Monthly Archives: January 2024

are warehouses the new townhouse/apartments/commercial office buildings? are commercial office buildings the new apartments?

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Damn people it’s developer who’s on first isn’t it?

Late last night, I broke the news on this blog about the Johnson Matthey land getting sold in West Whiteland and as per the Philadelphia business journal plans for Eli, Kahn to build warehouses.

is it too soon to tell eli kahn to buzz off with warehouses on phoenixville pike in west whiteland?

But wait, there’s more. Apparently misery loves company and there’s another warehouse bit of scuttlebutt floating around Chester County, not too far away from this.

Sources living out around Uwchlan who have had to live through Lionville Statuon Farm have been keeping an eye on a particular location off of Route 100 and behind where the Harley Davidson place was and kind of where the ice hockey rink is.

They say that on edge of Uwchlan, another warehouse plan is being hatched? Is it true it is also developer Eli Kahn? The fear is that someone if not him will be putting up a warehouse at the end of Haywood Drive (where the skating rink is) and does anyone else have details? The land is fully covered in trees that provides a nice buffer from the turnpike for people on roads like Susan Drive and Saddle Drive.


So if I have it straight, it’s the Uwchlan side of East Township Line Road? Rumors residents are hearing has it that Uwchlan Township expects a warehouse proposal there in February?

And speaking of warehouse proposals what about that land near this cleared by Hankin last year or something for warehouses?

https://www.showcase.com/haywood-rd-exton-pa-19341/3969730/

So I think, in my humble opinion that warehouses are the new apartments/condos/town houses/carriage homes/commercial real estate office buildings.

People say this real estate market is still so “hot.” I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. No one wants to admit when a real estate market is softening because it’s the death knell for developers isn’t it? I think certain aspects of real estate are still “hot,” but I think people are not renting the apartments as quickly as we are told; I don’t think new builds on condo, townhouse, developments, and “carriage” homes are moving as quickly as possible. Also just driving around you can see that regular residential McMansion builds are not selling out as quickly anymore.

And we know the commercial real estate market is also struggling given the fact how developers want to reimagine commercial office buildings if they can’t sell them. Look no further than Tredyffrin . They want to make one a school which actually isn’t a bad idea.

Click here to read

But then you look at East Whiteland and a developer wants to turn an old commercial office building into apartments because we need more of those of course, right?

maybe, just maybe east whiteland residents don’t wish to live in the king of prussia cloneship?

And more to my point with commercial real estate I find this article in this morning’s Philadelphia Business Journal:

Construction isn’t finished yet, but AmeriHealth Caritas already wants to sublease its new build-to-suit office

By Paul Schwedelson – Reporter, Philadelphia Business Journal
Jan 30, 2024

And then there is this about apartments:

Philadelphia Business Journal: Residential Real Estate /There are signs that Philadelphia apartment rents may have finally topped out

By Joanne Drilling – National Data Reporter, The Business Journals
Jan 28, 2024

There’s also an interesting article put out by WHYY:

NATIONAL
Housing is now unaffordable for a record half of all U.S. renters, study finds

JANUARY 25, 20245:10 AM ET
HEARD ON MORNING EDITION

And this timely find of an article:

PBJ Commercial Real Estate
Record volume of office-to-apartment conversions is in the pipeline. How many will become reality?

By Ashley Fahey – Editor, The National Observer: Real Estate Edition, The Business Journals
Jan 24, 2024

Now I am told from friends in Tredyffrin the new builds in historic Mount Pleasant are not quite selling like hotcakes, and the upper Merion side of Mount Pleasant has he had another proposal coming for like three more McMansion houses – this was the message I received:

Upper Merion Zoning Board Hearing next Wednesday February 7th. 7pm.
Developer wants to build 3 townhomes at 1034 Mt Pleasant.


Called the ZHB officer to ask if neighbors on the Tredyffrin end of the street are allowed to speak. Waiting for a return call.

