This evening the reports from Radnor Township regarding the plan for 236 N. Aberdeen Avenue were not promising.

Here is what Round Radnor is reporting:

Tonight I attended a Planning Commission Meeting. The item of interest for me was Number 3

S.D. # 2008-S-06 (Final) of David Buckley & Sherrie Burlingham
to subdivide property into two (2), raze existing dwelling and
construct a twin home with a residence on each lot at 236 N.
Aberdeen Ave.

This was approved. I must say that I would have voted differently.
The design was predicated on a revised Flood Plain Delineation, not the FEMA flood line. It was pointed out by one of the neighbors that this was not according to Code. The Commissioners (or FEMA) must approve any change and the authority is NOT delegated to the Township Engineer. The case was made that the Commissioners will approve this at some time in the future since the Township Engineer is the person who advises them. Isn't this putting the cart before the horse? I believe the SD should have been denied or tabled until the Commissioners approved the flood line changes.

I think it is incumbent upon the Township to follow the process. Even in the case where the ultimate outcome is a foregone conclusion, it is important to avoid any potential lawsuits.....We have a good Comprehensive Plan, although mostly un-implemented...
We have a HARB... but it doesn't have jurisdiction over all the historical assets...

So, we are victims of our own rules. And now we will have a new twin on North Aberdeen. A building that will be totally out of character with the community and exacerbating an already serious parking problem. In return we loose a historic asset, the house being torn down was owned by Johnatan Lengel in 1888. The already congested neighborhood looses open space and a Heritage Tree (36 inch Maple) will be destroyed.

Apparently our neighbors to the west do things differently at Planning Commission Meetings. Apparently there is no helpful township staff member like LMT's Chris Leswing to walk residents and planning commission members through a plan with helpful things like photos to orient people properly. We hear there were no photos of the existing home or surrounding homes, or even the street. it was just a flat hal, flat stan plan on an overhead projector (which considering how we heard the new township building is so modern, we were surprised)

Here, we don't mind, we'll share:

Is it true that no one even seemed to know the history of the home facing demolition?

We also heard that where our own townhip boards and officials will tell us flat out that they can't legislate taste even when they really want to, that it was not the case at this meeting? Was it true that it appeared that they discussed in greater detail the design aesthetic? Was it true that perhaps they kind of side stepped the more pressing issues of stormwater management, flood plains, and that little group called FEMA?

Is it really true that some comment was made about a septic tank with issues in the back yard? So if this plan is not currently on the public sewer, what is being done to correct the septic tank issues while this plan is being debated? After all, are their not neighbors and a body of water called the Gulph Creek to consider? That's kind of icky, isn't it?

What about the importance of the FEMA flood plain line(s)? Has the township engineer walked this site or the surrounding neighborhood?

Is it true that the realtor/developers said they will be living in one of these homes? So that means they are going from a higher echelon neighborhood to a twin on a modest street? Really? If they are planning on living there, then why not just restore the existing home? Also, we hear there are issues about trees? What does that mean in Radnor? (Hope it means more than in Lower Merion, eh?)

What is the most confounding is that we hear the ultimate decision was put on the Radnor Township Board of Commissioners.

So now what for this neighborhood one resident said was called a "front porch neighborhood"? Will the Radnor Community Preservation Coalition defend the honor of a small neighborhood that is historic in it's own right?

Shall we categorize this as maybe by right, maybe by wrong, and definitely problematic? Who will help this neighborhood? We do have a suggestion there: all the neighbors of that neighborhood and across the creek on Willow Avenue need to attend the next meeting where this plan is presented. Otherwise, will it be thought that no one cares?