The Solebury supervisors were mad as hell and decided not to take it anymore.
So they contacted the offices of state representatives Steve Santarsiero and Tim Brennan for help in getting the state to fix township potholes on state roads – something the municipality cannot legally do on its own.
Supervisor Chairman Mark Baum Baicker told the board on Tuesday this resulted in him and Township Manager Chris Garges meeting with six PennDOT representatives.
The township’s top priorities for the meeting were Aquetong, Greenhill and River roads, which they were told they would be addressed over the coming months, Baum Baicker said.
However, the township got even better news when PennDOT indicated it was amenable to an agreement for the township’s Public Works Department to fix its own potholes on state roads and receive reimbursement from PennDOT.
He said PennDOT will be sending a draft agreement to the township, adding, “What that means is that those potholes should be dealt with far quicker than in the past. So we look forward to getting that agreement into effect.”
However, this only applies to potholes, and not larger mill and fill work such as was recently done on Sugan Road near Upper York Road, he said.
In other matters:
The Solebury School, located at 6832 Phillips Mill Road, presented a sketch plan by the Apex Design & Engineering Groups for construction of a natural grass soccer field, a natural grass baseball field, a new comfort building with paving, walkways, grading and stormwater management.
Dr. Jay Kelly, co-director of the Raritan Valley Community College Center for Environmental Studies, presented results of its recent Infrared Deer Drone Survey results after the hunting season in a 26-square-mile area.
He reported that as of March 2023, there were 1,342 deer sightings, a 24% reduction. In March 2022, the sightings were 1,775, a 13% reduction. In March 2021, there were 2,054 sightings.
Eric Allen, chair of the township’s Environmental Advisory Council and its Deer Committee, said “Solebury will eventually look like Arizona,” due to deer damage.
Supervisor Kevin Morrissey, however, noted that the township’s goal is not to eliminate all the deer, but to get the population to a manageable level.
The board also granted a land development waiver at the Hal Clark Park Boat Ramp at 2744 River Road for construction of a cable concrete boat ramp for use by the Bucks County and Solebury Township emergency services.
Eagle Fire Company Fire Chief Kevin Doherty had told the Planning Board on Monday that placing a rescue boat in the river at the current location by the Lambertville Station “becomes a nightmare for us” because of the traffic. He said there are an average of four fatalities on the river a year, adding the response time at the Solebury location would be five minutes.
The supervisors also approved the purchase of a $17,500 electric vehicle for the zoning office and administrative staff, estimating it will save 250 to 300 gallons of fuel a year. The township had received a $7,500 grant toward the purchase from the Department of Environmental Protection.
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