Full Moon in Lower Merion is Wednesday November 19th, 2008
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Wednesday November 19th has several very important items shoved into an unrealistic one night stand of a meeting schedule. Items of crucial, township altering, pocketbook altering importance. Are you all in Lower Merion OK with this? Residents of Lower Merion, are you o.k. with these ridiculous meeting schedules? Are you? Are you among those who attended the Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 Board of Commissioners who expected things to run according to the published schedule? As in:
Cliff notes version: the schedule did NOT even come close. The meeting went until midnight or maybe later. I actually fell asleep watching it. And a lot of important stuff happened after all that. For example, did anyone hear about Rock Hill Road? That the developer was calling all the commissioners at home before the meeting? What's up with ex parte communication ? Is that normal? But then it came out last night that in addition to wanting whatever on Rock Hill Road (like fee waivers?), the developer is suing the township over siding or something? The case is real, maybe check case 2008-29829 at www.montcopa.org? Wow. So apparently, this 131-151 Rockhill Road thing with all 90 conditions or whatever they call those things, is being moved to ....YOU GOT IT....NOVEMBER 19th. And what else is November 19th? Why those neighborly developers known as Kimco Realty and their piggy plan to SUPERSIZE SUBURBAN SQUARE! Oh yes, and this is crucial. Why? Well don't you find it rather convenient that they would try to launch a live-over-the-mall-in-a communist-era-styled-stucco-block-building the exact same time that Ardmore redevelopment finally gets moving with a developer the quality of Dranoff? Now Kimco has been in the news a lot, most recently today with the announcement of management changes, and although their earnings were ok in the 3rd quarter, their stock has seen some activity on the news they cut their outlook. And while Kimco is being un-neighborly by wanting to re-zone and supersize, comes this news: and Retail Traffic: Shopping Center REITs Headed Down So maybe people might want to come out for the Suburban Square Re-Zoning Petition hearing? In addition to potentially wreaking havoc in Ardmore, is this a project that would see completion? Given the ecnomy, can we take that chance? Aren't there enough developments which have gotten approved and are going nowhere fast? If Kimco wasn't a friend to Harlem, will they be a friend to Ardmore? Are they even really interested in the community, or just their investment portfolio? And why do we need Anderson and Montgomery wrapped in more that two hundred condo apartments or even rental apartments when there are so many already planned as well as those already built which are NOT rented? How much of this dumb ass development do we need before we say enough? (Of course, this is EXACTLY why interested parties need to attend the Wynnewood Civic Association forum on Sunday, November 16, 2008 at 4:30 pm.) And if you think THAT was all on the agenda as of now for Wednesday November 19th, you are wrong. Think taxes....really think taxes...are you ok with tax increases? (Hint, it's o.k. to say "no I am NOT ok with more taxes, I want reduced spending") Yes indeedy, First Public Hearing Scheduled for November 19th on the budget is still slated for the same time the worlds collide on Rock Hill Road and Suburban Square. Now, question, is it true if there hadn't been a "friendly amendment" at November 12th's BOC in the midnight hour, we might all be talking about up to a 5% increase? (And if you have any questions, please contact LMCRB One question I have is are 7 jobs at the township really being eliminated as per the press release, or are they eliminating jobs that aren't currently filled? ) Are you all OK with MORE development, HIGHER taxes, AND WAIVING fees for select developers when you might be at home struggling to make ends meet? And are you o.k. with Lower Merion so stacking the meetings and not sticking to the publicized schedules? Are you ok feeling like as a citizen you aren't being heard or getting adequate representation because of the way these meetings happen and their length of time most of the time? For ANY of the above, you really need to come on down to Ardmore on Wednesday November 19th, 2008. Please if you have something to say, show up, turn out, be vocal. Government works for US, not the other way around, remember that. Bookmark/Search this post with: |
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So who is paying for the sewer on River Road? How much are residents being forced to pay? What developer is kicking in how much and why? What developer isn't kicking in as much and why and is that fair?
So yes, in addition to EVERYTHING else of MONUMENTAL improtance on the 11/19 agenda at the BOC, add THIS!
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permalinkThe property owners who will benefit from the public sewer will pay for the sewer installation. Each residence (or "Equivalent Dwelling Unit") will pay between $10,000 and $13,000 to connect to the public sewer.
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permalinkDo you know anyone down on River Road? Have you been there much? I have. It's not a question of IF the residents will benefit, but how MUCH they will have to pay. The majority of residents representing all age groups are on limited and fixed budgets. This part of 19035 is NOT 90210.
The developer said he could pay,and now he claims he can't - read between the lines and wonder if this just has to do with his profit margins?
This township can't keep playing Monty Hall with developers at the expense of residents.
Other municipalities with far lesser resources somehow manage to do sewers that are affordable to ALL income brackets. There is no reason Lower Merion can't do the same.
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permalinkA couple of points.
1. We all are required by law to provide for proper sanitary sewer discharge from our properties. Some of us are connected to public sewer and some are not. The connection to public sewer was factored into the cost of my house when I purchased it, so I've already paid for my connection. If someone hasn't paid for a connection, then unfortunately they may have to pay for one now. There are quite a few methods to finance these costs as this happens all the time and of course this will make their property more valuable if they choose to sell sometime.
2. The developers in this case aren't getting away from anything. They are being required to pay their fair share of the cost of the sewer installation. Now if they claimed they can't pay, then too bad, don't do your development.
3. The Township is also putting in money ($60,000) toward the cost of the sewer installation as they (we) have to pay for connecting the park rest facility.
The cost of the project is based on the extent and difficulty of the installation, so yes, costs can vary from one municipality to another and one project to another. It doesn't have anything to do with the property owners ability to pay and yes, that is unfortunate, but it is also just a simple fact of life.
And also understand that the cost of a new septic system would be far greater than $10 - 13,000. Many times more.
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