I’m rambling west for something that interests me. And it has nothing to do with Pennsylvania or Chester County Pennsylvania.
Today, I am taking my readers to a place I have never been but want to see some day. It’s a place where it is literally one of the last great open spaces of this country in the American west. It’s in a state where a few Pennsylvanians I know have settled. Including in some of the historic parts like Fort Collins and Villa Grove and elsewhere. Some came for the larger suburbs near Denver, other near resorts like Aspen. There are actually quite a few Pennsylvania ex-pats who call places in Colorado home that I can think of.
Someone I know in that part of the world sent me this story. Remarkably, a news station in Denver covered it. I say remarkably because this is Villa Grove, Colorado. In Saguache County. Population? According to my research literally like 260 – 300 people, but maybe only 30 full time residents. It’s a tiny frontier town 4.5 hours from Denver I believe so a news crew covering this is huge.
Residents in this tiny town don’t want an almost 200 foot cell phone tower taller than any tree a few hundred feet front where they live and less. Can you blame them? No one wants to live in the shadows of those wires here . Think of it as a giant abstract metal penis on a plain.
VILLA GROVE, Colo. — Nearly a third of the full-time residents who live in the small town of Villa Grove in Saguache County are now suing county commissioners after the approval of a 195-foot-tall cell phone tower in town. The county wants to build a massive telecommunications tower right on the edge of town, just a few hundred feet from the few homes there are in the picturesque town outside of Salida.
“Even our trees, which are the tallest things in town, are only about 60 feet,” said Paula Maez, one of the plaintiffs suing the county commissioners. “I’ve never sued anyone in my life, but I felt strongly enough about this that I stood up and will continue to stand up.”
Maez said there are only around 30 full-time residents in Villa Grove. There are no stoplights and only a handful of stores. Most people who live here have been here for decades…. “We recently had our Saguache County commissioners approve conditional land use for a cell phone tower that’s going in just to the northeast of here, basically right on top of our little town,” Maez said. “195 feet of metal monstrosity.”
Commissioners and the cell phone company both say that the tower would help with cell phone service in the rural area. However, the lawsuit hoping to stop the tower states it would only impact cell service within a five-mile area.
9NEWS wanted to talk to the Saguache County Commissioners about why they approved the cell phone tower even after more the half the town showed up to commission meetings to speak out against it. Their attorney said they won’t be talking about it.
So Saguache County, you don’t want to talk about it to the affected residents, media, or anyone else about a MAJOR decision to affect a small tight knit community that I bet you ignore as often as possible? Gosh, that’s so wonderful of you! (Yes, dripping sarcasm here.)
And this tower will have limited practical impact or value since it will only improve MAYBE a five mile radius?
Seriously ? Makes you ponder another question doesn’t it? Exactly WHO is getting paid WHAT to shove this cell tower in, Saguache County, CO?
Given this website (link right after this paragraph) I have to wonder since Villa Grove is an unincorporated town if this county is getting ready to tart the town up for their profit? It sounds very Yellowstone the TV series as a motive, but heck most things like this are about money, aren’t they?
Villa Grove has hot springs nearby they say, and beautiful vistas, why not fill the county coffers and make it super tourista, right? County profits? And I’m not saying that to be anti-progress, I’m saying that because progress that works needs resident input and participation. Duh.
The town of Garibaldi was established by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in 1870.[2] The town served as the southern terminus of the Rio Grande’s narrow-gaugePoncha Pass line from 1870 to 1890.[2] The town was named for ItalianrevolutionaryGiuseppe Garibaldi.[2] The Garibaldi Post Office opened on June 13, 1870.[5] The town’s name was changed to the less political Villa Grove on January 19, 1872.[5] The spelling of the town’s name was changed to Villagrove on October 12, 1894, and back to Villa Grove on July 1, 1950.[5]
Saguache County Colorado has issues if you dig around for articles, so maybe the thought that it is all about the money in the San Luis Valley is not so far fetched? And Villa Grove is considered the northern gateway to the San Luis Valley?
