This is planned as a temporary dam removal until the proposed new dam is built. For details including safety, public notice, and 3rd Street access, see our May 2016 update. 

The Friends of Glen Providence Park continues to support dam removal, stream restoration and a local discussion of an environmentally-sensitive bridge between Media Borough and Upper Providence.

The EAP is a formal document that describes procedures to minimize the risk of loss of life and property damage when potential emergency conditions threaten a High Hazard Potential Category 1, 2 or 3 dam. PA DEP has identified Broomall’s Dam as a Category 2 High Hazard dam.  The Dam Safety and Waterway Management Act (Subchapter B 105.34)  states that the owner(s) of a high hazard dam must sign the ownership line of the document.  A properly signed and executed EAP is required for the PA DEP to issue a dam construction permit.

The ownership of the dam has been the subject of legal dispute between Broomall’s Lake Country Club, Delaware County, and Media Borough since 2006, following decades of inaction to repair or replace the dam, due to ongoing ownership questions since Broomall’s Dam was declared unsafe by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1980.

The 2011 Stipulation and Order signed by all three parties assigned tasks and responsibilities regarding the construction and maintenance of the proposed replacement dam and roadway on top of the dam. However, the Stipulation and Order did NOT resolve the issue of ownership.

While Media Borough Council has clarified that it will not sign the ownership line of the EAP, there have been no public statements or documents released by Broomall’s Lake Country Club or Delaware County that indicate if one or both of those parties will sign the ownership line of the EAP.

Media Borough Council also authorized the Borough to sign the dam construction permit application at the July 16th meeting, while adding an addendum that stated that signing the permit did not constitute any claim of ownership of Broomall’s Dam by the Borough.

The Friends of Glen Providence Park continues to support dam removal, stream restoration and a local discussion of an environmentally-sensitive bridge between Media Borough and Upper Providence.

As mentioned this week in a Delaware County Times article, in September 2012, Media Borough Council had voted to move forward with the design of a new dam to include a one-way eastbound road (with width to accommodate two lanes). This was after a 15-month public participation process involving at least 4 public meetings, a public survey, and extensive work by a Citizen Advisory Committee.

In response, BLCC filed a Petition for Contempt in October 2012, after which Judge Proud revoked the Stipulation Agreement in February 2013. The Commonwealth Court reinstated the Stipulation Agreement in December 2013, remanding the case to Proud’s jurisdiction. The May 9 hearing will be 20 months since the Petition for Contempt was filed, halting further progress.

Broomall’s Dam Safety: There is a gas line running through Broomall’s Dam, which would pose a public and environmental threat if the dam were to fail. After we asked the PA Department of Environmental Protections (PA DEP) about this in January, the PA DEP contacted PECO. This week, PECO has been working to install a safety valve for the gas line, so that it can be shut off in case of an emergency with the dam.

The Friends of Glen Providence Park continues to support dam removal, stream restoration and a local discussion of an environmentally-sensitive bridge between Media Borough and Upper Providence.

Media Borough Council has recently been brought back into court by Broomall’s Lake Country Club, which has filed a petition for contempt asserting that Media Borough has not upheld its end of their three way legal agreement. Essentially, BLCC is taking Media Borough to court to get a two-lane road.

Media Borough Council needs to hear that you support their compromise!

We invite you to:

• learn more about the compromise solution for the Third Street Project

• attend the Borough Council Meeting on October 18th and support Council directly and publicly

• email Borough Council and share your opinions (or if you live in Upper Providence, you can also email your councilmembers)

• email Delaware County Council and share your opinions

• write a Letter to the Editor to Town Talk (cparkerATdelconewsnetwork.com) or Delaware County Daily Times (editorATdelcotimes.com)

Background

Since Borough Council’s decision to proceed with the $4 million reconstruction of Broomall’s Dam, their deliberations have turned to usage issues of the roadway, which Media Borough will maintain after construction is complete. Usage is important as it affects design. Debate has centered around the width of the roadway, how many lanes of vehicular traffic and pedestrian access. No decision has yet been made, but most recently a majority seemed to favor a one-lane road with a pedestrian lane.

