Politics & Government

Snow Emergency Signage May Be Eliminated on Edgemont Avenue

Also: PECO will be ripping up the newly-paved roadway to replace a leaking gas main

Lansdale Councilman-elect Leon Angelichio's front yard on Edgemont Avenue looks like a used car lot in the winter on days when the weather forces Lansdale Borough to call a snow emergency.
The reason: Both sides of the roadway are posted as snow emergency routes, forcing residents to move cars off the street and park them elsewhere, sometimes as far away as the Acme Market parking lot or in neighboring Hatfield Township.
Thus, Angelichio this week made a request to the Public Safety Committee on behalf of his neighbors to remove snow emergency signage from the even side of Edgemont Avenue.
"Some of our homes now have multiple vehicles, and we have very short driveways. It's kind of a burden to clear the whole street," Angelichio said. "I understand we are a snow emergency route, but our street has got no parking on either side."
The request was made to the committee posthaste, as the next time the committee meets would be in February 2014.
The committee approved the request in a unanimous vote to eliminate the snow emergency on the even side of Edgemont Avenue, dependent on feasibility determined by public works and public safety. It now moves on for council approval Dec. 18.
"We looked at it, and the number of houses on the odd side is greater. There is open space on the even side, around the bend. I think the impact would be less if you took parking away from the odd side and allowed on even side," Angelichio said.
Lansdale Police Chief Robert McDyre said he would review the route with Public Works Supervisor Rick DeLong.
"I think we could adjust it," he said. "Every other year this comes up (in the borough). This makes sense."
It was also announced that PECO would be digging into the newly-paved Edgemont Avenue due to a gas main leak, according to Public Works Committee Chairman Steve Malagari.
"Mind you, when the project occurred, we gave them every possible way of going in and replacing those underground infrastructures," Malagari said. "Now they are coming out, saying they have to be replaced."
Malagari said he hoped PECO would be using an infrared plate to heat up the surface of the asphalt when doing the roadwork "so it does not leave a bump or any type of grade and is even with the surface."
"Unfortunately, that's what happens with these projects. We're hoping it doesn't happen in the future," he said.


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