Radnor board hears $10 million stormwater borrowing plan and emergency Skunk Hollow culvert replacement

Radnor Township officials gave a detailed briefing on April 13 about a slate of stormwater and infrastructure projects they plan to finance with a new borrowing round and identified an emergency culvert failure that requires immediate replacement.

Presenters described two types of work: conveyance infrastructure (pipes and inlets) and stormwater-management projects (BMPs that capture and infiltrate runoff). Township presenter Mr. Norsini said the township is prioritizing about eight infrastructure projects through 2028, many involving century-old culverts and deteriorated corrugated metal pipe that must be replaced rather than repaired.

Among the projects listed were Earl’s Lane (about $2 million), Spring Mill Road (replacement required), Walnut Avenue (complicated by the historic district and sanitary sewer relocation), Morris Road/Clover Road (to be bid together), and several outfall and driveway-area replacements. Project descriptions stressed risks to sidewalks, driveways and private property if pipes fail.

The presentation added a newly identified emergency: a failed culvert at Skunk Hollow near the LEAF Center (Darby-Paoli Road). “It’s the only way in, the only way out,” Mr. Norsini said, describing severe undermining, large cracks and trenching that made repair infeasible and required full replacement. He said a structural engineer’s inspection and on-site photos supported the finding that repair was not a feasible option.

The board was told permitting with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is required; if DEP concurs that the project is an emergency, the design timeline and some design costs can be reduced. Presenters cautioned that preliminary cost estimates are uncertain before design; the Skunk Hollow preliminary estimate was shown at about $1.6 million.

Finance staff presented a 10-year stormwater fund model and a proposed borrowing plan. The township completed a prior $10 million borrowing in 2022 and expects to borrow roughly $10 million this year to fund the listed projects, with new debt service beginning in 2027. To cover combined existing and new debt service, the model projects stormwater fee increases of $3 per unit in 2027, $3 in 2028, $2 in 2029 and $2 in 2030. Presenters illustrated the effect by noting a two-unit “moderate” household would see a $6 annual increase when the $3/unit change begins.

No bond issuance was approved at the meeting; staff explained that the board is appointing bond professionals and will return later in the year with a bond ordinance and adoption vote. The presentation materials and student-produced Wayne Master Plan videos will be posted on the township website for public review.

The board took no formal vote on project adoption at the April 13 meeting; it approved consent items related to bond-professional appointments earlier in the agenda and was told it will see ordinance introductions and bond-adoption items likely in late summer or early fall.

Next steps: the township will pursue DEP permitting for Skunk Hollow, finalize designs and return to the board with bond-issuance legislation and more refined cost estimates.