Home » Hopewell Township Committee Updates on Diverty Road Sewage Work

Hopewell Township Committee Updates on Diverty Road Sewage Work

by Cat Jackson

The Hopewell Township Committee met on Monday, July 15 to discuss routine work in the Township and to answer questions brought forth in public comment by Township residents. Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning and other members of the Township Committee and staff took this opportunity to clear up confusion about the ongoing sewage work on Diverty Road.

Diverty Road Sewage

In response to public comment questions from Nancy Apai and ongoing public confusion about the subject, the Committee discussed the ongoing sewage work on Diverty Road. 

Sewage cross-laterals have not been installed yet, according to Jim Hutzelman, the Township engineer. These laterals will be built in August or September by Lennar, who are in charge of the construction. When all sewage work is complete, Hopewell Township will not be given control of the system until a minimum flow has been reached, allowing the local sewage pump station to function. Sewage cross-laterals connecting to the individual properties were on the master plan, and the Township will require proof of these connections before taking control. 

“All of those sewer laterals will be GPSed, and we will have proof before [Hutzelman] takes over control of the site that Lennar has built those laterals and that we will fulfill our commitment to the residents of Diverty,” said Kuchinski. Hutzelman confirmed that the Township will require an “as-built” diagram of the system. These connections were part of the contract approval, and Lennar is required to build them.

The Township cannot expect to gain control of the system for at least 12 to 18 months, according to Hutzelman.

Clarification from Mayor Peters Manning added 8/2/24: Hopewell Township will accept ownership and maintenance responsibilities for the Collections at Hopewell sewer system only after the entire sewer system is completed, tested, and fully operational.  Based on current construction schedules provided by the developer, that timeframe is estimated to be 12-18 months. After acceptance by the Township, Diverty Rd. residents will then have the option to connect to the sewer system.

ADA Concerns: Update from June 24

During the previous meeting on June 24, Richard Fletcher spoke during Public Comment to raise concerns that Shoprite was not following ADA-compliant procedures. Township Administrator George Snyder said during Staff Reports that the manager of this Shoprite had been notified of the situation, and warned that the violation could be reported to the Department of Justice if the situation was not resolved. The incorrectly placed shopping carts were also presenting a fire hazard; local fire safety officials issued a violation. The manager of Shoprite was very receptive to these complaints, and according to Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning, has taken steps to fix the problem.

Basketball Court Resurfacing

Hutzelman reported unexpected difficulties in the=the basketball court resurfacing at Independence Park. The subgrade was surprisingly wet, according to Hutzelmann, which will require an additional $30,000 to address. Despite this change, the  basketball court resurfacing is still well under its $370,000 budget.

Tourism and Historic Preservation

Committee Member David Chait shared in a report that the Township’s Tourism and Economic Advisory Committee met with representatives of the Washington Crossing Park Association earlier this month to discuss the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States of America 

“The Township played such a pivotal role in that moment,” said Chait, “and the ability for the Advisory Committee to support that is really one of the target goals.” 

Committee member Kevin Kuchinski is working with the Historic Preservation Committee to prepare for the event. 

“We want to leverage this opportunity to bring business back to our local firms,” said Kuchinski.

About Us

MercerMe is the only hyperlocal, independent, online news outlet serving Hopewell Valley in Mercer County, New Jersey.

Contact us: [email protected] 

Search Our Archives

About Us

MercerMe is Hopewell Valley’s own digital news source, delivering in-depth, hyperlocal coverage that informs and strengthens the community.

 

Contact us: [email protected]

PO Box 260

Hopewell, New Jersey 08525

Search Our Stories

Proud Members of:

CLOSE
CLOSE