Residents Concerned About Water Pollution and Blighted Properties

The Northampton Township Board of Supervisors met Wednesday night to discuss land development, but was greeted with the outcries from members of the community who were concerned about water pollution and degrading houses in the township.

Joe Carney, a Northampton resident, was the first to show concern for Trichloroethylene (TCE) levels in Traymore Manor.

“It’s a health issue,” Carney said.

TCE is a colorless liquid which is used as a solvent for cleaning metal parts. Drinking or breathing high levels of TCE may cause liver or lung damage, coma, and possibly death, according to documents on the Northampton Township website.

“The [Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)] is in the midst of testing wells to find if there is an overall polluted area,” said Chairman George Komelasky. The DEP  has been surveying areas in Northampton for the last year, he added.

“Nobody knows exactly what pollution is there, it’s trying to be determined,” Komelasky said.

Other Northampton residents were concerned about the more ascetic problem of blighted or abandoned properties.

Bernadette Heenan addressed the board asking, “What does 28 Lehigh and 12 Holly Oak have in common? Have any of our supervisors been to the College Park area recently?”

The two properties that Heenan mention were just two of several abandoned and decaying houses in the township, Heenan said.

“You would be horrified to see this property,” Heenan said. “I’m sure it is rat- infested; there are safety issues. I believe the township had to come and board up the home, and there is a tree growing out of the swimming pool in the backyard.”

Heenan expressed strong concerns for the health and safety issues, lowering property values and general worry that the vacant or decrepit houses may be negatively affecting the community.

On the agenda was the consideration for an ordinance that would create a blighted property review committee, as well as a consideration for an ordinance that would amend certain zoning regulations.

Both ordinances were approved by the board, unchallenged.

The combination of the committee and the amended zoning regulations would help to speed up the process of solving the problem of blighted properties.

In other business, Ken Wieler addressed the board along with his lawyer and engineer to discuss the continuation of plans to build a new at 1078 Second Street Pike, next to the .

Members of the Board debated amongst each other over how much Wieler should be charged for the removal of existing trees and the possible construction of an interconnection to the TD Bank property.

TD Bank sent a letter to Wieler stating that TD Bank was not interested in having an interconnection of the two properties, according to Wieler’s attorney Thomas Hecker.

Wieler’s lease at the current location of his business, which has been open for the last 18 years, will run up in November. If Wieler cannot complete construction of a new location by that time, Richboro Beer & Soda will be without a storefront.

The board approved the plans, though some members and attending residents showed signs of opposition on the financial responsibility put on Wieler.

Board Treasurer James Cunningham said that some Board members were only interested in how much money Wieler was going to give to the township, calling it “a shake-down.” Vice Chairman Vincent Deon said he was “completely insulted by that.”

Wieler said he was pleased to get the preliminary final approval and was ready to take the project to the next step.