What happens when a development plan doesn't happen? Your neighborhood might begin to rot or show blight. Such is the case, in my opinion, with the development that has not happened to date in Haverford. The development that made me join a civic association so they didn't just rubber stamp something else no one wanted.

I am, yes, talking about Allaire. Yes, this developer has a vision. Only I think the vision, which in my mind's eye were little teeny flying dollar signs with little white angel's wings, never quite materialized.

This project was approved in 2006, and at the time, Cheryl Allison wrote in part in her October 19, 206 article for Main Line Life:

...In a lengthy Building and Planning Committee discussion Oct. 11, commissioners voted 6-2, with one abstention, to approve developer Tom Hall's preliminary plan for the 20-unit building on North Buck Lane. The three-story luxury condominium will replace three existing homes on about 1.3 acres.

Although neighbors, who object to the scale, uncharacteristic architecture, and traffic and parking impacts to their older neighborhood, were planning to make a final plea this week, the full board was expected to formalize the decision Wednesday night.

Commissioners adopted all of the conditions proposed by an equally reluctant township planning commission earlier this month, with one change: post-development traffic studies will be required at additional intersections with Lancaster Avenue.

Although the board asked township solicitor Gilbert High about options to deny the application, the answer was already clear: Hall's plan meets all zoning requirements. If it was denied without a legitimate reason, a court would deem it approved. And the court, High said, "will not impose conditions."

Still, "Of right doesn't make it right. I think it's wrong," said Commissioner Lewis Gould.

Yep, Lew Gould got it just right: By Right CAN be By Wrong.

And now here it is September, 2008 and has this project begun? Nope. It is in fact, for sale. Yes for sale. This developer put a neighborhood through hell, and now his money seems a little tight:

Friday, August 8, 2008 | Modified: Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Suburban condo boom takes slower road

Developers who had high hopes of meeting strong demand for new condominiums along the Main Line a year ago have had to lower their expectations or are waiting out the current housing downturn.

At the beginning of 2007, at least eight condo projects were in various stages along the Main Line. Some developments have managed to come out of the ground and sell, others have been built and are struggling for buyers while yet others have remained on the drawing boards.

One of those yet-to-be-built projects, called Allaire, is on the market with permits and all if another developer wants to scoop it up for the right price.

So, what rights do neighbors have when a plan they didn't want in the first place goes south? In truth, not many. This plan for Haverford stays on the books for five years. So for five years, this neighborhood can continue to show signs of blight and deterioration due to 3 houses just sitting there empty and abandoned, OR this neighborhood has the additional worry of the homes being demolished and the entire neighborhood being opened up to the noise and ugliness of Lancaster Avenue in Haverford, OR has to worry that some chump is going to come along and want to build this plan no one wanted except this developer in the first place. And with that comes the worry the plan won't be completed, or if it made it to completion doesn't sell.

What would residents love to see happen to this site? They would like to see the unified land parcel broken back up into 3 lots, see the houses fixed up enough to list for sale, and to see the houses sold at reasonable prices to families.

Will that happen? Doubtful. Can this situation repeat itself elsewhere? You betcha'.

It was for that reason that I went to the Commissioners' Building and Planning Meeting Last Wednesday. I went for 11 and 15 East Athens Avenue in Ardmore, a plan I am adding to the Cricket Avenue “Pile”. The plan got tabled, which is good, because it could have been vetted and approved the same night - a process I find stupid and purposefully tilted against the citizenry, I might add.

I feel that there is a sentiment of disgust growing within this township. Along with a growing sense of alarm that everything is growing more out of control by the project.

This proposed project is yet another one that no one needs, another project for Ardmore on/near Cricket Avenue, which is already dealing with 106 Cricket, 130 Cricket, and it's part of the Ardmore Redevelopment Plan.

Why? Because this township has an ordinance called MUST. And Katie Bar The Door, we're all gonna build something under MUST even if it kills all the people who actually live near one of these projects! And we all know that the true architects of MUST can't admit the truth: that this ordinance/overlay seems to be a problematic batch of contradictions destined for failure.

There is not enough space for this plan on Athens. There once again, won't be enough parking. It's faux affordable housing. We don't need this plan. And oh, the "community outreach" was grossly insufficient as well from what I am told by civic association folks in Ardmore. Is it the worst plan I have seen? No, but add it to all of the others planned in very close proximity to one and other and I find it to be simply awful. Why? Well how much development is too much development? What of saturation points? Oh, and the simple obvious fact that none of these plans complement any of the other plans - they seem designed to compete with each other and that is about it.

