Group rallies to preserve Centennial Woods in Media
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To The Times:
Over 100 Media residents gathered on Saturday at the site of a proposed housing development that would destroy a 1.1 acre stand of woods at Sixth Street and Centennial Avenue in Media Borough. The development plan calls for removing dozens of mature trees, including an oak tree that is more than 100 years old.
Carrying signs and banners that called on Media Borough Council to “Save the Centennial Woods,” the green-clad and masked crowd, spaced 6 feet apart for health reasons, formed a human circle around the site in order to “surround the Centennial Woods with love.”
After the human circle broke up, the crowd walked a few blocks to Media Borough Hall, where they staged a brief rally. Deb Ciamacca, the 2020 Democratic candidate for State Representative in the 168th District was one of the featured speakers. At the conclusion of the rally, a contingent of residents placed copies of Dr. Seuss’s classic children’s conservation book, “The Lorax,” at the entrance to the borough’s offices. Organizers said the books were intended for members of borough council, the mayor, and B&G Properties, LLC, the developer.
“We’ve asked Media Borough Council to purchase the Centennial Woods,” said Terry Rumsey, co-chair of Keep Media Green, a local nonprofit group with over 500 supporters. “To our delight, the owners of the property offered to sell the land to the borough. However, the council has refused to invest in saving one of the last significant stand of woods in a Media neighborhood.”
“The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Delaware County Green Space Program have millions of dollars available to help municipalities acquire green space,” explained Robin Lasersohn, cochair of Keep Media Green, “and the borough could recoup additional money by renovating and selling the existing house on the property, but preserving the woods. Closed minds and closed ears rarely result in good outcomes.”
Dennis Snyder, a homeowner who lives immediately adjacent to the Centennial Woods, made a plea for using his taxpayer dollars for conservation and wildlife habitat. “We just moved into the neighborhood and we were here for less than two months when we received a flyer from Keep Media Green about the planned development. Tree conservation is a smart investment of my tax dollars, but my elected officials don’t seem to care about my opinion.”
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