A couple of years ago there was a Live Nation music festival around Villa Grove called Seven Peaks Music Festival. Supposedly drew thousands of people to this tiny town? But then Dierks Bentley got fickle and moved it? Or does he always just move it around? Or was trendy Red Rocks his goal all along?
Well, that article makes you wonder doesn’t it but again I ask and it’s a pretty simple question: if an idyllic tiny frontier town in Colorado doesn’t want a cell phone tower in that town where else can I go? And is it really necessary RIGHT THERE?
And as is the case in any article in any paper across the country, politicians will talk a good game, but are they actually talking to and with their constituencies? It seems like in this case, the Saguache County commissioners here are merely ignoring these residents. If these are residents living there and paying taxes, why do they have to play mother May I with everything ?
And let’s talk about the natural beauty of the area as well as it being one of the last frontiers. I point out to you an article from 2009.
A Pennsylvania photographer is among the souls who’ve been branded by the high valley’s exquisite light.
Kathy Hettinga – who grew up in Alamosa and now is a professor of art at Messiah College near Harrisburg, Pa. – has returned to the San Luis Valley year after year, responding to its mystical lure and desolate beauty. She’s taken more than 10,000 photos in the valley’s historic cemeteries, recording the graves of generations of residents, some of them prosperous, most of them poor. She’s captured the plastic flowers, the plaster and enamel saints, the wood and metal and concrete crosses that mark the graves, and the churches that bear silent witness to the mortal comings and goings of the faithful.
A fraction of Hettinga’s 15 years worth of photos has been compiled into the book, “Grave Images: San Luis Valley.” She wrote the text and also helped design the book…. “I have a studio in Colorado (near Villa Grove). I still do consider the valley home,” Hettinga says during a phone interview. “I go there every summer and last year I was on sabbatical and spent a lot of time in the valley. I got to see the aspen and the beautiful light.
“The light in the San Luis Valley is really special: There’s the big sky, the 8,000-foot-elevation valley floor, the clear air – there’s a lot less atmosphere. Growing up, I loved it.
I think there’s a lot going on here. And I think, keeping a community the way the community wishes to be kept is not high on the priority list of Saguache County. To that end, they offer zoom meetings and I encourage nationwide media to attend it September 3 and anyone else who is interested in helping a small town preserve their way of life without a close to a 200 foot metal penis plunked in their town. Take a peek at their agendas and see how you can register. They can try to deny you but legally they cannot. It’s a public meeting.
I searched the county website for Saguache and came up virtually empty as to information on this cell tower. I guess I’m just used to the websites around here that when you have a land use issue like that, the municipality or the county will have documents up that people can look at as to who wants to do what basically and where and how you provide input. I found mentions on one agenda, but I don’t find meeting recordings after the fact unless I’m not looking in the right place. Except, I don’t think this is the most sunshine, friendly county government is it?
I’m not quite getting the executive session on an issue that’s kind of public? Does the county on the land in this little town where the cell tower is going up?
As for the two LLCs mentioned – I didn’t find too much either, which is not unusual. There are LLCs all over the place.
So that’s all I’ve got and this is literally a Nancy Drew mystery and it’s kind of concerning because this is the kind of thing that happens in more places than anyone wants to acknowledge. But I think a little frontier town in Colorado deserves a little sunshine here because this will affect their town and their properties and their way of life. And if people are saying yeah, we have cell phone service why do we have to have this giant tower? It makes a person wonder why the crickets as in political crickets as in no one is telling these people that are about to be directly affected much of anything? It’s only going to affect 5 mi.² or something than what is actually being planned for this area by that county?
People wonder where series like Yellowstone and 1923 and more get their inspiration. Isn’t the inspiration from life, history, current events?
So Taylor Sheridan? I think we have a new story for you. 👇 Yeah Villa Grove, Colorado why not contact him?
