Chestnuthill works through roundabout issues

New business and continuing developments were in discussion during Chestnuthill Township’s board of supervisors meeting Tuesday evening.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s project to add roundabouts along Route 209 was a main agenda item.

The plans to build roundabouts at the intersection with Route 115 and near the entrance to Pleasant Valley High School were laid out in 2015, and have since been under careful planning due to multiple properties being affected.

One business due to be relocated because of the project is the Rite Aid at the corner of Routes 115 and 209, which is set to move to the site of John’s Automart at the corner of Route 115 and Marion Lane.

Before beginning construction, the township is awaiting approval for an amendment that would establish the township as a co-permittee for Rite Aid’s stormwater Highway Occupancy Permit application.

Supervisors’ Chairman Carl Gould II emphasized that the township acting as a co-permittee is a temporary situation to enable construction of the new Rite Aid to begin. Once it is completed, the township will no longer have a responsibility for the stormwater maintenance.

Representatives for Rite Aid came before the board in November requesting the township to sign on as the permittee. Gould said no, because the township would then be held responsible for the stormwater maintenance on a state road. The board asked them to go back to PennDOT and request that Rite Aid be allowed to sign on as permittee.

Other business

Additional agenda items included the discussion of the bridge on Silver Valley Road; the repairs and constructions needed for the right-of-way required agreements from property owners adjacent to the bridge. Both property owners who would be affected during the construction have already signed the necessary easements to allow the township to begin this project.

The plans for Silver Valley’s bridge are well underway. The design, surveying, wetland analysis and geologic studies which are all needed to ensure the safety of the constructed project have been processed. Construction is estimated to begin in June, and the bridge is estimated to be completed in the fall.

~ Kristine Porter assisted with this story.