People may or may not understand where I am going with my editorial in Main Line Life, but honestly I just have concerns with how much of a new good thing do we need? Is it so wrong to say that in uncertain economic climates, maybe less may be more and moderation is the key to happiness? That is NOT to say, wait, stop, do nothing, it is simply: think before you jump and is that so bad? And why pray tell is it so bad to inquire about REAL affordable and moderate housing? Why doesn't historic preservation mean as much as it should? Why is the new buzz word in politics "change", yet no one can seem to say what those changes are, only what the word means and isn't THAT frustrating?
The Main Line has a rich and storied history, but is it remaining true to all of its roots? After all, the Main Line is not merely the tale of "The Philadelphia Story," it is also "Chasing the 400," equal parts "The Philadelphian" combined with "Travels in Philadelphia," and has also smacked from time to time of "Kitty Foyle."
So where am I going with this? Simple: what will the Main Line of tomorrow end up looking like and how will we all feel then?
Historically, the Main Line is and always has been a "transit oriented development," so why all the emphasis on reinventing the wheel?
All of our Main Line towns and communities are interconnected by transit lines and Lancaster Avenue. So when it comes to development, is each town and community an island, or merely a piece of a larger puzzle?
In Ardmore, a developer has been chosen who will now take his cues from local government as the redevelopment plan evolves. One of the hot topics? How many total living units and retail will be added and how much do we really need?
That, of course poses an interesting question. Look over the R5 tracks towards Suburban Square. What growth does Suburban Square have on their mind that might contain living units and additional retail?
Just off Lancaster Avenue, take a tour down Cricket Avenue in Ardmore: if the two projects in mind from a developer not part of the RFP (request for proposals) process come to fruition, how many living units will that add?
What about Schauffele Plaza, which also must be considered? How many "luxury" units does the project already proposed there bring Ardmore's total number of proposed new living units to?
Venturing slightly east to Wynnewood, check out the fabled Merriam Estate. A couple hundred living units are still proposed for that location, correct?
What if you head west? Beginning in Haverford, two projects are already approved: one on Dreycott Lane and one on North Buck Lane. Neither has broken ground yet, but still you have to count the "high end" or "luxury" living units.
Next there is Bryn Mawr. What will the final vision of the new, improved Bryn Mawr be? How much new retail and how many living units will be added in the end? Will Bryn Mawr retain its "Main Street" charm? Or will Bryn Mawr fall victim to Suburban-Urban?
Heading west we find more development on the boards, some already being built. Of late, we have heard something about a redevelopment plan for Garrett Hill. Will that plan include "high end" or "luxury" living units as well, and if so, how many units? What of the other development projects in Wayne nearing completion, all of which seemingly are "high end" and "luxury?" How many units are there in total?
Further west still finds us looking at places like Berwyn, Paoli, and Malvern. What will the future bode for them? How many additional new living units in all of those communities?
So what happens when you add up all of this proposed development from one end of the Main Line to the other? What is the Main Line of tomorrow going to look like and how many living units are we adding to our communities? Who is going to live in all of these proposed units? Why is so much of all of this total proposed development "high end" or "luxury?"
Yes, "high end" and "luxury" is delightful ... if you can afford it. But the Main Line is not all comprised of millionaires, so I have to ask, what of the rest of the population? Are we seeing the "Hamptonization" of the Main Line? And if we are seeing this "Hamptonization," where is everyone supposed to go who can't afford "high end" or "luxury" living? Am I ignoring some glaringly obvious subliminal message?
And while everyone is contemplating that, let us also consider why it is that experts who come in from outside our communities always seem to know better than we with regard to how we should live? On one hand, to be fair, maybe it can be said that because they don't live in our communities they can be more objective. On the other hand, can it be considered they are here to justify the development that some in government thinks all of our communities need? Of course, that in itself leads to another series of questions about government.
Who does government represent? Who should government represent? When government asks for community participation, is it because they really want community input, or are they just going through the motions to appease certain factions? Don't the citizens who live in these communities of ours know best what our communities need? Does government really take to heart what we say, or does government's own politicking get in the way in the end?
It's not a matter of being anti-progress, it¹s merely a case of trying to understand the big picture; the overall rationale. I just wonder, in the end, who will have been right and who will have been wrong and how will I feel then?
Carla J. Zambelli writes an occasional column for Main Line Life.
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