The Engi-News: Spring Edition!

Spring is here! See what has been blooming with Carroll Engineering Corporation!

If you missed our previous Newsletter, you can check it out here:

2023 Winter Edition Newsletter.

Palmer Township

Palmer Township, nestled in Northampton County, PA, is governed by the Pennsylvania Second Class Township code. The Township's commitment to protecting its open land space makes this area appealing to individuals and families that live, work, and the out-of-towners who frequently visit. Palmer Township has twelve parks (including Briarcliffe Park, Riverview Park & Fairview Park).

In Palmer Township, there are approximately 525 acres of land (8.7% of the total land in the Township) that are publicly owned. Of that, approximately 380 acres are maintained by the Township in a mowed condition, and most have some form of athletic facilities. There are currently twelve parks and four tot lots in the Township. As identified in the Comprehensive Plan, the Township will encourage added open space as development continues. The majority of this space would be left in a natural state.

Briarcliffe Park spans 8.5 acres of land, featuring a swimming pool, children's play area with equipment, picnic tables, three softball fields, two pavilions, restrooms in the pool area, a tennis court, and a basketball court.

Fairview Park spans 14 acres of land, featuring a softball field, hardball field, two lighted basketball courts, Four lighted tennis courts, four shuffleboard courts, a children's play area with equipment, picnic tables, two pavilions, restrooms, and a section of bike/walking path passes through the park. Most residents in Palmer Township, call this the "crown jewel" park.

One of the largest parks in the township, Riverview Park, spans 20 acres and is a park that has a picnic pavilion, playground, trails as well as softball fields and a handicap-accessible fishing pier.

Carroll Engineering Corporation is proud to have Palmer Township as one of its newest clients. In January, we were appointed as the Township Engineer. We are excited to have the opportunity to work with Palmer Township and look forward to building a trusting, working relationship with them.

Visit Palmer Township

Avondale Borough

Avondale is a small borough (0.5 square miles) located in the heart of Chester County’s mushroom-producing region and nestled between its larger neighbors, London Grove and New Garden Townships. Its main corridor, Pennsylvania Avenue, is lined with an impressive array of Victorian architecture.

This main corridor also serves as a major truck route connecting Pennsylvania highways with I-95. Avondale Borough serves the needs of its residents with a small public water and sewer system, along with offering recreation in the form of playgrounds, volleyball, basketball, and passive recreation opportunities in its 4 parks (Indian Run Park, Pomeroy Park, Watson Park, and Thompson Park). The Borough just received a large federal grant to improve its parks which will include improvements for universal accessibility. The Borough is also located within the White Clay Creek watershed, a national wild and scenic river system. It is one of only a few relatively intact unspoiled, and ecologically functioning river systems in the highly congested and developed Philadelphia-Newark corridor.

The current Borough Council and Mayor are actively seeking to improve the Borough by seeking grants and funding for sewer and water upgrades, sidewalk repairs, pipe replacement, and a road program. They are also working to offer a variety of public events to create a sense of community.

Carroll Engineering Corporation is proud to have Avondale Borough as one of its newest clients. In January, we were appointed as the Borough Engineer. We are excited to have the opportunity to work with Avondale Borough and look forward to building a trusting, working relationship with them.

Visit Avondale Borough

New Hanover Township Authority

The New Hanover Township Authority maintains the sewer system within New Hanover Township Authority. It also handles sewer bills for approximately 3,000 customers. The treatment plant uses an activated sludge treatment process with a plant-permitted flow of 1.925 MGD. The sewer system’s collection system includes 2 Pump Stations; one is the Acorn Hills Pump Station and the other one is the Swamp Creek Pump Station.

The collection system for the NHTA sanitary sewer infrastructure was constructed and put into service in 1980. The system currently serves portions of New Hanover Township and has no inter-municipal connections.

The Township uses GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to manage and update assets within the collection system. The Township continues improving the accuracy of the GIS Mapping of the Sanitary Sewer Collection System with monthly updates. The Township tracks the changes and historical lifespan of assets within the collections system by attaching inspection reports, maintenance documentation, and CCTV investigation videos directly to the GIS assets within the GIS database.

The collection system is comprised of approximately:

• 51 miles of gravity sewer main ranging from 8-inch to 30-inch pipe

• 12,000 feet of 4-inch and 16-inch force main

• 3,250 feet of 1.5-inch to a 2-inch low-pressure sewer main

• 1,225 gravity manholes

Carroll Engineering Corporation is proud to have New Hanover Township Authority as one of its newest clients. In February, we were appointed as the Authority Engineer. We are excited to have the opportunity to work with New Hanover Township Authority and look forward to building a trusting, working relationship with them.

Visit New Hanover Township Authority

Carroll Engineering is Helping Improve a Key Intersection at West Chester University

Carroll Engineering Corporation (CEC) has been tasked with designing geometric and signal upgrades at the intersection of Rosedale Avenue and South New Street, located within the West Chester University Campus in Southeast Pennsylvania. The intersection straddles two municipalities, West Goshen Township, and West Chester Borough, both in Chester County.

As the Engineer for West Goshen, Carroll is working closely with the University and West Chester Borough to determine feasible solutions to the existing issues. These issues include tight turning radii, steep grades, and sight distance deficiencies. While congestion is not a significant issue, that may not be the case in the future as the area, and University continues to thrive. More vehicular and pedestrian demands are placed on the intersection.

CEC is examining geometric improvements such as approach widening and the addition of auxiliary turn lanes. While these are quite typical solutions to the abovementioned issue, right-of-way limitations are an unfortunate reality and make the design challenging. The primary concern is ensuring the safety of intersection users to the maximum extent feasible. Carroll is also proposing traffic signal equipment upgrades. Again, the challenge is to provide the most efficient intersection capacity while working within the location’s constraints.

The intersection is scenic, with many trees, greenery, and tasteful university architecture. CEC intends to make design choices that are in keeping with the current character of the intersection and the locality. As the project progressed from preliminary to final design, CEC fostered good relationships with municipalities and the University. Creating a collaborative culture amongst all the stakeholders is desirable and should serve the project well. CEC is excited to deliver the final plans and to see our design on paper become a reality sometime in 2024.

Webinar Replay

In this previously recorded webinar presented by the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS) and Carroll Engineering Corporation, viewers will learn how your municipality can accelerate project completion, reduce costs, and utilize data collection for projects in your municipality with the help of 3D Laser Scanning. This webinar will explore the 3D Laser Scanner equipment and software, application usages, and the advantages of this digital surveying technology method. We thought it was appropriate to share this webinar again at this time before the PSATS Conference in Hershey starting April 23rd.

For more information regarding our 3D Laser Scanning services, please contact us at info@carrollengineering.com or Justin Jurkowski, Survey and Geospatial Coordinator at jjurkowski@carrollengineering.com or 908-512-7134.

Click to View!

Joanne Killion started at Carroll Engineering on June 6th, 2008. She was originally hired as an administrative assistant, then moved to the accounting department in 2010. We are pleased to share that recently, Joanne was promoted to Billing Supervisor and Benefits Coordinator. Her hard work and dedication to the company are highly appreciated, and we wish her the best of luck in her new role!

MCATO Spring Conference

Montgomery County Association of Township Officials Spring Conference will be held Wednesday, April 19th, at the Valley Forge Casino Resort from 5:30-8 pm.