So recent infill development in Mount Pleasant. I think is one single McMansion and eight McMansion twins and residents over there are not seeing any have sold.

Ok ⬆️ above is preposterously called The Enclave at Saint Davids. That is very amusing Main Line marketing to me because this is Wayne but it’s close to St. David’s which I guess sounds more pretentious? You know kind of like when they call Downingtown Chester Springs? And the price tag on Henry/Fairview ? $1,349,000. $1,149,000.

991 Fairview

984 Henry

Now part of the reason they’re maybe not selling are the student housing slumlords in this neck of the woods right? I mean would you want your million dollar house down the street from where drunken off campus college students are vomiting on residents cars after partying all night?

Sorry, I know I’ve been rambling on here a bit. But we have to keep talking about these crazy ass developments. They keep popping up so they’re still building residential but it’s really not selling the way you would think. People are still buying houses but they’re looking for established neighborhoods and even fixer-uppers because the price points are so crazy.

And then there are all the parcels of land or structures are sitting rotting because no one has paid the price to buy the land. That could be for commercial or residential.

In some cases, there are historical assets sitting there rotting. Lloyd Farm in Caln comes to mind or the Joseph Price House in Exton/West Whiteland. Even the historic farmhouse on Route 30 in Frazer, next to the boat dealership counts.

Whatever the reason is for development, there is too much of it. And if all of a sudden more warehouse, plans are popping up and worse it’s a potential indication of the fact that municipalities need to actually pay close attention here? But are they?

Only time will tell.

Maybe it’s just my opinion, but maybe just maybe it all needs to stop for a while? And we can’t do it just with the officials in various municipalities, the state needs to step in, but then they would have to get past lobbyists wouldn’t they?

I leave you with beware the Aesop‘s fable of “build it and they will come,” because sometimes it’s just like the Emperor’s New Clothes and maybe not really there, but hey, I am but a mere mortal and a female. What do I know right?

is it too soon to tell eli kahn to buzz off with warehouses on phoenixville pike in west whiteland?

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So we all know that this land has been for sale on the edge of East Whiteland, but in West Whiteland. It is one of two parcels you can see on W. King Rd. This particular parcel is part of Johnson Matthey, or it was until today apparently. Eli Kahn, has purchased the land according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Some of us were talking about this parcel earlier today, because a friend of mine, saw a bobcat in the overgrown, weedy plot of land, clearing it, or doing something like clearing it.

I actually said to someone I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. I said maybe they’re finally just cleaning it up because it’s been for sale for so long. Well I should’ve known better, it’s been sold.

Developer buys 16 acres in Chester County, plans warehouse project

Paul Schwedelson

By Paul Schwedelson – Reporter, Philadelphia Business Journal

Jan 29, 2024

I will admit, as soon as I saw this article what I said out loud sitting here reading it was motherf—-er. Yes I said that. Loudly. I mean Christ almighty HOW MUCH MORE DEVELOPMENT? HOW MUCH MORE?

Because this is already the rumored developer sniffing around on that 15 acres behind old Phoenixville Pike across W. King Rd., isn’t it?

what is happening over around old phoenixville pike in west whiteland, really?

And let us not forget that the Weston tract is in play for fairly dense residential development still, even if West Whiteland said no to the last round of developer ideas. And Weston is for sure getting developed as something. And gosh a few pipelines run around there too, don’t they?

they said “no” in west whiteland!

And let us not forget the hot mess up at Ship Road and Lancaster Avenue in West Whiteland. And the Ship Road Couplet.

The above photos are from September, 2023.

HOW MUCH DEVELOPMENT CAN WE SWALLOW?

Oh the Philadelphia Business Journal referred to Johnson Matthey as:

“Johnson Matthey, a specialty chemicals and sustainable technologies company that owns the adjacent parcel with an industrial building on it.”

