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Commission endorses Amtrak station repairs and stormwater work; commissioner raises runoff concerns
Summary
City staff said Amtrak’s station repairs include stormwater piping approved by the Army Corps and no adverse effect on historic properties; the commission agreed to provide a concurrence letter while Commissioner Thomas Casals flagged possible groundwater/runoff issues that may warrant PA DEP or EPA attention.
The Planning Commission recommended sending a concurrence letter for Amtrak’s proposed passenger-station repairs and stormwater improvements after City staff said Army Corps approval had been obtained and a historic-properties review found no adverse effect.
City Manager Art Martynuska described the stormwater work, including installation of a larger 21-inch pipe discharging into an 18-inch pipe and said the Army Corps approved the piping configuration as adequate for predicted outflow. Staff also prepared a letter of support for submittal to the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) concerning historic-properties findings.
Commissioner Thomas Casals raised concerns about potential groundwater runoff and contamination originating from a 200‑year‑old railyard, suggesting PA DEP, EPA or other regulators may need to be involved. Martynuska offered to assist in drafting language for the concurrence letter to address those concerns.
Action taken: Commissioner Casals moved to recommend a letter of concurrence; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Michael Grandinetti and passed unanimously by present commissioners.
What’s next: Staff will finalize and transmit the concurrence/support letters to SHPO and coordinate any additional environmental review if regulators are engaged.
