Moorestown Set To Tackle Major Flooding Issue

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown is ready to tackle one of the worst flooding areas in the township. Council approved a proposed ordinance on introduction to set aside $100,000, including the borrowing of $95,000 in bonds or notes, for preliminary expenses for engineering and design to improve storm water drainage issues in the area of Kenilworth Avenue, Locust Street and Park Boulevard Monday night at town hall.

The approval comes after a representative from Pennoni Engineering appeared at the previous council meeting to discuss flooding in that area. He said that the pipes in the drainage system are experiencing silt buildup, and the drainage path is experiencing erosion, which results in blockages.

He explained the need to restore the system to maximum capacity in that area, although even a fully functioning system would have trouble due to the amount of rain that fell on the region this summer. He also said the township needs to stabilize the area where erosion is the biggest problem, and establish a maintenance plan once the area is fixed.

The path begins at Locust and Kenilworth, flows under North Church Street and empties into a ditch on North Church Street that runs to Pompeston Creek. Part of the problem discussed at the Oct. 21 meeting was that Conrail has not maintained the tracks at Kenilworth.

Conrail didn’t want to maintain the tracks, but it also didn’t want the township to do it, the representative said at the time. In introducing the proposal on Nov. 18, officials said the township recently secured some assistance from Conrail in advancing improvements to the storm water system.

They hope they engineering and design work will help advance a more comprehensive solution and help secure additional assistance from Conrail and other sources as appropriate, officials said. The public hearing and final vote on the proposal is set for the Dec. 2 meeting.