Well that made me giggle. Johnson Matthey is like a born again virgin I suppose? Are we all supposed to forget they were among the successor companies to Bishop Tube that still toxic paradise on S. Malin Road in East Whiteland? Is it just coloring outside the lines to mention the little fact of life called a local area evacuation in 2011 because of a hydrogen trailer explosion at Johnson Matthey?

Homes evacuated near West Whiteland explosion site

The Johnson Matthey plant and nearby homes in West Whiteland, Chester County, have been evacuated after a hydrogen trailer exploded this morning.

Action News reports one injured person was taken to Crozer Chester Medical Center in an unknown condition and King Road is shut down between Ravine and Phoenixville Pike.

The Red Cross is already on the scene and will be at the East Whiteland Fire Department to assist with a reception center.

Here is the official announcement from PEMA:

“An immediate evacuation is issued for West Whiteland Township in Chester County due to fire at Johnson Matthey Company. Residents in the area are to evacuate to East Whiteland Fire Company, 170 Planebrook Road, off Rt. 30 Frazer – evacuated roads include King Road, Ravine Road, Glen Loch Way and Lewis Lane. Residents needing assistance should call 610-344-5005. Motorists and pedestrians should avoid unnecessary travel within the perimeter of the area. Stay tuned to your local televison and radio network for updated information.”

~ WHYY August 3, 2011

So Johnson Matthey is still a site to watch so we assume Mr. Developer Man will have this just purchased the land at Phoenixville Pike and West King Road tested for toxic chemicals? Because there is that worry somewhat, right? Even if that goes industrial there?

So we really do need to think about this here. Traffic is already hard. There is RESIDENTIAL up and down King Road on BOTH sides of Phoenixville/Old Phoenixville Pikes.

There is residential already suffering on Ship Road.

And warehouses? Now they want to Amazon us over here? So other types of commercial real estate (offices)! aren’t moving so they are trying everywhere to dump it or convert it to residential and in Tredyffrin, to a school, but is residential really, really moving that fast? And then what’s left? Why warehouses and hydrogen hubs and data farms/data centers, right?

And where does that leave us suckers I mean residents? Those of us who lived here before developers, saw something juicy up the road or two roads over or three roads over or another township over?

What are our rights as residents of Chester County and these various municipalities? it’s like we have no rights and I don’t know about you, but I’m goddamn tired of it. We work hard to have our homes and to raise our families in a specific area and one by one every area is getting targeted by developers and none of these developers, or anything, other than predatory in my humble opinion, and I can have that humble opinion.

This is why, yet again, the Municipalities Planning Code of the Commonwealth of freaking Pennsylvania needs to be updated COMPREHENSIVELY. I mean come on you. Lovely politicians in Harrisburg. You haven’t done a comprehensive update since 1969 and I know you’re saying why rush but your constituents are saying it’s time.

God damnit it’s every day some other developer or some other plan. It’s exhausting and depressing. So I wonder, did this particular developer run out of places to build in West Chester Borough so he’s coming over to this part of the county?

These developers don’t care about any of the communities they come into. They just care about their profit margins. Where we live are just lines on a balance sheet.

So I’m sure I don’t have to remind this developer that my opinions are courtesy of my First Amendment Rights and residents do have some rights all around this proposed location?

Chester County is dying people. Dying.

Overdevelopment of any kind in this county needs to be an election issue for 2024. On every level of elected office from Harrisburg, PA to Washington DC.

It . Needs. To. Stop.

abandoned.

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This is along 100 in West Chester. The Old Pottstown Pike section. On the right as you are headed towards West Chester Borough.

I am told that it is actually in West Whiteland. I was never sure. I thought maybe West Goshen originally.

As for who once lived there I was told a man who worked on cars, dabbled in antiques and old photos too. That resulted in a memory of a conversation with a friend of mine who is a local historian years ago who said he gave her photos or a photo for a book she published. I am told his name was Bob Swayne?

So how does a house get to this state? Who were his heirs? How can any municipality just ignore this?

