PA Body Shop Owner Pleads Case for Stormwater Exemption Steve’s Auto Body and Repair in Manor Township, PA, is struggling to meet the township’s stormwater management guidelines. Shop owner Steve Slater, township supervisors and Ben Bothell of Senate’s Engineering discussed the problem at a recent supervisors meeting, according to The Kittanning Paper. “The site plan we received was a depiction of the building, parking lot and impacted area with grating. It also showed the proposed storm drainage layout, as well as construction details for the end treatments of the storm sewer system. It’s not in accordance with the Manor Township stormwater management ordinance—there is no retention pond,” Bothell said. The concern is that storm drainage would flow off the hill into Garretts Run. The 2001 ordinance applies to all construction of new impervious structures about 5,000 square feet. Slater, who started construction in the Manor Township Business Park along Valley View Drive in November 2012 and has a temporary occupancy permit for his 20,000-square-foot
property, pleaded his case. “We were about three-quarters through all the construction when I got hit with all this stuff, so we’re trying to get an exception from it,” Slater said. “When we were up there doing the construction when Hurricane Sandy came through, I didn’t even know I needed this fence or the hay bales that are up there now because I’m trying to be in compliance with (supervisors) on this. This is a big setback for me.” Slater said he would’ve looked more extensively at moving elsewhere if he knew about the ordinance. “I’ve got three-quarters of a million dollars invested in the building up there, and to be honest with ya, if I had known I needed this $25,000 retention pond put in, I would’ve looked elsewhere—out of Manor Township and their 5,000 square foot ordinance that I was completely unaware about. I was too involved to quit,” Slater said. Slater worked with independent contractor George Wick on the proposed stormwater maintenance plan. He appealed to supervisors based on
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his dream to add business and employment to Manor Township. “I hope to have a thriving business up there in time. I hope to hire people from the area,” Slater said. “This should’ve been done a long time ago looking into these ordinances,” said supervisor Pat Fabian. “I’m sympathetic–—I’m hearing what you’re saying—I’m glad you’re building a business in the Township and are going to employ people, but on the other hand, the school district (had to apply for stormwater management) and (neighboring business Projectile Tube) had to abide by these ordinances, too. I’m struggling here saying they have to do it, but you don’t have to. That liability for runoff: whether it goes into Garretts Run tomorrow or 99 years from now, it falls back on (township supervisors),” he added. Supervisor Paul Rearick asked if there were any other possibilities, but Bothell said the retention pond is the cheapest. “We welcome your business…but as (Fabian) said, we have to be fair to everybody,” Rearick said.
Exceptions are provided if a sedimentation control plan is approved through the Armstrong Conservation District, if land is used for home gardening, force management or that documentation from a registered professional engineer shows that the stormwater would leave the site in the same manner as it did before construction or the increased flow would reach an existing stormwater management system without greatly affected that flow. “I would say I’m the perfect candidate for the exemption,” Slater said, based on his work with Wick. But, supervisor Chair Jim McGinnis voiced the same opinion as the other supervisors. “I feel sorry you have so much invested in that, but my feelings are we have to go along with the engineers,” McGinnis said. To give Slater another opportunity and to possibly meet with Wick at the next public meeting, the action was tabled until June 5. Depending on the final decision, the ordinance does allow for appeals through the Armstrong County Court of Common Pleas within 30 days.
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