Nearly two decades after Candlewyck Estates was started, momentum is building to finally turn the development over to Marlborough Township. Negotiations between the township and the developer have recently accelerated with both sides vowing to reach the finish line sooner rather than later.

            Two major stumbling blocks, repairing the portion of Knight Road that is in the development and planting trees, have been the subjects of intense negotiation between township representatives and developer Fred MacIntosh.

            At last Wednesday's monthly hybrid supervisors meeting, Solicitor Mark Cappuccio updated the board on his talks with MacIntosh's firm.

            "We're trying to come up with a methodology just to get this dedicated and get it done," Cappuccio said.

            MacIntosh has agreed to mill and pave the phase 1 portion of the road up to the seam of phase 2, replace a failing inlet box, and complete the other items that remain on the punch list.

            "The topcoat will be a minimum of an inch-and-a-half. The developer's going to seal all the curbs and the joints and around the manholes," said Cappuccio.

            MacIntosh will meet with Chad Camburn, of Bursich, the township's engineering firm, and Marlborough's Public Works Director Jake Ferguson to finalize the list of items that need to be corrected. 

            "We've done a number of these punch lists over the years," said Camburn, injecting a note of caution into the discussion.

            "As with any improvements, over time, they go bad. Every time we go out we'll see another crack in the sidewalk, another nick in a curb, and that gets added. At some point, enough is going to have to be enough certainly."

            While resurfacing the road is a welcome remedy, Camburn urged a deeper look into the problems with the sinking inlet box.

            "What we don't know is what the road looks like underneath the surface. Certainly the road is in bad shape out there," Camburn told the supervisors. "The inlet box is sinking and we don't know why."

            "Certainly, I can ask that [MacIntosh] allow the inspection of the underlying road condition and repair and replace what's necessary," Cappuccio assured the supervisors.

         The other major issue, reforestation, appears to be resolved. The reforestation plan originally called for over 1,000 whips, which are vulnerable to deer and other wildlife, but MacIntosh recently proposed substituting four to six-foot trees for the whips to get "better bang for his buck," according to Cappuccio.

            MacIntosh received approval for the trees from the Montgomery County Conservation District and from Bursich a few months ago.

            "We feel the amended plan that he proposed is certainly going to give you a better outcome at the end of the day," Camburn said.

            The issue of funding for reforestation has been resolved also. Marlborough agreed that MacIntosh could draw $18,057 from Wooded Ridge's letter of credit. Years ago, the township approve the transfer of that money to Candlewyck for landscaping.

            "It's not backed by cash, it just reduces his letter of credit by that amount," said Cappuccio.

            The Candlewyck homeowners association will be responsible for the upkeep of the newly planted area.

            The board voted unanimously to go along with the revised reforestation plan and to authorize continued discussions with the developer.

             "We're all anxious to finish this community," Supervisor Brian Doremus stated.

            The other major topic of discussion at the meeting was the expired 12-year agreement with Comcast and the future of the township's relationship with the cable company. Under the old agreement, Marlborough received five percent of the franchise fee for cable TV.

            Township Manager/Secretary/Treasurer Marybeth Cody told the board that a review of a proposed 10-year contract with Comcast should take place as soon as possible so as not to disrupt the revenue stream.

            Cappuccio alerted the board to changes in the language of the contract that deals with gross revenue, which is the basis for the five percent fee. The solicitor noted that several items that had been part of the revenue calculation have been dropped in the proposed agreement including advertising revenue, home shopping revenue, late fees and franchise fees.

            It looks to me like you'll come away with less money under this agreement because they've moved certain categories of revenue," said Cappuccio.

            Doremus asked about the ramifications of not reaching an agreement.

            "They would no longer install," Cappuccio said, citing provisions from the old contract that included removing infrastructure, such as poles and transmission systems.

            "They would pull out of the township."

            Cody also wants residents informed that PECO will be conducting inspections on natural gas meters and regulators within the township in "the near future" and will be on residential properties. However, inspectors have no need to enter houses and residents do not have to be present for the inspection. More information is available at marlboroughpa.org.

            The board of supervisors next meets on Wednesday, April 14 at 7 p.m.