I took photos of this house a few years ago. Of course I can’t find them, but I do not remember the house being tagged. I don’t remember the roof having fallen apart.

It’s not a great beauty of a house. It’s probably not historic in any way. But once it was someone’s home. That is just a little sad.

seeking a 12 step program to deal with the absurdity of the ridiculous on social media.

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Well it started innocently enough. I literally said that I just can’t with these anonymous posts. This one needs the spin cycle. Good lord, the entitlement entertainment is just fabulous.

Well oh my golly in snowflake city you would have thought I said “Ok new group activity: let’s pull wings off of flies” or something. Below are but four of the absurd comments.

The ridiculous levels of anonymous posts on Facebook have reached critical mass. Anonymous posts are for truly sensitive topics. You know like needing a women’s shelter or agencies that help one get out of abusive relationships. Not what kind of toothpaste is best or where to buy pizza. Or another one I saw the other day where someone has a 21 or 22 year old who lost their driver’s license, what should they do and where do they go? At 21 or 22 shouldn’t they be learning to figure stuff out without helicopter moms?

I mean come on, people. 

And you can’t actually express how these stupid posts make you feel, even on your own pages. I expressed my opinion on my page that I found this to be another ridiculous anonymous post on Facebook. OMG it was a maelstrom of judgey judgersons.


However, a lot of the commenters have gone past expressing their opinion straight into pomposity and judgement and being a general pain in the ass and presumptive moral authority.


Oh and to be clear, I am not particularly sorry if they are upset by that but you see, I am not responsible for their feelings just like it isn’t their actual job to tell anyone how to feel about a post…especially when expressing one’s self on one’s own page. But hey these folks have a mission, right?


I shared this post because I found it absurd. It wasn’t a “cry for help” post and honestly what is wrong with those who can read so much into the post to begin with? And so many decided to read so much into it. Calling me judgmental, while ironically taking me to task and being judgmental and the comments they were posting was judgmental. Or the woman who had to tie it to a possibly mythical person who worked her fingers to the bone while their spouse did pro-bono work for the disenfranchised in Philadelphia. What the what? HOW and WHY did they read so much into a post that was about how ridiculous and unnecessary some of the “anonymous” posts are.

Do as I say damn it, not as I do. Only they wouldn’t say damn it because it would stop people from finding them Christian or spiritual or Donna Reed meets Carol Brady or whatever.

Now a bunch of people were more normal and conversational about the topic of anonymous posts. Even if you don’t agree with them, you can interact with them safely.

I have never understood the people that feel the need to comment on EVERY post on social media. Do they ever just scroll by? Or have their opinion on their own social media pages? If it’s not pink fuzzy bunnies and unicorns farting rainbows, they show extreme discomfort. This of course begs the question of why are they on social media to begin with if it is so Sodom and Gomorrah ? Are they social media missionaries for freaks sake?

And the thing about social media is we can carve our own niche. We quite literally do not have to be up anyone else’s ass on their social media pages. And yet? That is exactly what a lot of these people do. And a lot of them feel the need to do it to me which is mostly sociologically curious to me because of the simple fact why are they on my blog’s Facebook page if they find me, a total stranger, so objectionable? I am not breaking any laws, but I do express my own opinions. Why are my opinions a threat or is it more anyone else’s opinions other than their own are a threat? Of course that brings the full circle thought of why are they on a particular social media page or social media at all?

And then these people get annoyed if I comment back other than in a groveling please may I have some more passive aggressive abuse manner, or heaven forbid delete their comment or remove them from the page entirely. Gosh and don’t call these people out or write about them.

But I will call people out if I see fit. Sometimes it is merely for amusement, other times it is just because we all get tired of people who tell us how we are supposed to be in order to make them comfortable. Other times, like this, they provide me with writing material.

