Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Month – November 2009

Local Nonprofit Organization has Apartment For Rent in Historic Revolutionary General's House

November 21, 2009
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General DuPortail House

Do you know someone who would enjoy the unique experience of living in a Revolutionary War General’s headquarters? I serve on the Board of Directors for historic DuPortail House in Chesterbrook and the home’s 2-BR apartment is now available for rent. I’m sure that most people don’t realize that there is a rental apartment, located on the 2nd floor of the 270-yr. old stone farmhouse. The DuPortail House property also contains a rental cottage on the grounds (the cottage is currently leased). Up until a few weeks ago, the house apartment was rented by a lovely young professional but unfortunately Rachel’s company went through an acquistion, she lost her job and was forced in to moving to her parents home.

The DuPortail House board is now trying to find a new tenant; below is the Craigslist posting for this wonderful historic apartment. For information or to see the apartment, please contact me at pattye@greatvalleyhouse.com .

Apartment has two bedrooms, one bath, kitchen and living room on second floor of historic DuPortail House in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County. Includes a room A/C and washer and dryer in basement. Rent is $1100 per month, including untilities. Close to shopping and Route 202. Located in lovely park setting in Chesterbrook. Quiet small pet permitted with additional security deposit.

DuPortail House and the Federal Barn in Chesterbrook are both on the National Register of Historic Places. DuPortail House is available to rent for weddings, receptions, corporate meetings, etc. There are ongoing maintenance costs in the preservation of this historic landmark property and our nonprofit board struggles to meet these financial demands. The rental of the house, the cottage and the apartment are required just to meet the monthly costs of the house and grounds. We can not afford to have the apartment vacant – please, if you know someone who may be interested, I ask you to pass the information along. If you want details of renting the house for a meeting or special event, contact Event Cordinator Kate Frey, 610.644.4840 or visit the website.

Mt. Pleasant Update

November 20, 2009
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Some updates to report on Mt. Pleasant:

Recently, there was a meeting with some of the Mt. Pleasant residents, the township police and Supervisors Judy DiFilippo and John DiBuonaventuro to discuss concerns and ongoing issues in this neighborhood. A town hall type meeting is currently in the works which will include Mt. Pleasant residents and landlords, in addition to township representatives. Providing an open forum for the participants to air their differences will encourage a path for peaceful solutions. This is good news. I salute those involved in the process and look forward to hearing about the scheduled date for this town hall meeting.

At this time, Tredyffrin Township does not have a specific ordinance that address student housing in the township. I was told that the township is looking at neighboring municipalities ordinances for student rental properties with the intention of creating our own ordinance. With the township budget cuts, are we going to have money to pay for a new ordinance? I did some checking on my own — Radnor Township has specific ordinances and guidelines concerning student renters. In their ordinance, Radnor has established oversight and enforcement policy for landlords and students. It would be interesting to know if Radnor has seen a difference in policing requirements as a result of stricter penalities for landlord/student offenses. Following up and enforcing rental housing is challenging in Tredyffrin. Tredyffin’s Zoning Officer, Emmy Baldassarre (Tel: 610-408-3614) is doing a good job with follow-up when specific situations are brought to her attention. Understand that she can only do this job if she is provided with specific details of offenses. Emmy is very approachable and I would encourage the public to contact her with zoning questions.

I received an update from last night’s Planning Commission Meeting. An applicant for a property on Upper Gulph/Mt. Pleasant area presented a subdivision plan to convert a single family home in to a twin. The plan included an addition which would greatly expand the footprint of the properties. A number of Mt. Pleasant residents attended and after thorough discussion, the Planning Commissioners voted unanimously, 7-0 to not recommend the proposed subdivision plan to the Zoning Hearing Board. The plan now moves to the Zoning Hearing Board and we will wait to see what happens.

Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood. . . How Can We Help?

November 19, 2009
5 Comments

Mt. Pleasant community is located in the panhandle area of the township and borders on Upper Gulph Road. The historic Carr School (c.1833) is a local landmark that you pass on Upper Gulph. I became particularly aware of the Mt. Pleasant community when I co-chaired Tredyffrin 300 with Judy DiFilippo. For the celebration, we did a special 2007 calendar which featured special places and people from around the township. Included was a photo which featured a tea party in front of Mazie Hall’s house in Mt. Pleasant. Ms. Hall passed away in 2006, at the age of 103 – she never married and lived her entire life in the same Mt. Pleasant house. Read the Phila Inquirer’s Mazie B.Hall obituary for details of how Mazie made a difference!

