Easton Area School District (EASD) listed $108,617 in payments to Palmer Township’s engineers and attorneys and stated “the new Palmer elementary school is nowhere on the horizon.” Superintendent David Piperato added he is “very disappointed to announce that we do not have anything to update and our frustrations continue to grow.” School Board President George Chando adds: “The board is not certain that the township engineer is willing to discuss the data that the district has presented, which differs from the township’s engineering position. Our design professionals are uncertain as to the township engineer’s interpretation of the existing township ordinances… The district believes that the design of the new school, which increases the retention of stormwater on the school property and thereby greatly diminishes the amount of and flow of water off the property through the use of the bubbler, is a valid alternative… Quite frankly it is difficult for this board to comprehend why two municipal entities cannot work this situation out… Maybe it’s time for the township engineer to step forward to discuss realistic proposals and/or share with the costs to solve a decades-old problem… The alternative would be a project delayed by years with millions of dollars of additional cost and/or cancellation of the project altogether.” Full transcript and video below.
For background, Eric Adams’ family has been threatened repeatedly by EASD for over 2 years. EASD, in cooperation with the Palmer Township government, threatened the use of eminent domain to seize and destroy a good portion of his family’s property to dig up his yard to install 400 feet of sewer pipe, destroying some massive trees and installing a large boulder field, known as a rip rap apron, that may lead to additional flooding of his property.
Local elected government leaders have claimed this work, which would likely cost school district taxpayers an estimated $1 million, is needed for the new Palmer Elementary School, but engineers hired by Adams concluded the new stormwater system is totally unnecessary. They are doing this despite the fact that the new Palmer Elementary project will reduce the current site’s stormwater runoff by >50% without the million-dollar drainage system. Sounds unbelievable? You can view and listen to the EASD engineers’ January 7 update to the school board here.
Below is a partial transcript of the EASD Board of Education meeting on 2/4/2020 prepared by Eric Adams from the video recording embedded below.
SUPERINTENDENT DAVID PIPERATO
We were hoping to provide a Palmer Elementary update this evening, some news maybe even. We were led to believe that we may have some news this evening. But I am very disappointed to announce that we do not have anything to update and our frustrations continue to grow.
SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT GEORGE CHANDO
Mr. Piperato, at this point, based on your comments, as the board president, I’m going to be making some comments and statements that are reflective of the board’s position on where we’re at with Palmer.
Since the fall of 2017 the school district has been working to seek project approval to commence the construction of the new Palmer Elementary School. And in fact in November of 2017 the district was informed that the project would not be approved if the district proposed to continue utilizing the stormwater bubbler, previously installed by Palmer Township and already in place on Watson Street, which is the back end street of the Palmer complex. Ok?
In order to avoid using the bubbler, the district presented a land development plan which called for a new stormwater pipe to be constructed to connect the stormwater system being installed at Palmer Elementary School probably to an outlet under Greenwood Avenue with the piping to the Adams property in the only viable option.
Unfortunately the revised plan which proposed to meet those parameters dictated by the township engineer, including a stormwater pipe through private property, required the school district to negotiate with the property owner to obtain the necessary easement to complete this.
In the fall of 2018 the township planning commission gave conditional approval to the submitted plan. And at that point the district administration to attempt to negotiate a fair price to obtain easement on his property. Several negotiation conversations and meetings did occur and several financial proposals were given to Mr. Adams, all of which were substantially higher than the appraised value, and all of which were subsequently rejected by Mr. & Mrs. Adams.
The district and township representatives met on two occasions in the fall of 2019 in an attempt to resolve this standstill over the stormwater issue. A little over two weeks ago, the district representatives and engineers met informally to explore additional options to resolve this issue. Although the township representatives have expressed their continued desire to support the project, the board is not certain that the township engineer is willing to discuss the data that the district has presented, which differs from the township’s engineering position. Our design professionals are uncertain as to the township engineer’s interpretation of the existing township ordinances.
Despite numerous attempts at proposing to address the standstill, the district is caught in the middle between the township and the property owner.
The district believes that the design of the new school, which increases the retention of stormwater on the school property and thereby greatly diminishes the amount of and flow of water off the property through the use of the bubbler, is a valid alternative.
The plan is met with continued resistance by the township engineer and the board believes that unless the township engineer is willing to recognize the vast improvements in the rate of outflow already inherent in the district’s design, independent of the engineer’s calculations, this project will continue to be delayed with the distinct possibility the elementary school may have to be relocated.
Although the Cheston and Palmer projects timelines were very similar as what we discussed in the previous meeting and both schools were slated to be completed at approximately the same time, the lengthy delay of the Palmer project has delayed the outset of construction, escalated the cost of construction, and has the school district spending large sums of money on legal and engineering costs.
Quite frankly it is difficult for this board to comprehend why two municipal entities cannot work this situation out. This is especially true in light of the fact that the school district not only has incurred design, engineering and legal costs which one would expect to be part of a project, but since September of 2017 the school district has paid the Township of Palmer for the following expenses: engineering fees to the township’s engineer – $68,015, attorney fees to the township’s solicitor – $39,701, and additional engineering fees of $1,050. In essence, the district has paid $108,617 to the township and the new Palmer elementary school is nowhere on the horizon.
The district has continued to be a collaborative partner in an attempt to resolve this issue and move this project forward as noted by the township costs that have been paid by the district. Nonetheless the new Palmer elementary school is not even close to {no audio} and maintain far above and beyond to move the project forward. It’s now time for the Palmer township engineer to step up.
The school has been there since the 1950’s and the new design greatly diminishes the impact of stormwater from the district property. One has to wonder why this stormwater issue wasn’t {no audio} but also the school district and this board have continued to present various options and solutions. Maybe it’s time for the township engineer to step forward to discuss realistic proposals and/or share with the costs to solve a decades-old problem.
Superintendent Piperato and I have had several conversations with Supervisor Chairman Colver, and the three of us are hopeful a compromise can be finalized. The alternative would be a project delayed by years with millions of dollars of additional cost and/or cancellation of the project altogether. In the end, the losers are the kids and the families of Palmer Township and the district taxpayers. With that I’ll leave it open to any board member for additional comment.
SCHOOL DIRECTOR MEG SAYAGO
Thank you, Mr. Chando. I do have just one brief comment to add to that. It is truly hard to understand why the Easton Area School District, a public entity, has had so much difficulty in working with Palmer Township, another public entity, in moving this project forward. And I would just like to call on the members of the Palmer Township Board of Supervisors, individually, to do everything they personally can to take an active role in resolving this situation to allow the Easton Area School District to build an amenity that is desired by the people in your township – to have a neighborhood school located in your Township, something that people are asking for and that the school district would like to provide.
So again I would just like to ask them to do everything they can, as a board, to work with us to move this project forward so that we do not have to look at any of the less desirable options that are currently on the table. Thank you.
BOARD PRESIDENT CHANDO
Thank you, Miss Sayago. Is there any other board member with any comments? Ok. Thank you superintendent for acknowledging me as the board.
SUPERINTENDENT PIPERATO
Thank you very much, Mr. Chando. Now we hear anybody from the public who wants to speak about building and grounds agenda items. Seeing none.
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