People, we all do not have to be the same and think the same. Then we would be Stepford Wives, which would be a fate worse than death. I think a lot of these anonymous posts are truly absurd. And it’s perfectly acceptable to say so. And no one has to agree with anyone’s opinion, but preaching unicorns fart rainbows constantly? It activates the gag reflex.

I leave you all with an pictural explanation of WHY unicorns fart rainbows. Have a great rest of your weekends all!

it used to be a farm. soon an “industrial complex.” barf.

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It was Happy Days Farm. It was part of a Penn Land grant. It was a historic resource. It was beautiful and until not that long ago, a working farm with terrific tenant farmers who cared about the land. Vanguard the financial giant had come to own it.

not so happy days farms on route 100 near turnpike in exton (uwchlan township)

But Vanguard sold it to a developer, Audubon Land Development (yes those people who wanted to Amazon Lionville Station Farm.)

Uwchlan approved the plans.

https://vista.today/2021/11/happy-days-farm-exton-sells/

Now as of fall of 2023 another developer is in control. Portman Holdings of Atlanta is busy steamrolling it all down for some kind of 1.9 million-square-foot industrial complex. So is that developer speak for lots of warehouses?

https://vista.today/2023/08/happy-days-farm-developer/

We drove past what was Happy Days Farm today and it’s so sad and a waste. Chester County is disappearing one bad development at a time. Soon it will all be bulldozed and a county historically known once for farms, open space, bucolic vistas and lovely country architecture and more will be gone.

My wish for 2024? That Chester County residents will rise up and start saving what’s left of Chester County; will make saving Chester County an ELECTION issue. It’s a Presidential election year. Just a thought.

it was about the fog today…

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Today was a crazy foggy day. Spooky. So foggy that at times you could barely see anything even a few feet in front of you.

One of the things that amazed me was even when it was raining in this crazy dangerous fog, was the fact that there were so many drivers without lights on. There were also so many deer out.

Tomorrow is another day….hopefully with less send it back to London fog….

maybe, just maybe east whiteland residents don’t wish to live in the king of prussia cloneship?

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I swear. If they don’t get off their asses in Harrisburg and update the Municipalities Planning Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, all we are going to have Groundhog Day every damn year no matter where we live in the state.

In East Whiteland Township, it’s only January yet it feels like Groundhog Day:

FYI

This Wednesday at 7pm, the East Whiteland Township Planning Commission will review a request for a developer to change the zoning for 52 Swedesford Road (across from Microsoft and next to the 202 off ramp) to construct 225 – 250 apartment buildings in place of the current office space. Whether you think this is a good idea or not, be sure to get out to the meeting or send a message to the Planning Commission ASAP or you won’t be heard! Emails can be sent to slambert@eastwhiteland.org , zbarner@eastwhiteland.org , and bcarosello@eastwhiteland.org.

The problem here as I see it is well there was overdevelopment in office space. Then overdevelopment in residential shoehorn development. But now the overdevelopment in office space has commercial property owners sweating some, maybe? So now they want to change the zoning so they can further exploit an area with more of a type of residential development existing resident do NOT want more of, they want LESS in the way of cram plans, fewer apartment buildings.

This is the shittiest development idea in a while in East Whiteland, and there always seems to be a parade of bad plans here as well as in neighboring municipalities, don’t there? This is a super problematic location already. It’s next to a rather accident prone area having to do with 202 doesn’t it?

It’s another big chunk of apartment buildings. East Whiteland is NOT King of Prussia but it sure looks like it, doesn’t it?  What is wrong with stand alone single family housing not in McMansion price ranges? Not that housing of ANY kind is good here. As a matter of fact it’s a greedy dumb ass idea. There I said it out loud. According to Loop Net, it says the property is for sale as is commercial. DON’T CONVERT IT TO RESIDENTIAL!

Among other things allow me to point out that East Whiteland Township has no as in zero rental ordinances. Properties might get inspected if they change hands in a sale, but unless there is a known life safety issue, buildings aren’t routinely inspected. Or if it’s so decrepit on the outside it can’t be ignored, it might be inspected. There are SO many apartments now and renters as much as anyone else deserve safe places to live and a rental inspection ordinance would help with that. 