And Bryn Mawr Courts. OK they call it College Hall or the Courts or whatever now but it is STILL the same old animal house apartment building owned by Marks and Company forever. It is the corner of Montgomery Avenue and Morris Avenue in Bryn Mawr next to Shipley.
The Philadelphia Inquirer also has an article, but Philadelphia Magazine scooped all this morning.
So it’s the university, Marks & Co, and 3 defendants on the Philadelphia filed suit. As per PACER and Pacer Monitor.
Lead DefendantVILLANOVA UNIVERSITY800 Lancaster Avenue Villanova, PA 19085
Represented ByJAMES A. KELLER Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP contact info
Nominal Defendant College Hall Associates, L.P., d/b/a College Hall Apartments, a/k/a “The Courts”101 Mill Creek Road Ardmore, PA 19003
Nominal DefendantCollege Hall G.P., d/b/a College Hall Apartments, a/k/a “The Courts”101 Mill Creek Road Ardmore, PA 19003
Nominal Defendant Juan Eguiguren 800 Lancaster Avenue Villnova, PA 19085
Nominal DefendantElijah Jospeh Katzenell12606 Granite Rock Road Clarksburg, MD 20871
Nominal DefendantMarks & Company USA, Inc. d/b/a Marks & Company101 Mill Creek Road Ardmore, PA 19003
PlaintiffLT. JUDGE C.A.230 S. Broad Street Suite 900 Philadelphia, PA 19102
So it seems like only one of the students is still in the Philadelphia area at Villanova? These guys? This is a life tank and why is Villanova not doing more to protect female students? Maybe this is why Villanova needs a better handle on off campus student housing? How many years and how many stories? And always these apartments a problem…see this from Villanovan:
Ok BOLLOCKS. If Villanova supervised off campus students ANYWHERE would there have been all the issues last weekend involving keeping Tredyffrin, Upper Merion, and Radnor police busy? And devil’s advocate time: how can Villanova supervise all of the off campus kids anyway? It’s a big school and is there even an off campus directory yet? Other schools treat off campus a little differently and some schools need students to produce where they are living off campus if they want their class schedules etc, right?
That school has a reputation of misplaced sense of entitlement from a lot of the off campus students even if all the kids aren’t like that, and legit they all aren’t. But you never hear about THOSE kids, only the problems…
And it’s NOT like sexual assaults at Villanova haven’t been reported before.
And I can’t say Villanova or some at Villanova aren’t trying to make a difference. See:
But right now it’s back to school with an explosive case of sexual assault. Maybe Marks & Company should just redo the old Bryn Mawr Courts to regular apartments. It’s a really cool old pre-war building.
The alleged assault took place on the first week of the 2022-23 school year following a party known as Sylly Night. by Abraham Gutman Published Aug. 29, 2024, 5:53 p.m. ET
Yeah and about Katzenell? He seems like to like his social media so I am surprised they can’t track him down?
Yes Villanova of course is aware. So is Lower Merion Township for that matter when it comes to off campus student housing like the old Bryn Mawr Courts.
I am so not in the mood this week. Today it started with the above comment. The person was simply removed from my blog’s Facebook page. No muss no muss, nope not with this guy and it is quite curious as to why he is reaching out to me at all. Next came the comment on this website:
For those of you whom have a hard time reading screenshots, this is verbatim:
I understand that you are a “blogger” and control your blog and your facebook page as being “privately” managed but for public dissemination of information. I also support your right to restrict, block, ban and delete comments at your option. I was merely trying to respectfully engage with you regarding your public statements on your facebook page regarding Octorara School District, myself and Officer Falgiatore. For whatever reason you chose to avoid a public discussion. Again, I don’t have an issue other than attempt to be reasonable with you here. I am unable to DM you. I publicly stated that I no longer own the website http://www.culturalcontrarian.org. I also stated that I don’t believe you acquired that domain either. I would love an opportunity to converse with you about your previous posts and what information you might be able to share with law enforcement. If you are not interested in speaking about the case publicly, that is totally fine. It’s your page and your comments and posts are a public record and I’m sure that you stand behind all of those.
