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Residents press board over Rock Hill Quarry permits and PPL electric upgrade
Summary
During public comment at the May 28, 2019 East Rockhill Township meeting residents asked whether quarry permits were denied and complained about exclusion from a PPL electric upgrade; the township summarized PPL’s planned one‑mile line work and roughly 40 pole replacements but recorded no commitment to extend service to excluded properties.
Residents raised questions and objections about Rock Hill Quarry permitting and a PPL electric upgrade during public comment at the East Rockhill Township Board of Supervisors meeting on May 28, 2019.
Ryan Gottshall of 2201 North Rockhill Road asked whether the Rock Hill Quarry’s 2017 and 2018 annual zoning permits had been denied and whether nuisance ordinances were being considered; the minutes state the 2017 permit was issued, the 2018 permit was denied and nuisance ordinances remain under review. Gottshall also said a PPL engineer told him service to his dwelling would be back-fed into a new line and expressed concern that transmission holders would not be regular poles and that trees would be removed.
Manager Marianne Morano relayed PPL Electric Utilities’ statement to the board: “work will include extending, upgrading and connecting existing lines along Rockhill Road for about one mile, including about 40 pole replacements, new installations or removals,” and that connecting the lines near the SEPTA rails would allow PPL to isolate future problems and improve reliability. Morano told the board PPL said there were no plans at that time to extend the work beyond that mile and that PPL advised the property at 2201 North Rockhill Road that reliability and voltage were within tariff limitations.
Resident Karen Drum asked whether the Township had placed a Township representative on Rock Hill Quarry property; the minutes record that the Township solicitor advised against placing a representative on the property because that could create Township liability. Later in the meeting, Kim Manser of 2201 North Rockhill Road said she believed the upgrade was being installed for Rock Hill Quarry and opposed her property’s exclusion from the upgrade. The minutes do not record any commitment from PPL or the board to extend the upgrade to excluded properties.
Other public comment included questions about mosquito remediation (referred to the Bucks County Department of Health) and procurement thresholds; staff reiterated that state rules govern thresholds for phone quotes, formal bids and prevailing-wage requirements.
The board did not take formal action on the PPL upgrade or change permitting decisions during the meeting; the issues were recorded for follow-up and the meeting adjourned into executive session for litigation matters.