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/52-E-Swedesford-Rd-Malvern-PA/27868468/

The agenda item says “Presentation and Discussion for 52 Swedesford Road (Tri-Point Properties).”

That name. Tri Point Properties. I knew I had heard it before, so I researched. They are in Downingtown and around 2015 they wanted to develop a Borough of Downingtown parking lot into an Eastside Flats kind of monstrosity, didn’t they? It created quite a stink back then. Josh Maxwell would have been mayor then.

Here are PDFs of two articles back then:

Developers-propose-parking-structure-wi.partments-in-Downingtown-–-Daily-LocalDownload

I think in the end it must have failed because the address still comes up as a Downingtown Borough Parking Lot and the borough still owns the land:

Here is the information on the parcel at 52 E. Swedesford Road (and oddly enough an SEC link🙂

SEC-FORM-DDownload

Developers come in and out of these townships. They take their profits, give a short term one time high of ratables and then they are onto their next project, leaving municipalities holding the bag. More apartments means more stresses on aching infrastructure which includes human beings as in first responders, not just roads, etc. 

And what about the schools? How long before it’s Great Valley East and Great Valley West? Just look to neighboring districts, it is something that might need to happen if development is not moderated.

However what do I think? I think East Whiteland’s Planning Commission will say yes to this, because I just do not think they get that when they can say no, they should once in a while and not entertain nonsense.

Here are the names of the Planning Commission members. Feel free to reach out to them if you are against this if you do know any of them:

Members

  • Deborah Abel, Chair
  • Todd Asousa, Vice Chair
  • Jeff Broadbelt 
  • Dante Bradley
  • John Laumer
  • Tim Kelly
  • Bill Wrabley 
  • EMAIL: bbulger@eastwhiteland.org

My final bone of contention is the planning commission has made Zoom disappear. That is a mistake and not very sunshine friendly. If they don’t wish to do Zoom, at a minimum the meetings should be recorded and put on East Whiteland’s website and You Tube. It’s more sunshine friendly.

I would suggest as many turn out in person as possible for this meeting. But it’s East Whiteland so you just don’t know if anyone will attend.

Carpe Diem, East Whiteland residents. If you don’t want to live in King of Prussia it’s time to start attending meetings and speaking up in general. Don’t be complacent. Say no to further becoming a King of Prussia cloneship.

Have a good evening.

“bookshelf wealth”?

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(Bookworm here, laughing.)

Apparently according to the New York Times if you have bookshelves with books in them, you have “Bookshelf Weath” – it’s some TikTok interior design craze, apparently. I don’t really TikTok and books? We love books here. They aren’t in our lives merely for interior design cuteness.

When it comes to aesthetic trends, social media loves a catchy name.

Cottagecore. Dark academia. Eclectic grandpa.

Now there’s a new entry to the canon: bookshelf wealth.

On TikTok and other digital platforms, there has lately been much ado about people who own a great number of books and — this is critical — have managed to stage them in a pleasing manner.

If you’ve ever seen a Nancy Meyers movie, the look might ring a bell. Warm and welcoming. Polished, but not stuffy. A bronze lamp here. A vintage vase there (with fresh-cut flowers, of course). Perhaps there is a cozy seating area near the floor-to-ceiling display, with an overstuffed couch topped with tasteful throw pillows.

Kailee Blalock, an interior designer in San Diego, posted a video to TikTok last month that sought to define bookshelf wealth and school viewers in achieving the aesthetic in their own homes.

~ New York Times
By Madison Malone Kircher

We have “bookshelf wealth” because we come from families of readers, and we are readers. Our books are here not because they look cute, but because they mean something. I don’t know how you can have a house without bookshelves or books, truthfully. I guess there are that many people that don’t read books anymore they just have them for decoration?