Let’s be clear: there are no “conversations” with this guy if you have followed this drama of his creation over the past couple of years. It started when this guy showed up at an Octorara School Board Meeting with some sort of weapon, right? He also has a relationship with a school board member who is with East Whiteland Police Department as a Sergeant (not an officer, hey get the rank correct, right?)
I have written about Miller TWICE here on this website (2023):
So that’s it. A few times maybe on the blog’s Facebook page but it was in the news, on YouTube, etc. I was never breaking new ground or having any aha moments. It was already out there. I mentioned in May that he let his website lapse and someone took it over. This is his old website: https://www.culturalcontrarian.org/ – it has new content but it’s still about this whole Octorara barrel, not can, of worms.
So one would think with a rational human being, that would be the end of it. But no, not this guy, he pops up a little website to literally doxx and harass me. And he throws in the name of a police officer in East Pikeland for that matter.
I wondered what prompted his contact, and I wondered was it simply media won’t talk to him, so bug a blogger? Or was it his Checo Court of Common Pleas cast which has pre-trial in September? Here is that docket:
Everything about this whole bizarro world enchilada has been on social media, You Tube, some newspapers, court dockets etc. for two years or so. I followed it to a point, but not particularly intensely. I don’t know what his end game is, but I will not be harassed and doxxed because I don’t want to speak with him. I am also not hiding from this and what he is trying to now do to me because it’s wrong. He’s wrong and I can have that opinion. He will have his day in court, it has nothing to do with me. Mr. Miller also has other to reach out to, but he has decided I am a new target?
I am not playing this game. Below is just some of the stuff out there in the public domain about this. I still do not get why people think they can bring any kind of weapon to a school board meeting, let alone a school boar meeting way the hell out of their district.
One thing about being a blogger, it can be interesting. Sometimes you do actually have to file police reports, sadly.
So remember not so long ago when Radnor School District had to change the high school mascot ?
Article: Anatomy of a Mascot Students at the storied Radnor High said their team symbol, the Red Raider, was racist and vowed to change it. Alumni fought back with surprising vehemence. By Dana Thomas Published June 30, 2021Updated July 10, 2021
It was quite the tumultuous time in Radnor Township and I had friends who are alumni and friends with kids currently in the school district on both sides of the issue. And I’m going to be honest it’s not really nasty, but I remember reading after that, and they went from Raider to Raptor, that some other institutions followed suit and decided to go for something more middle of the road, and not potentially offensive in a world with too many lightning rod issues.
You can read the article for free, but you get the gist of it. So I thought I had remembered hearing about chatter having to do with this in the Coatesville school district back when that was happening and sure enough, I found this opinion in the Daily Local from August 19,2021:
I wanted to reach out in the interest of collaboration and community to ask if there has been any discussion regarding the updating of Coatesville’s outdated and culturally inappropriate logo, mascot and team chants. As a Native person I find that this collection is incredibly offensive and today I was further enraged when I saw a posting for the Kid Raiders – I almost fell out of my chair when I noticed the logo of the small unhappy shirtless child.
It’s very important for the name and logo change – there’s no shortage of scientifically reviewed, peer-evaluated research that suggests Native American imagery in sports has tangible, negative effects on Natives, particularly youth.
It’s always bothered me – however I’ve been very vocal on the taxes and change in leadership as first priorities – now that you’ve made huge strides in those arenas – I feel like the environment is right for the next topic on my list.
I implore you to make Coatesville the better place that it can and should be.
Catherine Courreges
Coatesville
Well, as you can see, there is still the Native American mascot in Coatesville. So seriously is it OK or tone deaf?
Now there was even a bill in 2021 in the PA house that would have I guess forced a blanket change for problematic mascot names across the state, and I’m guessing that went nowhere:
So I posted this on my blog’s Facebook page because I really haven’t decided what to think. I think the imagery in the photo is what drew my attention to it. Otherwise, I probably would have gone on being oblivious to it and it’s high school.
