We think the Delaware Riverkeeper, Maya van Rossum, is the absolute bomb. She rocks. She's real people. She's real interested in preserving her home township history, and if you have a problem or a question about creeks, rivers, streams, watersheds....she's your gal (Not that locally we don't have our own keeper of the environment and historic preservation...as in Mike Weilbacher at the Lower Merion Conservancy!). Anyway, got a question for the riverkeeper? E-mail her: - she also has a water pollution hotline 1-800-8DELAWARE

Well The Riverkeeper is worried about this project in Radnor and this is what she's saying and her group as well:

April 8, 2007

Radnor Township Board of Commissioners
301 Iven Avenue
Wayne, PA 19087

Re: Ithan-Radnorville Village Planning Process

Dear Commissioners,

The O’Neill Properties proposal for redevelopment of a property in the 600 block of Conestoga Road has caused concern among residents of Radnor Township including many that are among the nearly 300 Delaware Riverkeeper Network members living in Radnor Township. On behalf of our organization and concerned members we wish to raise several issues that relate to the current proposal(s) being discussed for the Ithan-Radnorville community.

Our immediate concern is that the initial redevelopment proposal by O’Neill sought to bypass current ordinances related to flood plain development, stormwater management, buffer protections and impervious surface limitations by requesting variances before the zoning hearing board. Recent flooding events both locally and throughout the region, as well as obvious and extensive erosion should be ample argument for more careful consideration of proposals to encroach upon floodplains, relax stormwater management controls, ignore riparian buffer requirements and increase impervious surfaces. At and downstream of this property there already exists tremendous damage from increasing stormwater runoff – including habitat loss, erosion, increased flow volumes.

We believe that any activity to promote redevelopment in this area must not sacrifice needed protections for Ithan Creek and the downstream residents that would be impacted by inappropriate development activities. Restoration of degraded riparian areas should also be a requirement for any redevelopment activity. The current township ordinance requires a 35’ stream buffer and such a buffer should be maintained as a bare minimum requirement. The municipality must take seriously limitations on development in floodway and floodplain areas – these areas are critical holding areas for rising floodwaters, helping to reduce the velocity and volume of waters that are otherwise forced on downstream communities during a flood event; they provide important habitats for the stream; they are critical for filtering out pollution that is washed from the land as well as that already in the stream as the result of upstream insults; they provide needed shading for protecting instream habitats and temperatures; as well as providing a healthy stream ecosystem that is of benefit to the surrounding community ecologically, economically and in terms of quality of life.

The current planning process recently initiated by Mr. Murphy, chair of the Planning Commission, has short comings that need to be addressed so that the community feels a part of the planning process. While he has properly attempted to include the immediate economic stakeholders in the discussion, concerned residents were not included in initial discussions. We believe that it is critical that all concerned parties be brought to the discussion and planning table together, at the same time, and in the same way to ensure that all parties have an equal voice in the discussions and the conversations. It is important that interested parties and Township officials be able to communicate directly, without filtering, and all on equal footing. It is important that developers not be given, either in reality or in perception, a greater voice and place at the planning and decisionmaking table.

The early discussions regarding the future of the Village of Ithan have been focused on the creation of an overlay district to encourage redevelopment efforts along Conestoga Road in the Village. Is this the outcome the Commissioners would like to see? Are there other approaches that should be considered or is this the best approach? What level of thinking as gone into the options?

We would like the Commissioners to take the leadership role in initiating and leading discussions regarding development in Ithan and any planning initiatives that take place. If an overlay district is the best approach for moving forward we would like to see the Township Commissioners establish a framework for the development of an overlay district for Ithan-Radnorville village that includes all interested citizens in addition to the economic stakeholders. Any final product from this process must not simply work to provide for redevelopment that is financially viable for the developers but it must also give priority to the protection of the environmental, cultural and historic concerns of the community. All of these concerns can only be fully discussed and properly addressed if the community is included from the very beginning in the process. We urge you to propose a process that includes all stakeholders so that the end product is supported by the entire Radnor Township community. We urge the Commissioners to assume the leadership of this very important endeavour.

Sincerely,

Maya K. van Rossum
the Delaware Riverkeeper