« Day 421-a, everything changes? Spitzer slammed for closed-door negotiation | Main | The Times's deceptive 421-a coverage--and the need for more disclosure »
August 20, 2007
With sewer backup fixed, developers free to plunge ahead
The Morning Call [Allentown, PA]
By Veronica Torrejón
Brooklyn isn't the only location where sewer backups are a cause for concern as large developments "in the pipeline" are expected to strain capacity. What's amazing is that the PA DEP held off the sewer connection permit of our favorite overdeveloper, Forest City, until the problem could be investigated and remediated:
In April, the state Department of Environmental Protection stalled construction of The Summit Lehigh Valley, citing concerns that the sewer line serving the proposed 900,000-square-foot mall couldn't handle the extra burden.
At that point, DEP considered blocking any new connections to the sewer line until it had a chance to evaluate the problem, said spokesman Mark Carmon. The action held up work on The Summit, St. Luke's Hospital's new 180-acre campus, the 800-home Wagner Farms Field of Dreams town center project and other housing developments.
The DEP will continue monitoring the system, but officials are now satisfied that the problem has been fixed, Carmon said. The decision to allow added sewer connections isn't official until DEP sends formal written notice, a move expected to come soon, he said.
NoLandGrab: Imagine NY City or State holding off large-scale projects built by politically connected developers until improvements to supporting infrastructure could be made. You-hoo-oo-oo-oo, you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one...
Posted by lumi at August 20, 2007 7:44 AM