Treeless In Bryn Mawr?
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The time has come to ask a difficult question: Are non profits in Radnor Township just allowed to take down trees as they see fit? Seriously, please drive by the new home of the Barrack Academy. Where have all the trees gone and does anyone care? Doesn't it seem naked? Just like the neighboring institution, Proclamation Presbyterian Church, one day there were trees and one day they were just gone? One of the most stunning things about American College (that is what this site at 270 S. Bryn Mawr Avenue was until change of ownership), was the stunning line of wonderful mature trees that flanked Bryn Mawr Avenue. The trees are gone, and are being replaced with plains of macadam. Wasn't there enough parking before? Were ALL of the trees diseased? What is green when green disappears? Is this why the front yard of American College was let go? Because they knew all of those trees were going to fall? (You know it is enough of a shock enough to go down Bryn Mawr Avenue on the Lower Merion side to see the rape of Pennsylvania Avenue, err, the fabulously unattractive new parking garage to the stars, right?) But Back to the Radnor side....it took years to get used to Proclamation Presbyterian Church at 278 S. Bryn Mawr Avenue - remember when they clear cut their lot and all those "heritage trees" disappeared overninght? Nothing much came of that, did it? So now the eco system of this part of what was considered heavily wooded is changing thanks to these two institutiuons, isn't it? Instituitions should be required to grow more than just parking lots and garages, right? And will the walking path that used to be open to the public remain open at the site of the former American College? Who is keeping track of the landscape at the former site of the American College? After all it is quite true that this site was known, renown actually for it's landscape and horticulture....now it seems that it might as well have been condos or whatever, the end result is the same: the landscape is looking naked. Will all the old houses on the property survive? Bookmark/Search this post with: |
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First, allow me to apologize for not posting sooner. Been a little busy lately.
First thing to consider is the Radnor Shade Tree Ordinance. Was the tree removal at Barrack done consistent with the code? The answer is yes. (BTW, the Church violated the codes). So obviously the ordinance is the problem. I think I can speak to this topic since I was one of the authors of the original ordinances. In order to get the first ordinance passed we had to remove all the teeth. We will continue to try to strengthen the ordinance.
So that being said... Barrack first came to Shade Tree Commission with a plan that proposed to remove 80 plus trees. Shade Tree did not approve the plan and subsequently, after working with Shade Tree, proposed a revised plan which significantly reduced the number of trees that were being removed and also transplanted several trees (using one of those monster machines). During their second presentation the subject of the arboretum was discussed. The school plans to maintain and improve the arboretum and integrate it into their curriculum. Also, at the Shade Tree Meeting, the representative of the school indicated that if any of the trees planned for removal were "dedicated", they would rededicate other trees. They also indicated that the township will have use of the new turf field.
So, is the outcome perfect? Hardly. Was the school "bad"? Absolutely not, in fact they worked hard to minimize the number of trees removed. They appear to be very interested in being good neighbors. (Of course time will tell.)
What this situation and many others cited on this blog demonstrate is that Radnor Codes are inadequate to protect our town.
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