Disgusting! The sidewalk on the 100 block of Walnut Street is full of “land mines” on the north side.
JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY
At last night’s Columbia Borough Council Workshop, a resident complained about an ongoing dog poop problem on the 100 block of Walnut Street. A large dog has been defecating on several areas of the sidewalk for the last few weeks, leaving what the resident called “land mines.”
Dog owners in the borough are required to clean up after their dogs and must carry a plastic bag that’s required to be shown if police ask to see it. Violators can be fined.
According to borough ordinance:
“No person shall allow any animal owned by him under his control to defecate on any sidewalk, walkway, or the property of another without immediately cleaning it up.”
However:
“Any vision- or mobility-impaired person who relies upon a dog specifically trained for such purposes shall be exempt from compliance with this section.”
The PA Fish & Boat Commission said it is aware of the apparently abandoned boat at Columbia River Park. According to a representative during a phone call this morning, the commission is working with the owner to address the issue. The boat has been tied along shore for over two weeks and has a Maryland registration with 2023 tags.
After a several years of delays, Columbia Borough is finally taking measures to unload its former wastewater treatment plant.
At the February 24 Columbia Borough Council meeting, council unanimously approved an agreement of sale of the plant at 430 South Front Street with the Columbia Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) for $565,000. The plan is for the CEDC to market and sell the property so that a buyer can improve it and return it to the tax rolls.
Pennsylvania law allows boroughs to conduct such transactions with economic development corporations for selling specialized properties such as wastewater facilities.
The CEDC will earn a 1% commission on the purchase price for facilitating the sale and will be allowed to recover marketing and broker costs from the borough’s proceeds.
During the council meeting, members noted that Exhibit A and Exhibit B — containing the legal property description and the lease — were missing from their packets. Evan Gabel, borough solicitor, told council that the exhibits would be included in the final agreement before closing, scheduled on or before March 31. Council also noted that the agreement document incorrectly stated the borough’s address as 1200 Corporate Boulevard. Gabel said the address will be corrected to 308 Locust Street.
The backstory
Columbia Borough sold its wastewater conveyance system to the Lancaster Area Sewer Authority (LASA) in 2015 and shut down operation of its 1952-era treatment plant in order to avoid costly upgrades required by law. LASA now assumes sewage operations in the borough.
In November 2021, Columbia Borough entered into a lease-to-own agreement with JG Environmental, a waste services company. (Shamrock Environmental acquired the company in February 2024.) JG Environmental/Shamrock is currently subleasing at least part of the property to another entity.
Part of the delay in the sale of the plant was due to a holdup by Norfolk Southern in allowing changes to the railroad crossing near the site. Apparently, that issue has been resolved, but it’s still unclear whether JG Environmental will proceed with the purchase. (Some details mentioned during council’s discussion were sketchy, at best.)
As part the deal, the company had aimed to acquire an additional riverfront property where borough maintenance vehicles and other equipment are currently stored. The plan was for the borough to move those assets to a recently acquired property at 11th Street and Ridge Avenue to facilitate the sale. However, that plan has been delayed, because a building at the site needs extensive repairs — or a new one may need to be built — with either option potentially costing several million dollars.
This boat has been moored at Columbia River Park for at least the last two weeks. It has Maryland tags and appears to be abandoned.
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The predicted snowstorm never arrived, but we did get about two inches of snow.
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A dense fog came rolling in on Friday morning.
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The evening before, these clouds appeared.
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Railroad cars were being pulled by this contraption. (Last week, rail workers used a truck on the tracks to transport the cars).
Another vehicle on the end served as a caboose.
Pedestrians had to wait a few minutes to cross.
What’s left of a tree washed up on shore recently.
The Old Columbia Public Grounds Co. “River Park”
Ex-ambulance, still running
It hasn’t flatlined yet.
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The above two photos show the aftermath of a trash pickup. The area was clean, but after pickup, items were left on the curb and in the gutter, due to the hauler turning the receptacle upside down. Should the borough be concerned?
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Columbia Spy 