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Engineer warns Stanhope Mountain development would need new access, major infrastructure
Summary
Borough Engineer Eric Keller told the council that any Stanhope Mountain residential development would face steep access, water and sewer challenges and likely require a boulevard or second access if it produces more than about 1,000 daily trips; he urged careful planning and noted Fair Share Housing risks if the overlay is expanded.
Council President Thornton heard a detailed engineering briefing on a conceptual Stanhope Mountain proposal at the May 12 work session.
Eric Keller, the Borough Engineer, said he had a conflict with the presenting entity but offered general advice about the site’s infrastructure needs, listing the "four (4) main components" a developer must address: "potable water, sanitary sewer, stormwater runoff and access." He said current access would rely on Route 206 and described options including right-in/right-out configurations or use of a U-turn at Dell Road.
Keller warned that developments generating more than roughly 1,000 trips per day—about 145 townhomes—would likely trigger state standards requiring two access points or construction of a boulevard. He said a boulevard would be "a fifteen-foot lane going in and a fifteen-foot lane coming out with at least a six-foot median," and described additional fire-access and grading constraints on the steep site.
Administrator McNeilly and council members questioned utility and service impacts. Keller said sewers on Route 206 convey to the MSA pump station at Route 206 and Acorn Street and that an upgrade there may be required if additional flow is introduced. On water he recommended a looped main for pressure and flow and said a developer would likely have to extend mains and perform geotechnical work.
Councilman Thornton and others expressed concern about potential changes to the Borough’s municipal plan and the overlay for lot 11. Keller said that while the Borough’s adopted plan provides a strong defense against builder’s-remedy suits, Fair Share Housing and courts can challenge whether a municipality’s plan realistically provides opportunities—"we have a defensible plan... but it does not stop somebody from making a case," he said. The council agreed to consider the developer’s presentation at the May 26 meeting and to have the borough attorney and new planner/engineer available for questions.
The briefing did not include any formal application or approvals; Keller emphasized that his comments were preliminary and that formal reviews would follow any official submission.
