The reason the crumbling railroad wall along the 700 block of South Centre Street in Pottsville remains unrepaired is because the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority hasn't done an engineering study which it committed to in 2010, Wayne A. Michel, president of Reading and Northern Railroad Co., said Monday.
"The railroad work was not to commence until after the engineer inspection and recommendation. To date, despite numerous written requests from the railroad for that professional engineer inspection report, there has been no inspection," Michel said.
But city officials, including City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar and Code Enforcement Officer Donald J. Chescavage, said Monday the study will still be done.
"We agreed an engineer would be there to make sure the sewer line was properly installed, Thomas J. "Tim" Pellish, city solicitor, said Monday.
On June 18, 2009, the 30-foot section of stone wall collapsed. The wall borders an inactive railroad line used for storage.
In a July 15, 2010, letter to the railroad, Pellish spoke on behalf of the city and the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority.
"The GPASA has agreed to have a professional engineer inspect the open area and recommend appropriate repairs that may be necessary to prevent a recurrence of this problem," Pellish said in the 2010 letter, which Michel had on file.
"Throughout this process the railroad has agreed to abide by solicitor Pellish's recommended course of action," Michel said.
Talks between the city and sewer authority officials and the railroad have taken place since that letter was sent, Pellish said.
"The city agreed it would have the cap removed," Chescavage said.
"By 'cap,' he means the sidewalk," Palamar said.
"Yes. By doing that, we'd expose the area, then the sewer authority would have an engineer look at the area to see if there was an issue," Chescavage said.
"And the engineer would look into that open area and see if there were any additional repairs that had to be done to the sewer line that was underneath there," Pellish said.
"They were only going to look at the sewer line to see if that was properly installed," Chescavage said.
The sewer authority may not have to hire an outside firm for that job since Timothy R. Yingling, the sewer authority's executive director, is an engineer, Chescavage said.
This study would be done just prior to the railroad starting work to repair the wall, Chescavage said.
So far, the railroad has not given the city a timetable for repairs, Chescavage said.
"The railroad would have to coordinate it with the city. There would have to be some communication there," he added.
Yingling did not return calls or an email for comment Monday.
"I do think they've looked into this. I know Tim has been in contact with them," attorney Edward M. Brennan, Pottsville, solicitor for the sewer authority, said Monday.
Brennan said he would look into the matter and said he was unable to comment further on Monday.
In late March, Pellish said the city was planning to turn to the state Public Utility Commission in an effort to nudge the railroad to do the repairs.
