Ross to Inspect Storm Sewer Culverts Along McKnight Road

Contractors may start as early as this week on the first full inspection of a storm sewer culvert along McKnight Road. 

The township is paying $16,500 for a closed-circuit television inspection of the storm sewer culvert, which runs from the Red Lobster at 4766 McKnight Roard north through the McCandless Township boundary. 

A report will be generated based on the data and given to the impacted property owners to make repairs if they are needed, said township Engineer Art Gazdik. 

"It's not the township's responsibility. We don't own it," Gazdik said. But, "there's no one else who is going to coordinate an overview of the pipe except us. It's a watershed issue." 

The culvert was built piece by piece over time as McKnight Road developed to bury a natural stream that serves as the main storm runoff channel for the area.

The exact number of property owners who own part of the culvert was not immediately known.

“Fifty feet there and 50 feet here is owned by the township,” he said. “The majority is privately owned.”

As pipes have aged and debris has collected, the township receives calls about the problems as property owners try to figure out what repairs are needed and who must make them, Gazdik said. 

The board awarded Insight Pipe Contracting the bid for the previously unbudgeted amount of $16,500 for the culvert's inspection Feb. 6, after management for the  on the southbound side of McKnight Road came to the township about repairs it needed to make. 

The bid was awarded without public discussion after an executive session where the issue was discussed. 

Becky McArdle, a spokeswoman for Eat'n Park, declined to discuss the problem the restaurant encountered or the solution provided by the township.

"At this time we're not going to comment," she said. 

Township Manager Wayne Jones told the board at its last meeting that he was getting positive feedback from the business community about the decision to conduct the inspection. 

What do you think of the township's decision to pay for the inspection? Is it the right thing to do? Tell us in the comments!