Township has no role in complaint

DINGMAN — Sunrise Lakes residents are going to have to find solutions to their road problems elsewhere. Dingman Supervisors Chair Tom Mincer, on Tuesday told Virginia Kennedy that there was nothing the township could do to help them. Kennedy, representing the Concerned Citizens of Sunrise Lakes, was seeking help in changing the design of the new entrance that the community’s owner-managers had constructed at the entrance to Sunrise Lakes. In order to get a Dingman Township “conditional approval” for sub-dividing a new area in Sunrise Lakes owners, Robert and Bill Ramagosa needed a PennDOT Highway Access permit. They had to redesign the entrances, which were never permitted in past, to gain state approval. Some residents say the new design now is a safety problem. Mincer answered almost every one of Kennedy’s questions in the same words, “PennDOT determines the design of the entranceway because it leads on to state Route 739, which is a state road and not a township road. We can’t tell PennDOT what to do. They are a governmental agency over which we have no control.” Kennedy fired questions at Mincer for 30 minutes regarding the group’s contention that the new entrance was not only unsafe but clearly a danger to cars, fire trucks, ambulances, and school buses. “The school buses had to change their route to be able to get in to the community to pick up and drop off school age children,” Kennedy said. Kennedy claimed that PennDOT engineer, Joe Pelosi, “told us to go to the township for help in this situation. Now you tell us there is nothing you can do.” A frustrated Mincer suggested state Senator Lisa Baker and others to get some help with the problem. “We have helped you a zillion times and now it seems you are upset with us and that upsets me.” After Kennedy and her group left, Fire Chief Bill Mikulak gave his report on fire company activity, telling Mincer, “I could have said something about this whole situation but I kept my mouth shut.” Mincer replied, “I’m glad you did and there are several reasons for that.” Mincer did not elaborate on his reasons. After the meeting Mikulak told the Courier, “The concrete divider is so low that it presents no problem for any of our equipment. The entrance isn’t any less wide than it was before. They just need something to complain about.”