Developers (and other mischief-makers)

McMansions on the Decline?

politeia — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:56:16 +0000

But the plight of this White House also marks a major shift in the transformation of American neighborhoods – perhaps the end of the McMansion era. Indeed, it may allow thousands of communities from Pasadena to Pittsburgh to more accurately balance the living requirements of modern Americans with a widespread desire to maintain older neighborhoods.

sometimes, reality DOES bite....

carla — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:39:04 +0000

demolition day: december 26th 2008

carla — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:42:49 +0000

Photos of this demolition from start to finish can be found by clicking HERE for "Demolition Day". The last 3 minutes of life for 520 Old Lancaster Road can be found by clicking here. Bye-bye cool old house....you are but a memory now...

....And Visions of Bulldozers Danced in Their Heads

carla — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:57:55 +0000

(Many thanks to Cheryl Allison for her caring article at Christmas, and many thanks to our local papers for allowing this article to be cross posted.) Posted on Wed, Dec 24, 2008 Haverford neighbors fear a demolition for Christmas/Allaire developer Tom Hall declined comment on when Old Lancaster Road home will be leveled

Karma Meets Scrooge?

carla — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:26:30 +0000

The beleaguered residents of one small neighborhood in Haverford just received an update from Lower Merion Township regarding the Christmas gift of developer demolition previously discussed. It goes like this:

Haverford Neighbors, The Township Engineer attended a pre-construction meeting today. Request to proceed with demolition was denied because the site was not in compliance with the approved plan and/or the development conditions of approval....The three primary problems were site access from Buck Lane, tree protection, and erosion control fencing.

Ok, no, it doesn't necesarily mean that this neighborhood will get a holiday reprieve, but it does mean that they all have the comfort level of knowing Lower Merion is watching. Thank you Lower Merion! Sign me Virginia seeking Santa Claus....thanks Karma!

Developer Scrooge?

carla — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:18:20 +0000

In Haverford, where a small neighborhood has been held hostage by a very, shall we say controversial development plan, it will not be a very jolly holiday.

Ho Ho Ho From Your Friendly Neighborhood Developer?

carla — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:39:51 +0000

My e-mail in-box was a flurry of activity from people in Haverford. Queries as to whether or not that development "Allaire" was proceeding? Why big back hoes were arriving in the neighborhood the week BEFORE Christmas? This was the first e-mail:

A Video That Can't Be Ignored About Wayne, PA

carla — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:32:51 +0000

So, I found this you tube about flooding in Wayne near the Post Office. The video is this past October, and everyone should watch it. Radnor really has to take better care with keeping an eye on plans that mess with flood prone areas, right? (236 North Aberdeen comes to mind, of course) Now I know people in Wayne are terrified about that plan for South Wayne around the Post Office and Library. I saw the plans in full glory when I was over at the Radnor Historical Society Recently. These plans are TERRIBLE! The design makes one immediately think of simply an alien beamed down to squash a historic community.

LMPC Gives Bad Citizenship Award to Citizens Bank

carla — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:13:49 +0000

Bad Citizenship to Citizens Bank? They want to go into the old Dunkin Donuts site in Bryn Mawr at made up street Town Lane or whatever and Lancaster Ave:

Kimco Withdraws Re-zoning for Suburban Square; Commissioners Keep Talking

carla — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:49:24 +0000

Last night goes down in the books as "Tales of The Strange and Fantastic". Kimco withdrew their petition to re-zone the Ruby's Lot in Suburban Square. Yep, like magic they folded their tent. But what happened before and after is just as interesting. Once we got past the oddities of the Budget Hearing where I tuned out for a while because it seemed like pick on Commissioner Brown night which I found, as always, distasteful....it was full on Ardmore.

