Township outlines multi-year stormwater work including Hidden Pond permitting and taking on regional basin maintenance

Hampton Township staff updated council on several stormwater and basin projects on Oct. 8, including permitting work for a proposed Hidden Pond dam, outlet repairs to the Raintree Manor basin and a planned dredging and access project for Palousey Pond.

Adam Machinbaugh and other staff described the Hidden Pond Dam project as a regional facility below the high school football field intended to reduce downstream flooding and erosion; staff expect permitting with the Department of Environmental Protection to take about a year, with construction targeted for 2027. The Raintree Manor basin, which treats runoff from multiple developments, has had outlet issues; staff said they plan to repair outlet structures and make the basin operable before the coming fall. Palousey Pond, a small but severely damaged pond in a wooded area, will require an access road, dredging and outlet reconstruction; permitting is expected to begin in 2026 with construction the following spring.

Council and staff also discussed the township’s increasing role in maintaining stormwater facilities that were originally built and maintained by homeowners’ associations (HOAs). Staff said Raintree Manor has maintained its basin but is now seeking township assistance because the facility serves multiple developments and has regional implications. The township’s stormwater-fee program and the requirements of the MS4 permit were cited as drivers pushing the township to be more active in inspecting and enforcing maintenance of privately owned stormwater facilities. Staff noted that some older HOAs lack the financial capacity to conduct required maintenance and that, in at least one case, the township was offered a basin in 1979 and did not take it at the time.

Staff said they will continue to pursue inspections, require documentation from HOAs seeking stormwater credits, and may evaluate ordinance changes that would require developers to dedicate critical stormwater infrastructure as public facilities rather than leaving long-term maintenance to HOAs. Council members discussed the cost implications and the precedent created by taking ownership of HOA basins, and staff said restoring many older facilities to modern standards could be costly.

Clarifying details: Hidden Pond permitting expected to take about one year with construction in 2027; Raintree Manor basin services multiple neighborhoods and has had recent outflow-pipe repairs; Palousey Pond requires a 300-foot access road and dredging; township has completed inspections of township-owned ponds but historically has not inspected private HOA ponds until credit applications or permit requirements prompted review.