Commissioners press for meeting with DEP as sewer EDUs slow restaurants on Old York Road

Commissioners on June 8 highlighted persistent sewer-capacity constraints (EDUs) that are delaying restaurant openings on the 8080 Old York Road commercial corridor and asked staff to pursue meetings with regulatory and legislative contacts to resolve the issue.

Commissioner Chirico urged the board to explore fast-track options after learning the two pending restaurants — a Vietnamese restaurant and a revolving-sushi concept — could face a nine-month delay to secure required EDUs. Chirico asked whether the township could allocate EDUs from a local reserve to speed openings and suggested engaging DEP and state legislators if necessary.

A township representative said there is a small reserve of EDUs for minor projects but that DEP’s approvals are the primary gating factor for larger allocations. Mister Lynch (staff) said permits and inspections have been issued for the Vietnamese restaurant and he was unsure why the business continued to report delays; commissioners agreed the facts should be clarified in an offline meeting involving the township engineer, manager and solicitor to avoid jeopardizing approvals.

The board agreed to arrange a meeting with the township engineer and invited participation by state representatives and DEP to ensure all parties understood the timing and options. Commissioners said the next manager should continue work on code and process reviews to reduce long-term constraints to commercial development.

Next steps: staff to schedule the offline meeting with the township engineer and relevant agency or legislative contacts; commissioners and staff to gather documentation about EDU allocations and permit timelines for that meeting.