Delran council took another step toward solving chronic, severe flooding in the Riverside Park neighborhood after major storms by unanimously approving a $387,550 Drainage and Stormwater bond ordinance on first reading during its July 14 meeting.
The funding is for three projects, including $132,550 for completion of permanent stabilization of the Rancocas Creek Streambank, $100,000 for the replacement of stormwater drainage pipes on South Bridgeboro Street, and $155,000 for drainage improvements on Haines Mill Road.
Ever since Super Storm Sandy, the water during heavy rains comes rushing over its banks and into the neighborhood along River Drive – near the confluence of the Rancocas Creek and the Delaware River – causing damage to homes and property.
Steps taken by Delran and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to shore up the streambank include using gabion baskets, rock revetments, rip rap and sheet pile bulkheads. The multi-year effort strives to protect the stormwater infrastructure along River Drive and prevent shoreline erosion near the township sewer plant.
During a town meeting on Jan. 31, 2024 – after flooding had destroyed homes and forced people to evacuate during heavy rainstorms on Jan. 9 and 10 – resident Jodi Klein of 71 Alden Ave said, “I feel like I am standing alone on an island. I have lived her for 25 years. I am displaced indefinitely.”
She lost two vehicles during the storm and her house was then condemned due to water damage.
“I found an orange sticker slapped on my door,” Klein recalled at the council meeting. “You don’t understand. You’re not the three families who have been displaced for the last three weeks. The end of Stewart Avenue and Alden Avenue have been flooded time and time again.
“Somebody should have warned us,” she added. “There was no communication. Maybe I wouldn’t have lost two vehicles.”
Second reading for the Drainage and Stormwater bond ordinance – including comments from the public – will take place at the Tuesday, Aug. 11, council meeting at 7 p.m.
In other business, council approved a salary ordinance on second reading for the town’s Clean Communities Coordinator at a rate of $3,000 to $5,000 per year, and for custodians at a rate of $22 per hour. Members also approved a measure on first reading setting guidelines for alcohol sales at special events.
During the meeting’s public forum, resident Bill Miases asked council if new E-bike regulations under state law are being enforced.
“We have had four recent incidents with kids in our neighborhood on E-bikes,” he said.
Councilman Lynn Jeney said Delran had passed an ordinance in April regulating E-bikes that is similar to the state’s new law, which took full effect on July 19 and requires that riders must be at least 15 to ride the vehicles and must wear a helmet.
But the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC) has not yet implemented the required licensing or registration services for the bikes. Residents are encouraged to check NJMVC’s website for information on all updates and additional guidance as it becomes available.
For operators who are at least 15 years old, the current requirements include scheduling an appointment for an E-bike permit, passing the Knowledge and Vision tests, scheduling and completing a road test and operating a vehicle during daylight hours only for a period of 45 days prior to completing the road test.
Miases said that in his neighborhood, youngsters under the age of 15 are riding E-bikes and not wearing helmets, and he hoped police would start giving citations to violators.
The overgrown stream bank of Rancocas Street at the foot of River Drive and Stewart Avenue will be permanently stabilized with funds from an ordinance approved on first reading by council on July 14. A public hearing and second reading will take place at the Aug. 11 meeting.
