Based off a decision made by President Barack Obama, Evesham Township representatives are expecting to receive some funding for the damage caused by Hurricane Irene in late August.
Mayor Randy Brown said the township will officially be declaring itself eligible for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency due to Obama declaring the hurricane a statewide disaster.
“We are going to put in for it, but since the whole state was declared a disaster area we will get our FEMA money hopefully,” Brown said. “To know how much or for what projects, that’s a while away.”
Exactly how much funding and when the funding will be awarded is unknown, he said, but will likely be established at a much later date. The last time the township received FEMA funding was in 2010 when snowstorms ravaged the state.
While there were no deaths or injuries that resulted from the hurricane, Township Manager Tom Czerniecki reported that there was significant damage to two roadways in Marlton. The damage to both Kenilworth Road and Braddock’s Mill Road was high, Czerniecki said, and will cost about $295,000 to repair. FEMA has asked that Evesham Township reported the cost of the damage, Czerniecki said, which is a good sign that the township may receive some federal funding for the damage if the storm is declared an official disaster.
The work to repair the roads and two dams in the township — Tomlinson Mill and Union Lake — will soon be put out to bid, Brown said.
“This was declared a disaster for the entire state, so we do believe we will receive FEMA funding,” he said.
Work on the streets and the dams will begin before the funding is awarded.
In other township news:
Brown said that the work on Evesboro Downs has currently been completed and the athletic fields will go through two seedings, which will effectively close off the complex to sports until August 2012. The fields at the complex lacked a good drainage system and a solid topsoil foundation to support grass.
Evesham Township received a $250,000 grant from the Burlington County open space program for the project.
Evesboro-Downs holds several practice fields utilized by youth soccer and football. The 42-acre site runs next to Evesboro-Medford Road and typically hosts more than 300 youth sport participants a season.
Because of the tremendous amount of dust that is kicked up from the children playing on the fields, Czerniecki previously said in June that it’s become something of a health risk for both the athletes and the neighbors of the field.
Hopefully, Brown said, the field will develop a strong turf system and be ready for use by next August.