And I have had people come into our home and look at the bookshelves and ask if we’ve read the books, which to me is the weirdest question ever, because why would you have a book if you weren’t going to read it?

And please ignore the tiny pixies on the shelves. They are going away today. 🤣

Now a pro tip: those rolling racks that you use for underneath dorm room beds that aren’t up on risers for storage are great locations for extra books. In my case it’s where my extra gardening and cookbooks go.

But I digress….

I’m telling you this “trend” totally cracks me up because it was like that book trend a few years ago that also showed up somewhere on social media of people carving /cutting books, and like making sculptures out of the pages which to me was like so sacrilegious because again, I love books.

And I love fairs like the Saint David’s Church Fair every October because you can get some amazing books in the second hand book tent! And that fair probably has the best used book selection you will see at any flea market setting.

They used to have books at Harriton Fair in Bryn Mawr, but the current Executive Director in her eternal wisdom of behaving like an idiot, got rid of them at the fair starting in 2023 I think. Ironically, because I volunteered for that fair for so many years, I know for a fact that was one of the biggest moneymakers.

Also, most libraries will have used book sales at some point in the year. Two of my favorites, historically have been when the Tredyffrin library and Ludington library in Bryn Mawr put out the used books for sale sign.

For buying used books in general, it’s always fun to go into a used bookstore, there used to be one years ago at Bryn Mawr College called The Owl that was fabulous. And here in Chester County we have Baldwin’s Book Barn, and if you’ve never been, it’s an adventure and it’s awesome. You can also find a great selection of vintage and used books at garage sales and secondhand shops even Goodwill. And online through ThriftBooks and Abe’s Books etc.

Yes, can you tell I love books? But I have them because I read them or I read them or they mean something. They’re not just decorations on a shelf.

west whiteland’s history

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I stumbled across this again doing some research and it is truly a wonderful history of the township. It is on West Whiteland’s website and you can download it to read. I have uploaded it here as well because I really think it’s good.

A-History-of-West-Whiteland-2022-UpdateDownload

male chauvinist planning in west whiteland? or mansplaining at it’s finest… or both?

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The first Planning Commission meeting for West Whiteland Township was January 9th, but I missed it. The topic was that old folks development planned for Boot Road kind of on top of the Mariner East/SuNOco/Energy Transfer. Literally. Just put the address into the county pipeline interactive map.

PC-Packet-Jan.-9Download

I was concerned about this before as were many, many people. Which is why I was glad West Whiteland Supervisors didn’t just green light the plan 100% before. Among other things, there is no safety plan in the event of a pipeline emergency. We are talking elderly people, with any range of issues and that includes memory as in Alzheimer’s. It’s bad enough the pipeline runs super close to seniors in those places in East Goshen because the places were already built before Mariner East/SuNOco/Energy Transfer came through in recent years.

Yes, we’ve all lived mostly ok with petroleum pipelines. This is different. It’s more can go boom and will do so rather quickly and has the ability to cause incredible amounts of damage to life and property. Many of us, myself included live in blast zones for one pipeline or the other, so why built for at risk humans on top of a pipeline essentially?

Anyway since I missed the meeting I asked West Whiteland if I could have the zoom link. It’s a public meeting and publicly recorded so if you cannot go in person or attend the zoom portion, you CAN request to view it. (CLICK HERE) I will note again, that I requested the meeting like anyone else can. I have to point this out since people seem to think I actually run various townships with my blogging superpowers or get extra special treatment which makes me howl with laughter at the sheer absurdity of it. The truth is regular people have rights, and you can ask questions and ask to view public meeting recordings. The other truth is I am one opinion, one woman, why so fixated?

At first the meeting seemed pleasant enough and they welcomed a new member, Ginny Kerslake. If you click on below, turn up volume or watch entire meeting.