How Would You Like A Truck This Big in Your Neighborhood By Right?

carla — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:23:47 +0000

Septa and Amtrak Continue On Their Good Neighbor Track Along Main Line?

carla — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:35:32 +0000

They say a picture is worth a 1000 words, which is why I took a walk through North Wayne the other day to reaquaint myself with why the folks on Pennsylvania Ave and surrounding streets were so upset about the Wayne Train Station project, and therefore Septa and Amtrak. (Amtrak/Septa Stormwater Management "Solution" PA Ave North Wayne Pa Nov. 2008)

That Sewer Deal JUST Smells in Gladwyne

MainLineThoughts — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:44:46 +0000

It's not the question of a sewer going in, it is how much people on a fixed income should pay. Lower Merion Township is among the most wealthy and if the high rent district was going to have to pay one nickel more than it thought for something, well it just wouldn't happen. The developers should pay for this sewer. They are taking a lot more from this community then they will ever give willingly or with arm twisting. Maybe it's time for the constant screwing of the River Road community comes to an end?

Skulduggery and Suffering on Main Street/Main Line.

carla — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:57:14 +0000

It's almost Thanksgiving and all of you out there want to be with your families, but please, allow the indulgence of pointing things out for consideration: Everyone assumes that the Main Line is some magical Shangrila/Promised Land full of mansions, rolls royces, and Paris Hilton wannabes. Now of course, that is the spin that some would like perpetuated, but the reality is the economy is hurting this area...for the McMansion dwellers it might mean economizing on mani-pedis and botox for now, but for the real, working stiffs, well take a look at them.

What Does "No" Mean To This Property Owner and Citizen's Bank?

carla — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:34:11 +0000

Ok, so what is this? Flood the Lower Merion Township Planning Commission with multiple applications of virtually the same application until they say "uncle"? Serously? It's not like this is a new topic. It's a we have discussed this too much in this township topic. This Dunkin' Donuts site, abandoned by Dunkin' Donuts a year ago has been sitting like a big freakin' wart just off the center of Bryn Mawr for a year. The piggy developer and Citizens Bank wanted at first to add on to the existing building and add two drive thru lanes. Then they wanted to demolish and build new with two drive thru lanes...and then I remember an article written by I believe Cheryl Allison in Main Line Life and Main Line Times that it was denied, yet here we are, yet again? they are in front of the Planning Commission on December 1st with THREE applications of the the SAME bad idea?

Principles v. Process v. Plurality

carla — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:30:27 +0000

The three P's: principles,process, plurality. All were visible at the marathon meeting November 19th. My take home gift was waking up with a cold...Thanks Lower Merion for always keeping it real....

Is It TRUE What They Are Saying 'Bout Radnor Township?

MainLineThoughts — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:42:51 +0000

...No not that it is one of the best places to live. So can it be said that while purportedly, Radnor Township has among the most stringent of student housing ordinances enacted by a previous iteration of the Board of Commissioners, that Radnor has the most lame enforcement?

Is the Question Simply How Much Development is Enough?

carla — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:39:48 +0000

Government approving a problematic or even a bad plan over a principle that is not necessarily applicable is not good government is it?

Developing to say a community has completed recent development is not necessarily good government is it?
Approving development plans without clear community consensus as a result of an inclusive and open planning and visioning process is not good government, is it?
We should welcome developers who encorage and believe in a true public process, and discourage cookie cutter one-size-fit-all development, shouldn't we?
It's o.k. to say what you DON'T want in your community, but non-productive if you don't tell people what you do want in your community and WHY.

Full Moon in Lower Merion is Wednesday November 19th, 2008

carla — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:14:07 +0000

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:

Library Committee 11/12/2008 6:30 PM Economic Revitalization Committee - REVISED 11/12/2008 6:45 PM Finance Committee 11/12/2008 6:50 PM Building & Planning Committee 11/12/2008 7:00 Board of Commissioners Special Meeting 11/12/2008 8:00 PM

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.

"This is Only a Drill"

carla — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:46:15 +0000

[size=30]IT WAS ONLY A DRILL![/SIZE] So there I was coming back from a walk enjoying fall foliage and I noticed police vehicles streaming into North Buck Lane...so I went around for a peek. I swear my throat went dry - there was the SWAT bus and all sorts of police vehicles streaming onto the development that isn't called "Allaire". Apparently, the LMPD was doing training exercises like the firemen do when they burn down buildings. (Only did anyone get notice that lives here that this was going to happen? Maybe just the people across the street?)

Student Housing Discussed at Radnor BOC?

