Sewer Connection to Park Postponed

Switching from septic tank to sewer service will have to wait.

In December, bids for the project all came in above Lower Merion Township's budget, something that has happened generally less often in municipal construction bidding since the recession began.

AJB Mechanical Inc. offered to connect the riverfront park's restroom building to River Road's sewer line and install a grinder pump station for $37,498, and three other contractors bid more than $60,000. The project's budget is $24,000, parks director Lindsay Taylor said. She has asked the Board of Commissioners to reject the bids at Wednesday's finance committee meeting.

"In speaking with the bidders, we learned that there were some ways we can revise the specifications that we believe will fairly significantly reduce the project costs," Taylor told Patch. "We hope to rebid the project soon."

The township is not required, as River Road private property owners are required, to connect the Gladwyne and Penn Valley park to sewer service, Taylor said, "but we are committed to following (township code) whenever possible and will be connecting with the sanitary sewer line."

The park's boat ramp is available year-round, from dawn to 9 p.m. daily, but the floating docks are not scheduled to be installed this year until April 1.