By John Tredrea, Special Writer
LAMBERTVILLE — The city is moving ahead with an effort to do major drainage work on South Franklin Street.
A $795,000 bond ordinance that would provide $700,000 for the drainage work, plus $95,000 for work on Ely Park, was introduced by the Lambertville City Council on June 25.
The proposed ordinance is scheduled for a public hearing and adoption vote at the council’s July 16 meeting.
”We’ve already done drainage work on the lower part of South Franklin Street,” the Mayor David Del Vecchio said Friday. “The work we can do under the proposed bond would help not only South Franklin Street residents, but Main Street residents, with the problem of water coming down off a hill into their neighborhoods,” the mayor noted.
Officials say the drainage problem has been so severe at times that back yards have been “washed out” in that part of town.
As for when work might begin on the project, there’s “still a way to go,” the mayor said.
If the enabling ordinance is approved, as expected, next month, the city would have to put the project out to bid. Once a bid has been awarded, the work can be scheduled.
The sum of $248,365 for the drainage work will be paid by a grant from the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. This will cover the preliminary engineering work for the drainage project.
Passed by the City Council June 25 was a resolution authorizing the mayor and city Clerk Cynthia Ege to sign the grant agreement.
The state Department of Transportation (DOT) will cover another $170,000 of the drainage project, Ms. Ege said. That leaves the balance to be covered by the city at $281,635.
Of the $95,000 portion of the $795,000 proposed bond that would be spent on Ely Park upgrades, $50,000 would be for lighting and $45,000 for improvements to the parking lot, Ms. Ege said.

