Palmyra residents, officials press stormwater fixes as Melrose development advances

Palmyra Borough residents and elected officials on Tuesday pressed for fixes to recurring drainage problems after heavy rain and raised objections to starting phase 2 of the Melrose subdivision while phase 1 drainage issues remain unresolved.

The discussion was prompted by public comments from residents who described flooding, sediment-laden runoff and infiltration basins that remained high for days after a storm. Resident Tom Gillespie said his attempt to add a three-car garage foundered on the borough’s stormwater ordinance and the cost of an engineer-sealed plan. “It’s gonna cost you anywhere between $5,000 and $15,000,” Gillespie said he was told after a site visit, and he urged council to consider lower-cost options such as rain barrels or a “water garden in a box.”

Why it matters: Councilors and staff said the borough’s ordinance implements state and federal stormwater permitting requirements (NPDES/MS4) and that the municipality must enforce an engineered standard for projects above local thresholds. Residents said repeated heavy rain and construction runoff are straining existing infrastructure, and several urged delaying additional…