Radnor tables plan to install COVID-related trailers at Eastern U.

Radnor commissioners last week tabled a vote on a proposed plan to install three large COVID-related temporary trailers at Eastern University for athletic events this winter.

The university plans to use two of the trailers as visiting team locker rooms. The other trailer will be a restroom for those sporting events.

Eric McNelley, athletic director for Eastern Universit y, said the NCA A moved all of its fall athletic schedules to January. At that time, they will have 21 teams competing.

According to McNelley, visiting teams and spectators ty pically use restrooms in the dorms. Since the dorms are offlimits to anyone from the outside, the v isiting teams would only be allowed to use the new locker rooms.

“So it’s about safety for our community and our student-athletes and our students as a whole,” Mc

Nelley said.

Steve Norcini, township engineer, said there is no problem with the water runoff due to the additional imper v ious coverage.

“From a stormwater management standpoint, it ’s an existing impervious (surface) ... so we don’t see any issues with this whatsoever,” Norcini said.

The trailers will be located in a parking lot adjacent to Fairview Drive. They would take up several parking spaces.

When asked about

its effect on parking, Brenden Dorley, the project manager, said although the units would be placed in a parking lot due to the COVID pandemic, fewer parking spaces are needed on campus.

The university sought a wavier of the land development process since the trailers would only be temporary and used during the pandemic.

The locker room trailers are 10 feet wide and 46 feet long. The one bathroom trailer is 10 feet wide but slightly smaller at 44 feet long.

The size of the trailers and the view from neighboring residents raised concerns with some commissioners.

“It ’s big; it ’s like a train,” Radnor Commissioner Rich Booker said.

Booker said he was opposed to granting the waiver without allowing the neighbors to have a chance to see the project.

“We can’t spring this on the neighbors,” Booker said.

Jack Larkin, board president, said he’d like to add a provision that the trailers be limited to one year with the university having the ability to reapply if they are needed longer.

“I understand that this is intended to be temporary, but I think we’d like to be sure it doesn’t become permanent,” Larkin said.

Officials from Eastern said the trailers would have to be in place by Jan. 1, and they’d need nearly three months to install them.

Eastern officials are expected to return to the board at nex t month’s meeting.