SUPERVISORS NEED WILSON HILL ROAD KEPT OPEN DURING REPAIRS
BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 – PIKE COUNTY DISPATCH

DINGMANS FERRY – PennDOT might close Wilson Hill Road completely for two years for extensive repairs, but he township supervisors have taken a stand against closing it.  The supervisors are notifying PennDOT that they are opposed to that option.  Another option involves turning the road into a one-way thoroughfare so work can be done to correct the dangerous, deteriorating conditions, particularly on the lower Deep Hollow part of the hilly, curved road.  A third option calls for a temporary traffic light that will alternate the traffic from each direction onto one lane while work is done on the other.

The road is a popular connector for commuters looking to get to Route 209 and the Dingmans Bridge for jobs in New Jersey.  Many shoppers take it to get to Milford or south to Monroe County.  Closing that road would leave already busy Route 739 as the only crosstown route to link major north/south roadways.  “We want to keep it open for safety and secondary access for emergency responders,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman John Henderson.

The township learned of those options in a communication from state Rep. Rosemary Brown’s office and decided to act after lengthy discussion during their workshop session.  They unanimously passed a motion during the regular meeting to forward a letter of their objection and another letter jointly drafted by township interim Emergency Management Coordinator George Beodeker and volunteer Fire Chief Chris Kimble articulating their objections that they submitted to the township.  Both letters will go to Brown, PennDOT engineer George Roberts and Mike Mrozinski of the Pike County Planning Commission.

“There are 7,000 people living in the township.  I’d like to see 3,000 people write letters to Rosemary Brown, George Roberts, the county planning commission and county offices,” Beodeker said.

“If they close this road, it’s the worst thing you could ever do,” Ron Hough told the supervisors during the workshop.  “We’ll do everything to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Henderson said.

In the letter, Beodeker and Kimble favored the temporary traffic light idea that would allow the fire department to change the light and traffic flow for an emergency response along that road.  Part of the road straddles National Park service territory.

Supervisor Jane Neufeld said the township should continue pressing for a meeting after PennDOT refused to attend a previous meeting because the decision come from a higher level of command.  Henderson voiced a comment similar to the letter that said, “It is our belief that if the road is closed for a period of up to two years, a significant possibility exists that the closure will become permanent due to a variety of permitting and jurisdictional issues that are ever present when dealing with the requirements of the National Park Service and agencies of the Commonwealth that deal with funding for rural area road projects.”

Using Route 739 as a connector would take significantly longer.  The letter indicates that fire apparatus gets down Wilson Hill Road better and faster than Route 739.  “If PennDOT will close Wilson Hill Road, will they talk about repairing Chestnut Ridge Road?”  asked resident Kim Greene.  “If there is an emergency on that side of town, there aren’t a lot of options.” 

Resident Karen Hagan asked who would pay for the temporary traffic light if it is used and was told by the supervisors it would be provided by the state.  She also talked about starting a petition and Henderson said it could hurt or help the cause or have no effect at all or could rub someone from PennDOT the wrong way.

Recreation Parks Board Created

Also at the meeting, the board approved amended Ordinance 2012-14 on creating a township recreation parks board.  It came right after a public hearing that drew only one question asking the board to elaborate on the changes.  The supervisors said a key change establishes that the recreation committee is not in charge of facilities and raising funds.  Those duties rest with the supervisors.

The board, which already had appointed the first set of five committee members, moved during the meeting to advertise for letters of interest for another vacant seat.  The board also moved to allow the rec and parks board to create a Facebook page, but Supervisor Rick Koehler said the township also should have a role in it.

Entrepreneurs Lisa and Jeremy Bowman from Bucks County appeared before the board asking to allow them to take three condemned log cabins.  They had just arrived at the meeting from Akenac Park where they went to inspect six cabins condemned for removal, which includes using them for firefighter training and said they planned to comeback alter in the week to identify which cabins they wanted.

Township Administrator Krista Predmore said that obliging the couple would eliminate the cost of carting away the razed buildings and said a decision allowing them to do it would have to be made soon.  “The log cabins are the ones we’re interested in,” Lisa Bowman said.  “We’re asking for time.  We’re moving on this as quickly as we can.  We’re having one company come in to look at it.”  Township Roadmaster Vince Flatt said the township fire department already scheduled the first three cabins for drills on Sept. 30 and then singular ones on Oct. 21 and Nov. 21.

They invited the Bowman’s to come to their budget workshop on Wednesday this week to further discuss the matter.