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Timberline homeowners press Edison for answers on recurring flooding; council cites legal and DEP constraints
Summary
Representatives of the Timberline Homeowners Association urged the council to respond to longstanding flooding and municipal‑services concerns; the council said the matter is under legal review, noted DEP constraints on stream work and promised follow‑up rather than immediate action.
Members of the Timberline Homeowners Association and their attorney told the Edison Township Council on March 25 that persistent flooding from Robinson's Branch has damaged homes for years and that township officials have not responded to written requests for assistance.
"Why has nobody responded to us? And how will the township help this community resolve these issues?" asked Michael, an attorney from Hill Wallach LLP speaking for the 129‑unit association. He said association leaders had written repeatedly to the planning and engineering director and the township attorney and sought a clear point of contact.
A Timberline board member later told the council the association has spent significant money to address the problem: "We spent at least $300,000 doing that of our own money," the speaker said, asking for township coordination because contractors report downstream blockages are causing recurring backups.
Council members explained that the council is a legislative body that can approve funding and make laws but that maintenance and operational responses typically come through the administration and mayor's office. Several members said the matter is under legal review, that stream work often requires Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approvals and that any physical work in waterways is constrained by state regulations.
The business administrator said the township is preparing budget timing and coordinating with relevant offices, and council members suggested follow‑up in closed session with counsel where appropriate. "I will promise you an answer and make sure that someone gets back to you," the council president said, and staff offered to meet with the association after the meeting to direct them to the appropriate contacts.
No formal vote was taken on the flooding matter at the meeting; council members pledged to continue coordination with the administration, the township attorney and state partners and to consider potential grant opportunities and county involvement for mitigation work.
