Wood-Vine Connector on Schedule for Spring 2013 Start Date

Although Lansdale Borough and its respective attorneys remain in negotiations over temporary construction easements and right-of-ways related to the Wood-Vine Connector Project, it expects to break ground on the PCTI project in Spring 2013.

"We're still working on the real estate matters as far as obtaining the proper right-of-way or temporary construction easement," reported borough utilities director Jake Ziegler to the Public Works Committee last Wednesday.

"We have reached a conclusion on several properties, but there are still mostly commerical properties. When I say commercial, they are properties like the post office, Verizon and The Reporter property. They are still in various forms of negotiations."

Ziegler said the length of time for negotiations is not unusual.

"It's more a standard procedure of what we have to go through. It takes time," he said.

As far as the Lansdale Post Office is concerned, Ziegler said various meetings have taken place with representatives of the federal goverment and representatives from Lansdale.

"They are working through that post office hierarchy. Just as we would work through a hierarchy here and bring it back to the borough, it's likely they will bring it back to the board of the federal government, which would be Congress," Ziegler said. "I don't think this is the only time something like this has ever occurred."

Committee member Mike Sobel joked that in dealing with the federal government, it could be 2025 before a negotiation is settled.

"We've talked about ways around it," said committee Chairman Denton Burnell.

Ziegler said that, all in all, the project is still on schedule for late Spring 2013.

"Most of the various utilities located in Vine Street ... is work related to Verizon," Ziegler said. "We should be able to proceed from that point with a fair amount of certainty that utilities are in the right place and can begin construction."

Lansdale Borough

Read more about the Wood-Vine Connector Project, and its proposed changes and new routes, at this link:

• Wood-Vine Connector to Break Ground in Spring 2013