MainLineThoughts — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:20:21 +0000

Well tonight at the Radnor Board of Commissioners a corageous resident of Callanan Avenue in Rosemont (Garrett Hill, correct?) came forward to complain about 3 student residences on their street during public participation. Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which houses --- they are listed on Villanova University's magic list of Off Campus by Municipality/Township : http://www.villanova.edu/studentlife/assets/documents/dean/pdf/StudentApprovedHousing2007-08.pdf And one of the houses can be found on Cabrini's Off Campus Student Housing list: http://www.cabrini.edu/assets/cabrini/ResLife/Off-CampusHousing.pdf And that would be 241 Callanan Ave. ,245 Callanan Ave., and 249 Callanan Ave., right???

What, No Waldorf on Lancaster Ave at Schaeffele Plaza?

MainLineThoughts — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:00:38 +0000

Well, I love it when someone says "is that man ever going to build that phallic edifice in Ardmore?" because we all know what they are referring to: the building that MUST was really created for, right? So what about Schaeffele? Who knows. It is interesting though that the same team is reported today to be creating a Waldorf-Astoria for Philadelphia, isn't it? This is a high end Hilton, in truth, and also, there really only is one Waldorf-Astoria, the one in NYC, right? The one in the historic building? The rest are just corporate branding... So if Mariner is moving on to Philadelphia again,what does that mean for Ardmore? We all along the Main Line heard about this fabled Schaeffele Plaza project for years, yet where is it? And as for MUST, what good is it? Not very good in truth, but no one will believe it until a mistake structure is built and completed under it? Until people SEE how flawed the end product is, no one will revisit it, will they? Even if they should? Of course if places like Ardmore had a Master Plan, some of the other zoing and planning quirks might be worked out, but again, when will that happen? Look at the Comprehensive Plan that never happened...maybe for the 50th anniversary of the last Comprehensive Plan we will get a NEW Comprehensive Plan? But by then will Lower Merion Township still be a gem, or will it be a disaster? Thursday, October 30, 2008 - 9:46 AM EDT Mariner building Waldorf Astoria in Phila.Philadelphia Business Journal

AQUA Never Learns

carla — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:25:13 +0000

Even when they are doing a job - an infrastructure upgrade in the Haverford Township section of Bryn Mawr - Penn Street, Martin Ave,Railroad, etc. - they can't get it right. Even when the job site is literally around the corner from AQUA's corporate offices.

236 North Aberdeen - Check It Out and Save Lengel's House and a Neighborhood!

MainLineThoughts — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:22:01 +0000

[color=red]UPDATE[/color]- The agneda for Radnor's Board of Commissioners was finally posted late afternoon on Friday October 24th, 2008. 236 North Aberdeen is NOT on the agenda, so who knows what that means and if you do know, please post a response. However, it would not hurt if you are concerned about this application to take the time and go speak at public participation. Government doesn't read minds and if you want the 1st ward commish to pay closer attention to his ward, please respectfully go and remind him. (It is absolutely probelmatic that Radnor Township staff can't get these agendas posted in a more timely fashion) So, I hear through the grapevine that Radnor Board of Commissioners might hear that wannabe developing duo (who are in reality Prudential Residential Realtors who live at a fancy schmancy address in St. Davids)one last time on the issue of 236 North Aberdeen Ave in Little Chicago, a/k/a North Wayne? if it occurs, the last monthly RT BOC meeting will be on Monday October 27th, 2008 at 7:00 PM until end, but of course, Radnor Township Staff isn't rushing to post their agendas in a timely manner per usual, right?. All they have is this. A note. No agenda. But if yu live in Radnor, you are used to that, right? Descendents of Jonathan Lengel from waynepa.com So, will Hank Manhoney, Ward 1 Commissioner stick up for his constituents? Or will Hank play possum? You can ask him if you contact him at hgmahoney@dmvlawfirm.com or call 215-587-9400. (Ironically judging from the newspaper article that will be posted at the end of this, the VP of the Board was far more vocal in advocating for the small neighborhood, which is to be blunt, excellent on her part. So kudos to Ms. P for that. She did the right thing.)

Rock Hill Road Victim of Economic Landslide?