During my election campaign, I spent a wonderful Sunday afternoon in Mt. Pleasant and spoke to a number of its residents. One young woman, Christine Johnson impressed me with her spirit and community activism on behalf of her neighbors. Mt. Pleasant is an interesting mix of young families, older people who have lived there for years and college students from Cabrini and Villanova who are renters during the school year. There was a real sense from Christine and her neighbors that the township was not helping them with their ongoing issues and they have become frustrated to the point of creating a Mt. Pleasant Community Action Group. The residents complained of loud parties, speeding cars, trash, etc. In addition, the neighbors do not think that the zoning has been followed in regards to single family homes housing multiple unrelated persons. Mt. Pleasant residents feel that their community is looking more and more like college dorm life. Apparently as recently as 6 years ago, there were no college rentals and that now 1 in 4 houses in Mt. Pleasant is rented to students. The residents have documented 17 homes are now college rentals. It appears that the ordinance and zoning in the Mt. Pleasant area allows for 3 unrelated persons living in a house but my guess is that there are often times more than 3, their names just don’t appear on the lease. Maybe 3 or less persons sign the lease but I’m guessing that these houses are home to many more during the school year. As I walked through the neighborhood, I saw several instances where multiple mailboxes existed on individual houses. One house had a commercial trash dumpster in the back of the house with a large commercial-like asphalt parking area. Would appear to me that it was designed for many more cars than would be needed for a single family dwelling.

Another complaint which community members echoed was in regards to police. The police are often called to Mt. Pleasant because of the loud parties, drinking, etc. but are giving the kids warnings in lieu of fines. I am all for the idea of warnings, but are the police keeping track of how many warnings some of these kids are getting? At some point a stricter approach may be in order. Don’t get me wrong – I spoke to some of the college students and they were respectful and actually one of the neighbors spoke highly of the students living next-door to her. I am sure that the majority of the students are ‘good kids’, I just think maybe some guidance could be useful. If the landlords are aware of their tenant issues in the neighborhood, why not supply a list of ‘dos & donts’ that might improve the community living situation.

The residents have taken their concerns to the Board of Supervisors a number of times, asking for help with the situation. One resident stated that when she complained about the noise to the police, she was told by the police to shut her windows and doors as a solution. Not acceptable. I would like to know the record of complaint calls to Mt. Pleasant and how follow-up to the neighborhood was handled.

Bottom line is the students may have a right to live in Mt. Pleasant (assuming no zoning ordiances are being broken) but the residents also have rights. We need to ensure that the quality of life of these residents is also protected. On behalf of the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood, I would ask for township support . . . supervisors, police, zoning officer, etc. Tonight’s Planning Commission agenda actually includes a subdivision request on a Mt. Pleasant-Upper Gulph property. Here’s hoping that the Planning Commissioner ask the intentions of this owner (investor?) — is this property going to be used as another college rental to add to the other 17 rentals?

St. Davids Golf Club Sidewalks . . . Is it to Nowhere?

November 17, 2009
6 Comments

It seems that the discussion of St. Davids Golf Club sidewalks has stirred some ‘old wounds’. Not understanding why the BAWG report contained an offer of $50,000 from St. Davids Golf Club re the installation of sidewalks, I did some background research. Based on meeting minutes from the Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission, I think I have been able to piece together a timeline for the St. Davids project. It is important to understand the history of the project to see where we are.

St. Davids Golf Club Timeline:

  • 11/04: St. Davids GC presents Planning Commission with sketch plan for their proposed new country club addition. Following the initial meeting, the Planning Commission discusses the the land development plan at many meetings and on-site visits.
  • 8/05: Sidewalks, Trails & Path Board (STAP) established by Board of Supervisors to review sideswalks, trails, etc.
  • 8/05: Planning Commission approves the final plan for St. Davids project with 8 conditions (including sidewalks). $25,000 was put in to escrow for the sidewalks. STAP would review the sidewalk requirement for the St. Davids project and offer their opinion on materials, size, etc, understanding that the Planning Commission had the final decision.
  • 7/06: STAP makes recommendation re sidewalks at St. Davids – 4-ft wide asphalt path. (As a concession to St. Davids GC, using asphalt would not require curbing and stormwater management. The cost of construction would be far less using asphalt.)
  • 7/06: Planning Commission accepts STAP’s recommendation and St. Davids GC is given 2-year construction timeline, which by my calculations expired in 7/08.
  • 10/08: St. Davids GC comes to Planning Commission and requests reconsideration of ordinance and plan requirements for the sidewalks previously approved in their 2004 application to rebuild the clubhouse. Request denied.

