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Residents press board on cemetery sidewalk, trail safety and Sunoco pipeline inspections
Summary
During public comment, residents urged the board to continue engineering work on a proposed sidewalk and curb by the cemetery (citing a near‑miss) and raised concerns about the Sunoco pipeline’s age and past leaks; township officials said inspections were done and no issues were reported.
Residents at the March 26 meeting of the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors urged the board to continue engineering work on a proposed sidewalk and curb in front of the cemetery along Newtown‑Yardley Road, citing safety concerns and a recent near‑miss. Several speakers also pressed the township to seek additional inspections of the Sunoco pipeline that runs through parts of Newtown.
Charles Flory and resident Valerie Mihalik (Newtown Walk) urged supervisors to allow the engineers to complete cost estimates and to reconsider pausing the sidewalk and curb design. Flory noted that a crosswalk at Tara had been driven by safety concerns, and Mihalik described a near‑miss in which her 15‑year‑old daughter nearly was struck because of glare and limited sight lines at the cemetery crossing. Mihalik emphasized that a PennDOT‑funded grant could cover about 70% of the sidewalk cost and asked the board to confirm costs before canceling the engineering work.
Several supervisors voiced concerns about property ownership and cost. One supervisor said cemetery stewards opposed further work and questioned whether the township should pay if the owner did not request the sidewalk. Board members suggested adding the location to the township’s comprehensive trail priority list and asked staff to circulate the engineering plan already posted on the township website.
On pipeline safety, Mihalik and other residents raised alarm about the Sunoco line’s age and history of repairs, saying the line has had multiple prior leaks and is ‘‘75 years old’’ with numerous braces for past repairs. The township manager said crews had inspected areas of the pipeline per DEP and EPA instructions and reported no findings; the board said it will continue to monitor the situation and coordinate with neighboring municipalities.
The solicitor accepted a request to put the cemetery sidewalk/curb item on a future agenda for formal consideration. The board also discussed scheduling an executive session to consult insurance counsel about separate litigation scheduled for trial in May.
No board decision to proceed with construction or to cancel the engineering work was made at the meeting; supervisors directed staff to return details and to place the sidewalk/curb item on a future agenda for a formal vote.