Now I make no secret that Ginny is one of my favorite people. I am very happy to see her on the Planning Commission in West Whiteland. There used to be another lady on it, but that committee runs itself like a boys’ club and often their attitude in general leaves a lot to be desired, so I have to wonder if that is why she is no longer there? I think some of them prefer those of us in the female species to be seen and not heard. I am sure I am on that list for expressing my opinion on things before them. 

This plan IMHO is still a fool’s errand. I don’t object to senior living facilities, but plans that are kind of bad….are just kind of bad. What makes THIS plan bad? Location and proximity to pipelines. That would be Item 9 being referred to a lot in the recording. I also think it’s too close to the road etc. It’s an awkward location all the way around, if most of us are honest, and no matter what happens, we can indeed think that.

That is kind of a BIG item (emergency plan) to NOT be addressed when submitting plan again or whatever, isn’t it? And Ginny Kerslake expressed the SAME concerns she expressed as an ordinary resident the LAST time this plan came up. And wow the rush of Male Chauvinist Planning in the room was something else. And mansplaining. Oy the mansplaining.

One of the chief voices on the recording I think was West Whiteland Planning Commission Vice Chair Mark Gordon. Why do I say that? The East Goshen and pipeline references. You see, Mr. Gordon was an employee of East Goshen Zoning Officer /Director of Codes until some point in in 2022. I guess he retired? Do they miss his sparkling know it all personality? He might not like that I said this, but it’s not illegal and I am just a silly woman, right?

Anywhoooo, a couple of those voices on the recording who were NOT anyone representing the applicant were horrible IMHO. So the other blue meanie I think was a guy named Jeff on the Planning Commission? Why are he and the Vice Chair so full of themselves anyway? Did I miss something? I have known quite a few men and women on planning commissions in various municipalities throughout the years and a lot of them have quite frankly amazing resumes and they didn’t behave so poorly even if they didn’t agree with the public, so what gives? 

The representatives of the applicant was quite pleasant throughout, I thought….and this can’t have been fun for them since they still don’t have a safety plan, right?

Here’s the 411 mansplaining Planning Commission members: you don’t know everything, no one has to kiss your rings. Yes, I am saying once again I am not fond of West Whiteland’s Planning Commission boys’ club. I have encountered it with other meetings and their obvious disdain for residents and neighbors and non residents and neighbors kind of just goes on. And it should NOT. If they don’t want to play nicely with residents etc., why are they there? That was Ginny Kerslake’s first meeting, so what is the objective? To beat her to a pulp verbally and will this continue every meeting moving forward? And point of fact, the Planning Commission has a liaison from the Board of Supervisors and why didn’t he calm the tone? He could have, it would have been most appropriate.

It’s funny, this coming week Willistown Township deals with the decorum of residents speaking at meetings. It seems West Whiteland needs to do the same with some of the Planning Commission members towards residents and seemingly women on their own board? I think it’s pretty pathetic but who am I but a mere mortal and female?

The biggest problem with certain West Whiteland Planning Commission members after mansplaining and dismissive atty-tudes is that they seem to think that if they make a recommendation it should be Gospel. They are an advisory board only. And I am glad Ginny Kerslake is there now because she will shake things up in a POSITIVE manner. I may or may not agree with her decisions while serving, but I will rest assured as will all West Whiteland residents that she LISTENS and does her HOMEWORK.

So yeah, boys’ club, I will get out the popcorn. And while I am waiting for the next mansplain be rude to female commission members occasion, I will take a moment to upload other agendas and some related screen shots where this Columbia Cottage thing has been discussed or other pipelines + elderly dwelling areas. It goes back to 2020 and I don’t even think I found them all. But seriously boys, what are you recommending for approval when all that time there hasn’t yet been a safety plan? How will you be when the plans for Church Farm Lane which will be Hershey’s Mill- like comes up? Maybe man babies, it is time to check your egos at the door and remember WHY you are SUPPOSED to be there?

You won’t like my opinions here, but am I completely wrong? I don’t think so.

Knock it off.

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