MainLineThoughts — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:45:06 +0000

ROHO, like MUST, was designed to favor developers, correct? ROHO was for O'Neill, correct? So is Rockhill Road a victim of the current economic landslide? Sure seems that way given this article to follow, doesn't it? So in the future who should special overlays and ordinances in zoning be in favor of? (Just askin') Posted on Tue, Oct 21, 2008 Rock Hill Road project in danger due to funding

Big Trouble In River City

carla — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 19:18:30 +0000

Well, last evening's Board of Commissioners in Lower Merion Township was a fragmented affair for me because I was switching between it, the Phillies (YAY! Go Phils!), and the debate (well, they really aren't debates any longer so how can they call scripted conversations debates?).

236 North Aberdeen Developers Take It On The Chin?

MainLineThoughts — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:51:30 +0000

(Or they would have had they bothered to show up at the Radnor Board of Commissioners Meeting when their plan was discussed last evening?) Spies from the west said last night was almost as fun as a Tredyffin Township Board of Supervisors meeting!

Development in Newtown Square

MainLineThoughts — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:27:12 +0000

This Ellis School/Ellis Preserve is a whopper of a mixed use project in Newtown Square. I thought it was all approved and moving forward, but then I came across this and found it interesting: Posted on Sat, Oct 11, 2008 Traffic and tax concerns aired in BPG plan By Adrienne Roos Jones, CORRESPONDENT

Will Someone Please Tell Ken Davis To Shut Up?

carla — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:53:14 +0000

Courtesy of http://writemarsh.blogspot.com/ [size=14]Why is Ken Davis So Mean?[/size] [size=16]Why Can't Ken Davis Shut Up? [/size] Why does Ken Davis hate most of Gladwyne, especially River Road? I have friends down on the river whom I think are pretty darn cool. Let's face it Mr. Davis, isn't it true you not only hate bloggers and those who "opine" (nice big lawyerly word you used), you hate anyone that simply doesn't agree with what you decree is to be, right? So that would still make me selfish for disagreeing with you on eminent domain, correct? So that would make me selfish for liking the idea of trails, but being genuinely worried about the safety aspect of running part of a trail between the Surekill and Norfolk Southern Lines among other saftey issues that no one, NO ONE seems to be talking about? What is it about aging political lions when they seem to resort to becoming ankle biters and embarrassing themselves? Well congrats former commissioner, now former Montco GOP head, you have formally crossed a line that is intolerable and unfair, as well as embarrassing yourself by sounding like a petty and peurile ousted dictator, didn't you?

Student Housing and 24 Rose Lane Rosemont, PA

carla — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 16:46:46 +0000

Apparently, the house at 24 Rose Lane in Rosemont, which used to belong to a delightful lady who also loved the color purple and beautiful flowers is now owned by a gentleman who has created an illegal student rental. But he did so without proper authority, so he is apparently NOW trying to make his rental forever student zoned. This is a little street of affordable housing that people have rented on for years if they did not own - it's also one of those streets where tenants stay. It's an affordable street in Lower Merion Township that has never to my knowledge had student rentals. If you have an opinion on student housing, and the process which seems in itself to abuse the process - (an appeal acts as a stay and a landlord who has created an illegal situation can continue to suck rent out of tenants and profit while this goes through the legal system.) - you might wish to attend not only the next Zoning Hearing Board where this situation is playing out in Haverford, but you might wish to address the Lower Merion Township Board of Commissioners on this topic as well as the local papers. Try tmurray@mainlinelife.com , sgreenspon@mainlinetimes.com This is not a comment on off campus student housing and students per se, but actually a comment on the abuse of process. (If colleges had enough housing students wouldn't have to resort to illegal student houses, right?) You can also write to the Zoning Officer of Lower Merion mwylie@lowermerion.org . Please note that several illegal student houses are in the process of a similar process: they know they can't just become a student or group rental, they do it, they get caught, they are told to stop, they appeal so they can make money even if they know in the end (and some do) that they will never be allowed to have a permanent rental of this time due to code restraints. Something needs to be done to level the playing field and tighten the code. This protects residents and students. I see a 24 Rose Lane listed up here as a new user, and wonder if he does indeed live in this house, was he told by his landlord that this was a legal off campus student residence? If so, I feel sorry for the students because they weren't told the truth.