A Shared Vision for Third Street

Members of Friends of Glen Providence Park presented their vision for the Third Street Roadway to Borough Council Thursday night. Linda Healy, Terry Rumsey and Robin Lasersohn made the case for a community vision for the park, with the principles of:

• Ensuring public safety,

• Minimizing environmental damage, and

• Enhancing community enjoyment.

To back up these principles, FrOG has determined group support for:

1. A one-way automobile road
2. A west to east roadway with emergency vehicle access
3. Borough-managed traffic control with electric gates or bollards
4. Prioritizing pedestrian access with amenities such as benches
5. Utilizing historically appropriate materials to match the historic park structures

Read the handout presented to Borough Council – A Shared Vision for Third Street. Council members had no specific comment. Media Patch has reported on the presentation and is asking whether its readers support FrOG’s vision. Go there to weigh in!

FrOG is working with a Landscape Architecture student to create a design that visually represents these principles. Check back here soon to see the results, or come to a FrOG Advocacy meeting! Email us at friendsoftheglenATgmail.com to learn more.

If you are interested in dam safety issues as well, come to the Dam Safety Tour and Workshop on August 20th from 4:30-6pm at Broomall’s Dam on Third Street.

In the past couple of months, information has come forward that has shifted the possibilities for the 3rd Street Bridge and Dam. It is very clear that something must be done, and soon; the dam was declared unsafe in 1980 by the Army Corps of Engineers, and has been closed to traffic since 1996. For the public and especially those living downstream, it must be dealt with as soon as possible.

Up until recently, it was believed that PennDOT (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation) required that the dam be rebuilt and the road be restored and opened to automotive traffic. Recent interactions with PennDOT have revealed that this is not the case, and in fact, Media Borough, the “project sponsor,” may declare whatever goals they see fit, as long as the safety issues with the bridge are resolved.

To the best of our knowledge, there are four possible options that the PennDOT (and local) funding would permit, noting that there are variations and creative options within these four broad categories:

1. Replace the dam, reconstruct an automotive road. This is the current plan on the table, incorporating a two-lane road. It is possibly the most expensive and environmentally damaging plan, but maintains Broomall’s Lake and allows the greatest amount of transportation access between Media and Upper Providence.
2. Replace the dam, create a greenway for pedestrians and bicycles, possibly that is open to emergency vehicles. This would maintain Broomall’s Lake and the parklike atmosphere between the lake and Glen Providence Park, while allowing passage between Media and Upper Providence.
3. Remove the dam, build an automotive bridge. Dam removal and stream restoration tends to be a less expensive option, often 2-3 times less expensive. Environmentally, dam removal can be disruptive in the short term, but will overall cause much less damage to the park and will restore the stream to its natural course. It will improve water quality. All dam maintenance and ownership issues are resolved when there is no dam. There are many factors specific to Broomall’s Dam that can only be addressed by an expert. Building an automotive bridge, however, would be costly and have significant maintenance costs.
4. Remove the dam, create a pedestrian and bicycle bridge, or greenbridge. This would potentially incorporate the cost savings and environmental benefits of removal, while maintaining a transportation connection between Media and Upper Providence.

As far as we understand, PennDOT would fund 80% of any of these four options. The rest of the money would come from local grants like that provided by Senator Pileggi.

Friends of Glen Providence Park wants to minimize damage to the park and create a pedestrian and bicycle greenway, to preserve and enhance the park for those who use it recreationally, and for those who live there — the wildlife. (The park was founded as an arboretum and bird sanctuary, after all.) We are currently working to understand the pros and cons of dam removal vs. replacement of the dam, particular to the 3rd Street Dam and Glen Providence Park.

Media Borough, Delaware County and Broomall’s Lake Country Club have also signed a stipulation agreement that seems to include replacing the dam and rebuilding a “roadway.” We acknowledge that the stipulation is a different challenge than PennDOT funding, and one that can probably only be handled by the signatories and their legal counsels.

That said, the stipulation was signed under false assumptions that PennDOT would only fund dam and bridge reconstruction, and that PennDOT was in charge of the project. It is now clear that Media Borough is in charge of the project, and PennDOT will fund any option that restores the public safety of the Third Street Bridge. Is it time to consider all the options? We think so. 

Check back regularly for updates and information as we do our research.

What are your priorities and concerns for Glen Providence Park and the Bridge/Dam?