Every high school has mascots but this photographer likes bells and whistles and lots of retouching effects, so the photo reaches out and grabs you. Now people (not just me) are talking about it again.
Immediately, almost after posting what did people think about this, the photographer blocked my blog’s Facebook page because I had shared her post. Of course, I’ve had taken screenshots, which you see above.
Here are some of the comments that have shown up:
I saw #villementality but read “#vilementality.
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I’ll take blatant cultural appropriation for $1000 Alex
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is there a chance that she is of native American descent? I try not to get too far down the road without understanding the background.
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unionville changed, but I think coatesville is a hold out
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so is the sports photographer supposed exclude the mascot in her photography sessions?
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It’s Coatesville’s mascot…I’m assuming she’s head cheerleader wearing the Chief Red Raider headpiece
And I’m not trying to ruin some cheerleader’s senior year. I just found it ironic, considering that big article in couple years ago more than a couple years ago, where Coatesville school district was trying to “re-brand”.
Re-branding came up again in June:
Now, this lady seems to think it is her sworn duty to promote anything Coatesville better. And that’s her community and I am not showing disrespect for her. You either are or you aren’t and the comments on this were mixed, but this one comment stuck out to me in particular:
I am a Native American and I can’t say I am offended by the mascot. However, I feel the same as those who have said “there should be more history regarding the Native people taught in schools. The Native people were on this land first (and no, Columbus did NOT discover America) and yet not much is taught about the history of my people other than the fiction that you see in movies. That offends me more than the mascot !!
You can’t really disagree with this woman can you? She’s Native American the whole idea of the mascot doesn’t offend her, but she would like the history of Native Americans to be true and taught. Native Americans and other indigenous peoples like the Inuits in Alaska, and throughout Canada, were indeed the ones all here before any of us.
And while the indigenous peoples seem to be celebrated more in Canada, they don’t seem to be consistently celebrated in the US and a lot of times there is bigotry and racism, and what not.
This comment also spoke to me from that Facebook discussion:
The “Red Raider” mascot never bothered me because I grew up with it. But to be honest, “Red Raider” is a whole lot more offensive than most of the other Native American mascot names (“Warriors,” “Braves,” etc.) which at least credit them with being tough and brave. The term “raider” connotes attacking something/somebody viciously and without warning. I’m fine with whatever the schools and/or the community decide, but we shouldn’t pretend that the term is not offensive to Native Americans. (I do like Amanda’s suggestion that our kids learn about Native American culture as part of their American History lessons. After all, when Columbus “discovered” America there were already people here!) 😉
And this comment:
While I am a proud Red Raider alumnus, parent, and employee, I also understand how our mascot is problematic. I am not personally offended because I have no direct connection to the Native American community. I’m not saying the mascot should or shouldn’t be changed; I know it would certainly feel very strange to see anything different since it’s what I’m used to and have celebrated for many years. However, there are plenty of small steps that can be taken to make things less hurtful if we can’t/won’t officially change the mascot. The suggestion of adding more Native history into the curriculum is one such thing. What about a land acknowledgement posted in each of the district buildings, noting the building sits on land originally inhabited by such and such people. A similar statement could be made at the start of each board meeting. Many organizations do this. When we purchase new uniforms, spirit wear, etc. why do we need to include the Chief illustration? Couldn’t we just stick with the big C? There is no simple solution to this, but I believe it’s important we respect each other and understand some people are hurt by the depiction of our mascot, just as some people will feel a loss if/when the Red Raider is no more.
So Coatesville already re-branded in their history. Until 1941 they were the Red Devils. Interesting. It seems that fear of offending the religious won the day in 1941.
There are lots of lots of comments on this June Facebook thread about it. I’m not going to copy them all, but I did take a sampling.
