By KENN STARK
Times Correspondent

PARKSIDE — Greentree condominium owner James Cannon recently came before borough council in July seeking help with frequent flooding of his Park Vallei Lane unit.

The frustrated resident received sympathy for his plight, but no relief.

At the Aug. 25 council session, Cannon returned, but this time he was with two other condo owners who are suffering through the same problem. Although the borough’s hands are still officially tied, this time around, the advice given by council was a bit stronger.

“You need to unite as a group to take this information to (the homeowners’ association),” council President Shirley Purcival said. “And if that doesn’t work, you can always hire a lawyer to go with you.”

In response to Cannon’s July visit, borough Engineer Lisa Catania made a site inspection in an effort to determine the cause of the repeated flooding.

While fences and miscellaneous debris prevented her from getting up close, Catania determined that a lack of stormwater management is at the root of the problem.

Catania’s findings were put into a written report and passed along to Cannon and his neighbors. The engineer’s conclusions indicate the property owners have sufficient cause to protest the conditions and demand action from Greentree officials.

Exactly who the property owners should complain to next is a point of confusion. While the borough claims they have “no jurisdiction at all” at the condo complex, no cooperation has been forthcoming from members of the Greentree Homeowners Association or the development’s off-site management firm, Camco.

“I’ve got the borough telling me it’s Camco’s responsibility, and Camco telling me it’s the borough’s responsibility. I don’t know what to do,” Cannon told council.

“It’s the homeowner association’s issue. And if the management company isn’t doing what they’re supposed to do, maybe you need a new management company,” Purcival said. “We can only take financial responsibility for those issues that are truly our problem.” Continued...

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The most recent episode of flash flooding occurred Aug. 22, when more than 2 inches of rain fell in a matter of hours, flooding out the interior floors of several Greentree units.

According to the afflicted residents, some of the flooded units had just replaced floor covering that was damaged by the previous flood.

The Park Vallei Lane condo complex was built in the 1970s, with the rear patios of the easternmost units constructed in a tiered row. The stepped-down patios are situated at the development’s lowest elevation, alongside a creek that borders the condo complex.

During heavy rain events, runoff from the entire complex flows to the low-lying patios, but does not have a means of conveyance into the stream. As the runoff collects and ponds around the patios, the end units are often subjected to flooding.

According to the complainants, miscellaneous trash and debris that clutters some of their neighbors’ patios is a contributing factor to the flooding. It was noted that the borough’s health inspector can address the “filth,” but does not have the authority to confront Greentree regarding runoff issues.

 

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