The Upper Pottsgrove Township Administration Building remains closed due to ongoing mold and air quality concerns. These issues have persisted for several years, and despite multiple remediation attempts, the problems have not been fully resolved. Earlier this year, testing identified potentially toxic mold within the main meeting room, and asbestos was also discovered in that area.
The mold appears to be the result of water infiltration along the south wall of the building. As the Township sought estimates to repair the issue, a contractor identified significant cracking in the wall and potentially the foundation, prompting a recommendation for a structural engineering evaluation before any further work was performed. That inspection was completed in November and confirmed the building is structurally safe; however, additional repairs are required to prevent ongoing water intrusion.
The Township is now developing a comprehensive plan to address the structural deficiencies and conduct another full mold remediation. This will likely require the removal of drywall and damaged structural elements where mold is present, followed by extensive treatment to ensure the issue is contained. The intent is to extend the usable life of the building until a long-term solution can be implemented. The Police Department building also requires major repairs, but current efforts will necessarily be limited to temporary fixes.
Recently, a claim has circulated on social media suggesting that the mold issues have suddenly disappeared—or worse, were never valid concerns. When the individual responsible for this claim was asked directly via email about the purpose of spreading misinformation regarding a documented health issue, the only response received was a brief acknowledgement of receipt.
It remains unclear how minimizing or misrepresenting a well-documented public health concern benefits the Township or its employees. Unfortunately, the dissemination of false narratives has become increasingly common, and it does a disservice to our community and those working to resolve these challenges. It appears the mold deniers are more interested in getting attention and “clicks or likes” than resolving the issues before the Township.
Over the past four to five years, the Township has developed a comprehensive plan to address long-standing infrastructure challenges by consolidating the Police Department and Township Administration into a single, modern complex. This solution is designed to finally resolve issues that have affected our facilities for decades. Importantly, the plan was developed without raising taxes, without incurring new debt, and is projected to save taxpayers money over time through increased operational efficiency.
The Township has already invested several million dollars in the project, and bids were received significantly below earlier cost estimates. In other words, the project is ready to move forward.
However, it now appears that the incoming Board of Commissioners intends to cancel the project and restart the entire process. While a court order currently pauses construction, it is worth noting that the majority of the incoming board members were the ones who initiated the lawsuit that led to this judgment. They also possess the authority to lift that judgment and allow construction to begin immediately, should they choose to do so.
It is also important to note as well that the lawsuit above is on appeal. For the sake of the community and responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources, we can only hope the decisions going forward reflect the Township’s best interests rather than political motives.