The October 16, 2008 meeting minutes of the Planning Commission are extremely useful to this discussion, here is the link. There was much discussion at this particular meeting from representatives of St. Daivds, Planning Commissioners, neighbors, etc. The final vote was 6-2 against St. Davids GC request.

Now 13-months goes by with no further discussion between St. Davids GC and the Planning Commission. Fastforward and we now have an offer (?) in the BAWG report of $50,000 from St. Davids Golf Club in lieu of building sidewalks? Am I missing something? First off, where did the $50,000 number come from? Was this offer made directly to the BAWG committee; was the offer in writing? I found no reference to this offer anywhere in the Planning Commission or Board of Supervisor meeting minutes.

Aside from not understanding why this sidewalk issue found its way in to the BAWG report, I am troubled by the precedent that can be set by this kind of situation. What does this say to the authority of the Planning Commission? What about future developers working in the township — everyone will want to work in Tredyffrin because each time a land development requirement comes up that they think is ‘too expensive’ and don’t want to do they can just offer the precedent set by St. Davids Golf Club (should the sidewalks decision somehow be changed).

Another question – it appears to me that St. Davids Golf Club has been in default since 7/08 to build the sidewalk. The Planning Commission approved the country club’s project with certain requirements, including the construction of sideswalks. Does St. Davids just get a ‘pass’ . . . and why is the country club not expected to be in compliance as any other developer or contractor? Why should the rules be different for the country club? Again, am I missing something?

I know that I stated that I didn’t want my blog to be political but rather community based, however I’m guessing that there is some behind the scene politics involved with St. Davids and the $50,000 showing up in the BAWG report. Wonder how the Planning Commissioners are feeling about this item in the report, particularly the 6 members who voted against St. David’s request over a year ago? I would hope that the Board of Supervisors supports the decision made by the Planning Commission.

Is this indeed going to be the ‘sidewalk to nowhere’ because St. Davids Golf Club doesn’t have to build it?

Why Did BAWG Report Exclude HARB & Library Boards

November 16, 2009
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At the end of the BAWG report, there is a yearly calendar which lists the various township boards, month by month. Now I didn’t go through each board on the township to see if it is listed but I know there are at least 2 boards that didn’t make the cut — Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) and the Library Board. For the BAWG volunteers that put the calendar together, I am sure that they would simply view it as an oversight. However, for the volunteers who serve on these boards they may feel slighted.

I understand that to some people preservation of our historic resources may not be as important as other township boards such as Zoning, Pension Trustees, Municipal Authority, etc. But for people like myself who serve on HARB and have done so for many years, it is just as important to the landscape of this community. I often joke that on any budget, whether it is federal, state or county budgets that historic preservation is the last item on the budget and is the first item off the budget. Guess in the case of the BAWG report, it never got in the report! Just for the record, the HARB board meets monthly, 3rd Wednesday of the month at the Township Building.

Then we have the Library Board and its absence on BAWG’s township calendar. Unlike HARB, the library does have much mention in the text of the report – with suggestions for reduction in book and equipment purchases, reduction in operating hours, staff reductions, etc. For many people, particularly seniors, living in our community the Tredyffrin Library and the Paoli Library are their life blood to the outside world. I continue to be concerned about the future of our libraries with the diminishing services. Please take the time to read the section of the BAWG report about the Paoli Library and its future. As a board member of Paoli Business & Professional Association (PBPA) I know how many people depend on this community library. Many of the people that use the Paoli Library are in a different income bracket than those that visit the Tredyffrin Library. The Paoli Library visitors may not have computers at home and depend on the library and the use of the computers. The Library Board is another township board whose volunteers work tirelessly trying to juggle the budget constraints with programming demands, operational challenges, etc. For the record, the Library Board meets monthly on the 4th Tuesday of the month, rotating between Tredyffrin and Paoli Library.

