2015 was eventful in Radnor
RADNOR >> This past year was an eventful one in Radnor Township, with new development in the offing, a retirement of a longtime commissioner and a change of political control for the school board. Here are some of the top stories in 2015.
Villanova plan approved
In a 4-2 vote in July, the Radnor Township Board of Commissioners gave final approval to a plan for six new dormitories on the campus of Villanova University, along with a performing arts center, parking garage and retail space. The plan will create housing for 1,135 students on the south side of Lancaster Avenue.
Commissioners Richard Booker and John Fisher voted against the plan and Commissioner Elaine Fisher, who has a conflict of interest, abstained.
The plan also includes a pedestrian bridge so that students can safely cross Lancaster Avenue. Township officials changed the zoning to permit Villanova’s project, adding a Comprehensive Integrated College Development ordinance in the Planned Institutional district that also affects Cabrini College and Eastern University.
Many area residents raised numerous concerns as the development plan went through a long planning process of township meetings and university officials changed the plan several times in response.
Longtime Commissioner William Spingler retires
In July, Commissioner William Spingler, the board president and a Democrat who represented Ward 3, retired from the BOC after three decades of public service. The audience at the meeting gave Spingler a standing ovation, and many people praised the septuagenarian’s public service, which included spearheading the Radnor Trail and championing several other open space projects in the township.
Spingler thanked the township staff and the commissioners he’d worked with through the years. He noted the board has passed a stormwater fee to “move forward and address that problem” (of flooding) and preserved 71 acres of open space at Ardrossan. Spingler said he had supported the Villanova plan because it’s been “a goal of Radnor Township to get as many students back on campus as possible.”
In November, Ward 3 voters elected lawyer Luke Clark, a Republican, to fill Spingler’s former seat. And voters elected Phil Ahr to fill the Ward 7 seat held by Fisher, who did not run for re-election after serving two terms. Both Ahr and Fisher are Democrats.
Armed officers to patrol Villanova University campus
With mass shootings at some other campuses in America in mind, Villanova University officials announced that training will begin for a portion of its campus security guards so that they can carry weapons.
In a letter to members of the Villanova community, university President Father Peter Donohue said the college has been considering this change for the last two years. The 75-member public safety department will have about 20 percent of its officers undergo 770 hours of police training and carry firearms, Donohue said. This will result in two to three police officers per shift, he said.
“Preparation for this change will begin immediately, and I anticipate that the first Villanova police officers will be in place by fall 2016,” said Donohue.
“All Public Safety personnel will receive conflict resolution, anti-bias and sensitivity training,” he wrote. “I also am establishing an Oversight Committee that will report to Ken Valosky, executive vice president, to ensure that safeguards are in place and that appropriate policies and procedures are followed.”
However, this decision has also generated controversy as nearby residents expressed fears of armed officers overstepping their authority. Some faculty and students also oppose the move.
Penn Medicine buys 145 King of Prussia Road
In June, BioMed Realty Trust, which faced strong opposition from residents to various proposals to develop the site it owned at 145 King of Prussia Road, announced that it sold the 19-acre property to Penn Medicine for $35 million. BioMed sold the parcel for a $32 million loss.
By September, Penn Medicine officials unveiled a plan for the property, the former Wyeth Laboratory, at a Planning Commission meeting. David Falcone, a lawyer for Penn Medicine, said his client would like to develop half of the 19-acre site first and the remainder at a later date. The medical facility will move from its current nearby location to the new office buildings. The old buildings now at the site would be razed.
Architect Eric Swanson presented drawings to the PC and called the site “a great location” that is bounded by the Blue Route (I-476), King of Prussia Road, the Norristown High Speed Rail and Lancaster Avenue. Swanson, with the firm Ballinger, said they would like to use the proposed Mixed Use Overlay that township officials are considering for the Planned Laboratory Office zoning district. Parking will be inside a garage toward the rear, and an 85foot tall building with six floors above grade and one below grade would be built into the slopes.
The building would house radiology, rehabilitation, ambulatory surgical practices, rheumatology, cardiology, oncology and various offices and meeting rooms. There may also be an urgent care center at the location and a restaurant for patients and families.
Papal visit
By all accounts, things went smoothly in Radnor Township during the papal visit. While the pope communed with the faithful in Philadelphia and slept at a seminary in Lower Merion, train stations in Radnor and Devon were among the few spots for pilgrims to take public transit into the city to see the Holy Father.
Radnor officials pulled out all the stops in preparing, including declaring a state of emergency. Officials also held meetings to let the public, business owners and educational institutions know about the plans. Locally, some streets were closed for the weekend of the pope’s visit, and also major highways, including the Schuylkill Expressway were shut down. Radnor officials worked with Delaware County and Philadelphia emergency management personnel to handle the event, said Radnor Police Lt. Chris Flanagan. Also, members of the National Guard helped township police and volunteers with traffic.
Republicans take control of Radnor Township School Board
In a surprising upset, the Republican candidates won control of the Radnor Township School Board from the Democrats, which had secured control of the board in 2011. The GOP candidates ousted incumbents Lisa Borowski, Kimberly Doherty and Eric Zajac. Newcomers Michael Miller and Julia Bohnenberger, along with incumbent Republicans Patricia Booker and Charles Madden won, along with Democrat Amy Goldman, a first time candidate. Unresolved contracts with three district labor unions, including the teachers, appeared to have played a role in voters’ decisions, along with concerns about district finances and new programs, including full day kindergarten.
North Wayne Field
One issue that remains unresolved is the broken stormwater detention basin at North Wayne Field. While the township, which leases the property from the school district for $1 a year, had paid for plans to renovate the failed stormwater basin, those plans appear to be stalled. A small group of commissioners and school directors have held meetings about the issue and a proposal to swap North Wayne Field for another property. So far those talks have not resulted in a solution.
Residents in that area have long enduring flooding problems. Homes and cars flood during heavy rainstorms and those residents have come to many township meetings to press their elected officials to do something to stop the stormwater damage. Street flooding also can impede first responders, proponents of the project argue.
However, in December, the board of commissioners agreed to move forward to request proposals to design a plan to deal with another stormwater snafu at the corner of Banbury Way, Windsor and Francis avenues at Lancaster Avenue.