Resident warns Palmyra Area SD board proposed admin building is too compact, raises stormwater maintenance concerns
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Summary
At the September Palmyra Area School District board meeting, licensed land surveyor Alex Kinsey urged the board to reconsider the layout and stormwater design for a proposed administrative building, saying the plan compacts expensive subsurface systems into a small lot and may increase long‑term costs and maintenance burdens.
Alex Kinsey, a licensed land surveyor and civil engineering practitioner, told the Palmyra Area School District board during public comment that the proposed administrative building plan is “fitting a whole lot into a tiny little lot” and warned that the design’s reliance on subsurface stormwater basins would drive higher costs and complicate long‑term maintenance.
Kinsey spoke at the board’s September meeting and said he reviews land development and stormwater systems professionally. “First of all, they’re very expensive,” he said of the subsurface basins included in the plan, and added that such systems “are very hard to maintain… because you can’t get to them.” He said alternatives that use more surface area could simplify the drainage design and lower lifecycle costs.
Kinsey described sketching an alternate layout that shifts the building back about 100 feet to allow surface stormwater features and a more conventional parking layout. He said the board’s engineer had done an “impressive” job fitting the current design into the site but urged the district to consider acquiring more land to avoid complex underground systems that he said township staff might struggle to maintain.
The comment came during visitor comments; the transcript shows Kinsey offered attendees a paper copy of his sketch for board review. The board did not record any formal response in the transcript beyond brief acknowledgements of thanks and an offer to review the materials.
Kinsey also raised circulation concerns, saying drivers using the proposed site would be forced into a sharp turn to reach the building and that the plan “crams” other program elements close to the facility. He suggested modest land acquisition could reduce future capital and maintenance expenditures even if it increases upfront costs.
No board action was taken at the meeting to change the design or to authorize purchase of additional land; Kinsey’s remarks were recorded as public comment and left the board with his sketches for review.
The district’s agenda and materials referenced ongoing planning for an administrative building but the transcript does not include detailed engineering plans, cost estimates, or a timeline for final approvals.