The Alburtis Borough Council held its regular meeting Aug. 26 which included a discussion on the borough’s Third Street rehabilitation project, including sidewalk, curbing and milling work along Third Street, as well as the installation of handicap ramps.

Homeowners along Third Street had the option to hire their own contractor for sidewalk replacement; however, they had the choice of a payment plan through the borough conditionally if they utilized the borough’s approved contractor, Drumheller Construction, Inc. of Pottstown. Drumheller was the sole bidder for the Third Street contract.

Issues arose when the contractor allegedly utilized state guidelines for curbing depths, as opposed to the borough guidelines.

The differential between state and borough guidelines for sidewalks is one inch; state law dictates sidewalks be constructed to a depth of four inches, while the borough dictates a five-inch depth.

The estimated price differential for an additional inch of concrete is $.50 per foot.

The handicap ramp and portions of the Third Street sidewalk and handicap ramps were completed then subsequently removed and replaced until the work was deemed satisfactory.

Borough Manager Sharon Trexler confirmed with The Press the project was completed $3,517 over budget in engineering costs due to setbacks. Council briefly convened a closed-door executive session to discuss the overages.

In a telephone interview with a reporter for The Press, Council President Steven Hill maintained, “Everything has been done correctly,” but conceded, “We’re definitely going to have to reevaluate this one and learn from the mistakes.”

Hill continued, “We’re a small community, we’re trying to do the best we can to keep prices down for everybody. You try and do the best you can do. But sometimes that comes back and bites you.”

In a telephone interview with resident Tanya Miller, she told The Press, “My concern was we were offered the opportunity to get estimates from outside contractors. Our contractors were directed to Ott Engineering who told [the residents] the standards were borough standards. So we as residents were never given, in my opinion, an opportunity for a fair and and accurate estimate.”

In other business, milling along Third Street between Main and Walnut streets was projected to begin Sept. 1 and be completed the same day. The milling will be performed by an outside contractor, while the repaving will be completed by the borough’s maintenance staff. The street will remain open to traffic after the milling.

The imminent closure of Spring Creek Road was also discussed. Road closure will commence Sept. 8 and is estimated to remain inaccessible until Nov. 7. The road will be closed between Elm Road and Penn Avenue, although Zion Lehigh Evangelical Lutheran Church will still be accessible. Proposed improvements will include lane widening, as well as the installation of traffic lights at the intersections of both Mertztown and Cogdon Hill roads.

The renovation of Spring Creek Road is part of a larger effort to widen and improve the roadways near the Jaindl Land Company’s Spring Creek Properties after a controversial rezoning decision changing over 600 acres of Jaindl-owned property from agricultural to commercial/light industrial.

Earlier this month, the Lower Macungie Board of Commissioners attempted to bar truck traffic from Schoeneck and Quarry roads, following a wreck involving a tractor trailer and a pick-up truck at the intersection of Schoeneck Road and Route 100 Aug. 1, as well as a fatal accident involving a tractor trailer at Quarry Road and Route 100 in December 2014.

Restriction of truck traffic along those routes is outside the jurisdiction of the board of commissioners and requires Pennsylvania Department of Transportation approval.

Jaindl Land Company has voluntarily spent $3 million for roadway improvements to address safety concerns, but the project does not have a concrete timetable.

The township stipulates no warehouses will be occupied until all slated roadway improvements are completed. The Spring Creek bridge is excluded from this stipulations.

Alburtis Borough Council is concerned that precluding truck traffic on both Quarry and Schoeneck Roads will force significant tractor-trailer traffic onto Alburtis Road.

Alburtis Councilman David Lehr attended the Lower Macungie Board of Commissioners meeting.