(steep slopes in flood plain conservation district?)
We have asked this tiresome to government question before: Who does government work for? (And the First Amendment allows these questions and thoughts, correct?)
(Do they need more density here?)

Bet you thought we were talking about Lower Merion, huh? Ummm, well, we are adding another township to these ongong searches for the defintion of the meaning of life as we all know it. Unfortunately for Radnor Township, when it comes to the case of 236 N. Aberdeen Ave. in North Wayne, we have to ask again who government works for and which best interests they are protecting, right? Maybe we will also ask again whose private property rights are valued more? We're not trying to be rude, and Lower Merion will probably just say we're spreading the love. (And Lower Merion will not object to the exercise of First Amendment Rights, right? Can we say the same about other municipalities?) And this upcoming issue in front of Radnor's Planning Commission Monday May 5th, makes us wish we could export some of our commissioners and planning commission members, as well as some from Tredyffrin (where they aren't afraid to say no all the time to bad plans) to help these poor people in North Wayne.
(Can this street handle more density and less parking?)
We're afraid that Radnor Township's engineer doesn't get it, and are our concerns unfounded? Will the Radnor Township engineer put the burden of proof on the people of Radnor Township and these residents to prove this plan for 236 North Aberdeen is a bad plan, or will he do the right thing? Will he realize and acknowledge that things are more than a little hinky on these plans, and that perhaps developing duo needs to NOT use new math and fuzzy logic when it comes to studies involving impervious surface coverage and flood plains and whatchamacallits - 100 year storms, right? We keep hearing this new term: hydrological profile analysis....We also keep hearing that perhaps under Radnor's own codes or whatever that the township and township engineer in the case of disagreements over boundaries of the flood plain conservation district, that Radnor is supposed to defer to it's own code? Under Radnor's code is it supposed to be that zoning takes precedence? So if the actual impervious surface coverage is closely measured, will the wannabe developers' current figures stand up? Or will this wannabe developer team of Sherrie and David whojamabobby have to go for a zoning variance?

On the web in PA's "e-library", check out these two documents:

http://www.elibrary.state.pa.us/dldoc.asp?fn=4204563264mzo0055.pdf

and

http://www.elibrary.state.pa.us/dldoc.asp?fn=4204563264mzo0010.pdf

Why? Cause when you download and open these suckers, they appear to be Radnor's own codes when it comes to all this fun. Isn't that helpful? We suggest everyone read it. Because if you read it, if Radnor staff in the case of this application sides with the developer and passes the buck, will it make everyone wonder who these codes are here for?
(Check out these sweet homes on N. Aberdeen Ave. Can you smell the history? Or just smell a bad future with unecessary development?)
Is it also possible to contemplate what is really by right needs to be more closely examined? In Radnor's own rules and regs shouldn't flood plain conservation district stuff trump everything else? Is this or is this NOT a flood plain conservation district? Is it also NOT very true that the people on the low side of the creek (Willow Avenue) will be adversely and directly affected by this project?

Hmmmm...isn't this the same street and same neighborhood that once upon a time in history was the Wayne Natatorium" :

Wayne's long-ago pool made historic splash
Preserving the memory of a wonder of its day.
By Jeff Price
Inquirer Staff Writer

Over the years, memories of the famous, but short-lived, Wayne Natatorium of the late 1800s have been stoked by nostalgic newspaper articles.

The largest pool in the United States! Maybe in the world!

Yet Wayne has little to show for those remembrances. And few people outside the historic preservation business know that although the pool - which was just north of the Main Line tracks near the heart of town - is long gone, concrete evidence of its existence survives: a residence at 228 Willow Ave. that was once its clubhouse.

Now there is a move afoot to let everyone in on the secret of what once was one of Wayne's biggest attractions, a 500-foot-long, 100-foot-wide inground outdoor pool that hosted swimming championships and drew athletes from as far away as California.

Earlier this month, Beverlee Barnes, chairwoman of the Radnor Township Historical and Architectural Review Board, was out walking along Willow Avenue, which in 1895 was likely the pool's spectator viewing platform.

As Barnes took notes, she imagined the reaction of someone learning that the modest detached and twin houses are sitting on a historic site....Just last month the house changed hands, and Mary Giovanni of Wayne Realty said yesterday that new owner Brian Hipwell has begun a renovation that will be "beautiful" when finished.

Hmmmm, given the 1888 date of construction, can it be said that 236 N. Aberdeen Avenue, the home built by famous Wayne builder Jonathan Lengel for his very own family once overlooked the Wayne Natatorium? Is it possible that this home pre-dates the Natatorium or was built at the same time, making it even more precious to the history of North Wayne? Does anyone in Radnor give a crap?

As we are not a Radnor group, we can only comment on this issue and state our concerns and worries. It is up to the people in Radnor, and groups in Radnor to help these people in North Wayne from taking a royal screwing. So that being said, we would like to strongly encourage not only every resident in North, South, or West Wayne who can attend to attend and speak to preserve this house, the creek, etc., we are asking the following Radnor/Wayne centric groups to attend this meeting and speak out AGAINST this plan:

The Radnor Community Preservation Coalition

Garrett Hill Coalition

Save Ithan Coalition

Delaware Riverkeeper

The North Wayne Protective Association

Radnor Historical Society

The Radnor Conservancy

We hate to put the finger on your folks, but you are the ones with standing in this issue. This house is worth saving for it's important part in Radnor and Wayne history. This is also an issue worth taking up because this part of Wayne is obviously wide open to unwelcome development, and just because it is not a millionaires' row, it doesn't mean that this neighborhood should be subjected to bad planning. For pete's sake, they just had to fight public storage! Give a neighbor a hand! Send these developers packing if they can't present an alternative that preserves the house and doesn't double the impervious surface coverage!

To the developing duo: How about a new proposal? How about preserving the home as a single family residence or preserving it on the outside and looking for a way to convert it to a duplex and perhaps add onto it in a small way so as to not be total crappy neighbors to those worried about adverse effects of doubling impervious surface coverage? Surely people can get creative enough to preserve a piece of history and ptotect the neighborhood, creek, and other homeowners? After all, is it or is it not true that those who already own homes or property here have private proerty rights that CAN'T be overlooked?

To Radnor Township: we urge you to look to your very own codes and not push the burden of proving this case to the residents. It's o.k. to say no to a plan that is problematic. After all, what kind of realtors are these wannabe developers? The real estate market is in the toilet and even one local paper is reporting Money netted from property sales are down from last year ? Are not foreclosures up? Are wen not speaking recessionese in the U.S.? Whatsamatter with these people? Don't they have enough McMansions to peddle without tearing down history, threatening a neighborhood fraught with stormwater issues and density with MORE of those issues?

And who will be the champion of the Gulph Creek? Who will protect the Gulph Creek from the negative impact of development and construction runoff, etc?