I am sure I will get hate mail and threats because I’m writing about this, which, of course, proves my point once again that people have lost the ability to discuss anything.
I’m looking to discuss it, especially in light of the fact that other districts in Chester County did change. Unionville retired old mascot in 2020.
Now Twin Valley is also being targeted by the ACLU as of November, 2023. I guess this doesn’t really surprise me because I think the Twin Valley School District has issues and have thought that for many years.
click on photo to read press release
– The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania filed a federal lawsuit today on behalf of Sloane Wolfe, a high school student who has been advocating to end her school district’s use of its “Raider” mascot based on its stereotypical depiction of North American indigenous people. The lawsuit claims that Twin Valley School District’s refusal to recognize a student club devoted to ending the use of the mascot and raising awareness about indigenous culture violates Sloane’s rights under the First Amendment and the Equal Access Act to use school facilities on the same basis as other student-led groups.
For three years, Sloane, her older sister, and other students in the Twin Valley School District have attempted to establish an official school club to “Retire the Raider.” Official school club recognition would allow Retire the Raider to meet during the school day, be featured on the school district’s website, and post flyers in school hallways.
“I want my district to be inclusive for everyone, and silencing my voice is not a solution,” said Sloane Wolfe. “Unfortunately, the district has fought our efforts to change its offensive mascot every step of the way.”
Administrators have refused to grant Retire the Raider official recognition because the students have been unable to find a teacher willing to serve as the club’s advisor. The lawsuit alleges that school administrators actively discouraged teachers from working with the club because many in the community oppose the club’s efforts to change the mascot.
“School officials can’t refuse to recognize a student club simply because they don’t like the club’s message,” said Richard Ting, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Pennsylvania.
Like I said, I don’t know the state of the Twin Valley School District Raider issue, but proximity-wise, they’re kind of cousins to Coatesville which, of course makes me wonder how both of them ended up with the same mascot except one is a green “Raider” and the other is red “Raider”.
Anyway, that’s all I’ve got on this I’m mostly trying to gauge public opinion and see where people are on both sides of this issue. I will admit that I think if any of these schools are going to keep this imagery, they need classes on Native American history and history of indigenous peoples of the United States, which also include Inuit peoples.
Is Coatesville School District still employing this consultant and do they still have a PR firm? The article clearly indicates that this issue came up backthenaswell about changing the mascot. I’m pointing that out because I’m not breaking any new ground here. This is something that has been discussed before.
So that’s all I’ve got. I’m sure the haters will come out of the woodwork as I mentioned before and if they have an ounce of reading comprehension, they will see I’m probing into the topic because it’s timely and it’s one that has been coming up every now and then and not going away in various school districts.
I am not trying to start a new culture war in Chester County, but obviously it needs to be discussed. Unless of course Photography by Ro is just going to block everyone on Facebook? And if she does that, what’s the point of trying to promote her business on social media? 
Stay cool and thanks for stopping by and I guess this is a back to school post after a fashion.
6 PM UPDATE:
For writing about the debate over the Coatesville Mascot, and the Twin Valley mascot for that matter, note I am being harassed. I shared screenshots of PUBLIC post, that anyone in the WORLD can share. There is a little globe. The topic has not ever been the actual cheerleader, who is a cute girl. The topic is whether or not the Coatesville Area School District mascot is tone deaf in today’s world? Should there be a new mascot and should Native American and history of other indigenous peoples like the Inuit tribes in Alaska and throughout Canada also be part of a curriculum? This is a topic in other places including Twin Valley School District where an ACLU suit was filed late last year. Shame on the adults in that cheerleader’s life for not being able to articulate to her that NO ONE is dissing her, it’s a conversation about the continued imagery of these mascots. If Coatesville hadn’t changed their mascot of the Red Devil in 1941 to the Red Raider to appease undoubtedly the overly religious we would not be having this conversation, would we?
It’s back to school with off campus student party houses…still Villanova for the most part and still in Mount Pleasant in Tredyffrin and surrounding area. Tredyffrin, Radnor, and Upper Merion all involved last night….
