Land testing at Don Guanella digs up concerns
MARPLE >> What was thought to be a bit of deforestation on the former Don Guanella property has been confirmed to be part of land testing for proposed redevelopment.
Marple Solicitor J. Adam Matlawski and representatives of Sproul Road Developers said it was infiltration testing for stormwater management that was taking place on a rear portion of the 213-acre property in a section that abuts the Cardinal O’Hara High School athletic fields.
The testing took place leading up to Thanksgiving week.
A picture posted on Save Marple Greenspace’s Facebook page on Nov. 18 claimed that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the current property owner, was illegally cutting down trees without the township’s permission.
Archdiocesan spokesman Ken Gavin said it was part of “the due diligence process” of the prospective buyer and not the archdiocese’s doing.
Save Marple Greenspace’s claim that the township did not know that testing and/or tree cutting was going on did turn up to be true.
“The township knows now,” said Matlawski when reached for comment on Nov. 26, “but we weren’t given notice, advised in advance of them doing it.”
Matlawski said infiltration testing is needed as part of designing stormwater management to test how far water seeps into the soil. The testing is needed for that portion of land where 232 single and twin houses are proposed as part of a by-right plan by the developers. The by-right plan is a backup to the commercial redevelopment plan for the front of the Don Guanella property along Sproul Road.
When asked if permitting is needed to cut down trees for such testing, Matlawski said grading permits are needed depending on the size or number of trees being removed. A preliminary report by township Engineer Joseph Mastonardo claims it does not look like a permit would have been required for testing there based on the site and any trees that were removed.
“Based on township code, infiltration testing for stormwater design does not require prior approval from township,” said Arna Engineering Principal Chirag Thakhar, the engineer working with developers on the project.
If certain trees were removed without permit, Matlawski said, the developers would have to replace them.
Matlawski added that the testing site was previously used for the failed Cardinal Crossing proposal from 2015 that would have had over 300 townhouses and carriage homes on the property. Still, he said, the township is being sensitive on the issue considering the community interest in protecting that forested area.
“The township is looking at it to make sure they didn’t do anything they weren’t supposed to be,” said Matlawski.