Constructing an $8M levee
By James Loewenstein, The Daily Review, Towanda, Pa. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
"The sponsorship agreement doesn't mean the levee will (definitely) happen,"
The levee will be mainly funded by the state, the DEP has said.
Currently, the large majority of homes in
One of the main goals of the levee is to give
However, the borough will need to wait until the levee is built in order to find out whether the requirement for flood insurance has been lifted, he said.
The sponsorship agreement, which is between the borough and the DEP, "tells us what we have to do and what their (the DEP's) responsibility" is, in undertaking the levee project, Troup said.
"At our last meeting with the DEP, they said that until we sign the agreement, they will go no further" in planning and designing the levee, Troup said
Under the sponsorship agreement, the borough will have to pay to move utilities for the project, including sewer, water and electric lines, and will have to pay for all easements needed for the project, he said.
The borough will also be responsible for all of the maintenance of the levee, including mowing, Troup said.
The borough will need to have on hand
The borough will also have to purchase and tear down one home, and will have to move or purchase and tear down a number of smaller structures, such as sheds, he said.
Without the levee in place, people are not going to want to buy homes in the borough, since in most cases they would need to buy expensive flood insurance policies in order to qualify for a mortgage, he said.
For example, if a borough resident wanted to sell his or her home for
There is a list of municipalities in
Troup pointed out that when
Since then,
Troup said he saw a couple of mansions in
By contrast,
The two biggest possible "stumbling blocks" that could affect the construction of the levee are the need to get approval from
It's not known yet what the borough's costs will total up to be, he said.
The levee, which will be up to 11 feet high, will be constructed out of dirt and will be planted with a special grass to help hold it in place.
The borough plans to apply for grants to help pay for its share of the project, borough officials said. The borough will be working with
The DEP has said it would take two construction seasons to construct the levee.
Troup said it's hoped that the construction will be complete four years from now.
There is a lot of work to do before construction starts, including obtaining easements and doing final design work, officials said.
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