What Lower Merion Township needs are more things that protect neighborhoods and business districts...it's called comprehensive and master planning and zoning. Ardmore in particular has a need for a Master Plan. We have MUST which is an overlay, the redevelopment plan for a specific area of Ardmore, and a hodge podge of other plans that don't complement anything except probably the developer's wallet. Wow, this sure makes sense, huh?

So if local governments like Lower Merion keep approving plan after plan after plan without benefit of comprehensive or master planning, mark my words, the Allaire situation will become devastatingly repetitive. Can Ardmore, for example, afford that?

Why do private property rights seem so selective? Why do developers and institutions seem to have preferential property rights? Why do folks that live in small neighborhoods have to fight for equal rights? And why is it have of Bryn Mawr seems as if it were bulldozed merely so Bryn Mawr Hospital could build a parking garage and surface parking lots?

I politely tell you all that government owes the citizens of Lower Merion Township better. From ROHO to MUST to Suburban Square to the Merriam Estate, they owe us better. We need to protect our neighborhoods more comprehensively, not allow those who govern to merely make polite murmurs of apology while developer after developer carves up pieces of neighborhoods without benefit of comprehensive planning.

Do you think the fire in Conshohocken this summer could only happen there?

Local governments (NOT just Lower Merion) need to fix the problems that exist, including another by product of a careening real estate market: an abundance of student and group houses, including in places that never had them before. The economy makes slum lords of many, and before we develop shiny new buildings, perhaps we might need to tend to a few that have been around a while?

We need do need serious action in Lower Merion, action to preserve communities not carve them up beyond recognition.

And it's not just Lower Merion that needs to see this action. Radnor Township could use some too.

In Radnor, there are a bunch of plans brewing as well, or half built, or built and not sold as well. One of the most disgusting and greedy plans is whatever is still brewing at 236 N. Aberdeen Ave. in North Wayne.

236 N. Aberdeen makes me wonder how Realtors make it as far as some do in their careers. This house at 236 N. Aberdeen is a historic house not in a historic district. It's land that is a steep slope that runs to the Gulph Creek, and fiddling with flood plain lines will drastically affect the low side of the creek, or Willow Avenue.

Ironically, those who would develop this land have issues with flood plain lines somewhere else - somewhere where they are on the receiving end of water. But there, there they fight for remediation and fair play, don't they? Just not here, because it might affect their bottom line, right? And oh, there is no hardship that needs this plan desperately to take place is there? Do you believe these developers want to live in this neighborhood? This plan? It's not necessary, it's not affordable housing, the plans as described won't even complement the surrounding neighborhood, and it will take parking away as well on a street that is almost all ON street parking ONLY. And this plan represents serious flaws in Radnor's planning M.O. , doesn't it? Doesn't this plan make you think they need more planning too?

Well here's the bottom line on this: North Wayne doesn't need this plan any more than North Wayne needs public storage for rich men's cars on Plant and Pennsylvania Avenues at the old Burket site - the "Rosedon Plan", right? But will North Wayne get a fair shake? Will their commissioner over there in Radnor step up to the plate? I don't know, but will tell you this much: if I lived in North Wayne and these plans were imminent, I sure would be writing my commissioners and cc'ing my local newspapers. I would also be attending every public meeting possible where I could get up and exercise public privilege.

Because that folks, is how you get things done. Whether you live in Lower Merion, Radnor, Tredyffrin, or Haverford Townships if you don't go to meetings, the kind that end up on our public access channels, those who govern get lazy. They don't think they have to work as hard for you if you aren't there to remind them why they are supposed to be there once in a while.

I hear a lot of chatter out there about what people think is wrong in our Main Line communities, but you have to take that chatter to the public meetings and take a stand for what you believe in.

And that folks, is pretty much the bottom line, unfortunately. You have to take the time or make the time to be involved. It's not so hard, and it can make such a difference.

So please, if you have a perspective, get out there. If a local elected or appointed official gives you a hard time, ignore it and remember to vote them out of office next time they run for ANYTHING. You have rights, and government is there to represent US, not tell us all of the time that they know best.

It's your right to have a say in where you live. But again, you have to have a say. So make the time to be heard. Your way of life and where you live could be depending upon it.

As a final note, it was the tearing down of older homes which was the impetus for my self publishing this little book which is still available through blurb:

these old houses By carla joy zambelli Book Preview

I also hope a lot of you take the time to attend the event on Thursday September 18th called Ardmore Then and Now. You'll be glad you did....