Rosedon is back for a 2nd try at attempting to make North Wayne look as unattractive as parts of Ardmore - they are back with their public storage, which last time was discovered was to really be a place for rich folk to store their play cars. Heaven forbid they store their cars where they live....just as is the case with proposed development at 236 N. Aberdeen, residents in North Wayne should be concerned:

RADNOR TOWNSHIP ZONING HEARING BOARD ON THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2008,

LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 280-143 OF THE CODE OF THE
TOWNSHIP OF RADNOR, THAT A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD BY THE
RADNOR TOWNSHIP ZONING HEARING BOARD ON THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2008, AT
7:30 P.M. IN THE RADNOR TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL BUILDING, 301 IVEN AVENUE,
WAYNE, PA, AT WHICH TIME THE FOLLOWING MATTERS WILL BE CONSIDERED:

APPEAL # 2782 The Rosedon Holding Company Limited Partnership, owners of
WARD 1 property located at 147 Pennsylvania Avenue, Wayne, PA, zoned C-3
Service Commercial District and in Ward 1.

VARIANCES are requested for the following:
Section 280-103 Off Street Parking – 53 required, 6 provided, (47
requested).
Section 280-56(C) Front Yard – Variance requested from Cowans
Alley 65’ front yard setback to provide a 20’side yard.
Section 280-56.E – Rear Yard – Eliminate rear yard and provide
one(1) side yard of 20’.
SPECIAL EXCEPTION is requested for Section 280-105(F) –
Parking within the two (2) front yard setbacks.

Now don't you think if someone can build a McMansion with multiple garages, they should park all of their cars on their own properties? Why should they park them in little middle class neighborhoods? Just because Rosedon WANTS to do this, should they get their requested variances? How does "NO" grab everyone? Well in order for it to be NO, y'all got get out and make some noise at this meeting. If these folks are asking for variances, it's not all "by right". If a business like this is allowed to be built, it will forever alter the character of a neighborhood. There are no guarantees that this will be a particularly quiet or even passive usage, and given what they proposed last time as to what would be "stored", wouldn't anything involving this mean lights, traffic, etc? Car carriers? Mechanics? Repair? And hours of operation? Too many questions, and this property owner/developer could do so many other things with this parcel of land that would not have quite the potential for negative impact.

Of course, usages of land like this is why townships need to stay on top of zoning, master planning, and preservation. It's pretty darn obvious that developers are now targeting these more humble Wayne and North Wayne neighborhoods, so it doesn't take a master planner-rocket scientist to figure out the "Duh" momemt...as in "duh, maybe local government should give a rat's fanny?" As in "Duh, maybe local government might want to include this neighborhood in a historic district"? As in "Duh, maybe local government might wish to have an actual idea of what they want here"?

Well, residents of North Wayne, shake a leg. And remember: how the buildings look is the least of the problems with this application. It doesn't matter if North Wayne Protective approves a design if the use will kill the neighborhood. North Wayne Protective and the Radnor Community Preservation Coalition need to get busy about this too. They should urge a "NO" on this application and lobby for a usage that is win-win for all, not just the developer, right?

As an aside, has anyone else noticed how Rosedon seems to buy up these former industrial rleated usage lots? They also own a big old ugly lot on the corner of 252 and West Chester Pike in Newtown Square among other places, right? What kind of projects do they match with their land parcels? Has anyone ever seen what else they have done, maybe in a completion stage?

This is the 1st ward, which means you can contact the commissioner here:
Harry G. Mahoney, Esq.
215-587-9400
President, Ward 1