Quinn Estates for $260,093.13.</li><li>Tabled approval of a line of credit reduction for Cornwall Junction.</li></ul>Cornwall Borough Council is scheduled to meet next on Monday, Oct. 12, at 6:30 p.m. at 44 Rexmont Road. Meetings are open to the public and livestreamed via the borough Facebook page.Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach our newsroom using this contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you.Be part of Lebanon County’s story.Local news is disappearing across America, but not in Lebanon County. Help keep it that way by supporting LebTown’s independent reporting. Your monthly or annual membership directly funds the coverage you value, or make a one-time contribution to power our newsroom. Cancel anytime.</div></body>

Block Source: lebtown.com

Misinformation

Clickbait

Old or repetitive news

Explicit content

Location not relevant

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project. Residents brought a range of concerns to Cornwall Borough Council on Monday, Sept. 14, from damage following a heavy late-August storm to continued questions about new developments. “My lot was like a river,” said resident...

Cornwall residents voice concerns over storm damage, ongoing development

NewsBreak

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project. Residents brought a range of concerns to Cornwall Borough Council 

Cornwall residents voice concerns over storm damage, ongoing development

Comments