As I said, I didn’t check the BAWG monthly calendar for each of the township boards so there may be others that did not make it in to the report. But for HARB and Library Board members, thank you for your service and contribution to the community.

St. Davids Sidewalk Required or Not?

November 15, 2009
1 Comment

Whatever happened to the sidewalks that St. Davids Golf Club was required to install with their land development project? Tredyffrin’s Planning Commission told St. Davids that they must install the sidewalks as initially required with the land development plans. I believe that the Township is still holding escrow money not be released until the sidewalks are installed. Wonder how many years ago the St. Davids plan passed? Today I read in the BAWG report that instead of installing the sidewalks there is the suggestion that we accept $50,000 from St. Davids and waive the requirement. It is one thing to make suggestions about revenue sources and future budgets, but are we now allowing the BAWG to change past township decisions? Why the offer of $50,000 – is that St. Davids cost for the sidewalks? Does this decision not impact the Planning Commission’s ability to have their decisions upheld? If the Board of Supervisors agree to this BAWG suggestion, what does that say about future Planning Commission decisions?

BAWG Report Released

November 15, 2009
2 Comments

Here is a copy of the BAWG report for those unable to attend the Budget Workshop meeting yesterday. The report is now available on the township website. I just gave the report a quick review – some of the suggestions are to be expected. Cited are various ways to reduce expenses including centralizing purchasing, placing a ‘hold’ on capital projects, etc. I am alarmed that there continues to be a notion of reducing the staff. About a month ago, there was a township-wide reduction in staff so I can only hope that this report is not suggesting further reductions but rather that the recent reductions were the implementation indicated in this report. In my opinion, further reductions in staff will clearly result in further reductions of services. There is a delicate balance between reduction of services and creating a potential crisis and/or emergency situation within the township. Not intending to be an alarmist, I am concerned what continued reductions will do for the quality of life in this community.

I was part of a 5-member budget group of the Paoli Business & Professional Association (PBPA) that met with the BAWG members in July. Following our meeting, we provided the members of the BAWG committee and the Board of Supervisors with PBPA’s suggestions for possible expense reductions and revenue sources, from a small business standpoint. One of the suggestions of our PBPA group for the BAWG was a review of Earned Income Tax (EIT) as a possible source of township revenue. At the meeting with BAWG, Dave Brill, Tredyffrin’s Finance Director offered that the estimated revenue was $8M should an EIT be instituted. It would appear from the BAWG report, that our suggested review of EIT was dismissed by BAWG. My understanding from the BAWG report is the suggestion of a ‘flat business tax’ be imposed — meaning that major corporations (Vanguard, Unisys) would be taxed the same as the small businesses located in the township (i.e. the Great Valley House, my small bed & breakfast). Yet, BAWG concludes negatively on further exploration of EIT, based on 2007 T/E School Board findings. I believe that Tom Coleman led the budget review committee for the school board as he did as the chair of BAWG. On the topic of EIT, BAWG concludes that the implementation of EIT is a ‘short-sighted’ approach. I suggest that the opposite is true — it is ‘short-sighted’ not to review the pros and cons of EIT. The residents of Tredyffrin are owed an open and thorough review of ‘all’ revenue sources (including EIT). It should be an obligation for the Board of Supervisors to provide all information to the public, and not make decisions in a vacuum.

Keep Your Dreams Alive

November 14, 2009
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“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” -Gail Devers

Tredyffrin Township: Budget Workshop Meeting Tomorrow

November 13, 2009
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Saturday, November 14 at 8:30 AM there will be a Budget Workshop Meeting at the Tredyffrin Library. The public is invited to attend and I strongly suggest that you attend if possible. The meeting will be an opportunity for the public to be the first to hear the BAWG’s report. I am hopeful that there will be extra copies available. It is my understanding that the township will not have the budget available online until after the budget approval process is completed. I guess I understand their rationale but personally, I would like to at least see a glimpse. At this week’s Board of Supervisor Meeting, township manager Mimi Gleason gave an overview of the 2010 budget. The stated mission of the BAWG was to review all aspects of the township’s operation and to make budget recommendations; I am anxious to see their findings. I am concerned about the future quality of life of township residents should the staff reductions and service cuts continues.

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