The scanners tell snippets of the tale and last night and again it was Tredyffrin PD, Upper Merion PD, and Radnor PD.
Upper Gulph Road, Old Eagle School Road, near Woodland School, West Valley Road, Mount Pleasant, Upper Gulph and Arden Roads and tell me again are these new dorm locations or just Villanova University off campus student animal house rentals?
So will these municipalities pretend that there is no problem, especially Tredyffrin?
Only time will tell.
Residents are fed up already and it is not even Labor Day.
It’s always the same old story. People understand that college kids want to have fun, except the college kids that rent these off-campus student rentals, seem to have a distinct lack of respect for the surrounding area. And it’s kind of sad because it would take so little effort for them to get along with their neighbors and just be a temporary part of the community that gets along with their neighbors, instead of causing problems. And Villanova needs to be more on top of this as well.
However, it’s not just the kids and the school which need to be held accountable. You must include the rental slumlords, who own and are renting these houses who also need to be held accountable by these municipalities. I am always amazed how all these houses pass rental inspections aren’t you?
All threats on this topic are reported to police and Villanova’s own security department.Just like last year.
August 19 featured a hearing at the Tredyffrin Supervisors meeting on 83 Chestnut Rd in Paoli. George Broseman is attorney for the applicant. This is an office building being planned to convert to multi family dwelling units which is apparently a permitted use in the township codes and the building is in the TC “Town Center” district. They would need a zoning variance to add two additional living units, seemingly 1 bedroom apartments.
You have to click on video link because Tredyffrin is a control freakish township and doesn’t allow embedding.
Office building are kind of having problems. So converting to mixed use or residential isn’t unheard of. They mention (the applicant) attainable housing AKA affordable housing. Chester County is lacking that. Either 9 units it sounds like by right or 11 with a zoning variance. Property has sufficient parking supposedly.
So why did this interest me? This thing floating around social media:
The comments along with the post was insane. I think it started on NextDoor but also appeared on Facebook. Enjoy some of the comments. I covered up the names, but maybe I shouldn’t have. So ignorant. What planet are the on? Never mind, we already know (sadly.)
Tredyffrin actually clapped back on social media:
The applicant stated moderate pricing to them if 9 units no more units, something like $1500- $1800 1 BR and $1500- $ 2000 2 BR. They will follow ADA guidelines, sounds like 1 unit would be handicap unit? Their units would be priced (they say) 25% – 30% less than other apartments that are class A. They are considered class B.
The cross examination during the hearing was interesting and somewhat contentious. We’ll see how that all plays out but I will say if an easement affects a neighbor it should be considered, right? You can’t just develop away someone’s rights or can you?
BUT AGAIN….IT’s THE WHOLE CRAZY CONSPIRACY THEORY THING. HOW DO PEOPLE IMAGINE THIS STUFF?
So apparently this issue is being continued until a September meeting? What I keep coming back to is the social media ugliness I captured about this property. You do not have to like an application but WHERE ANYWHERE DOES IT SAY THIS BUILDING WILL BE USED FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANTS?
This is the crap that we need to exterminate from our communities. You don’t have to like an application, but it doesn’t mean you get to poof like magic turn into a bunch of freaks and make things up!
I am not a big fan of Tredyffrin, too many weird things happen there, but to spread misinformation like this is wrong and somewhat disgusting. A few affordable apartments. In an area with seemingly endless townhouse? Seriously?. And the guy who said he was worried about crime because NINE to ELEVEN apartment might go in? Go install a panic room. You can hear all this when people were looking for party status.
I have no horse in this race as to whether or not this get built out and retrofitted as apartments. I don’t really care, truthfully I think it’s pretty unattractive back there. What i care about is finding some totally screwy essentially racist and fear-mongering thing on social media.
On July 31, 2024 the Chester County District Attorney’s office formerly charged Kathryn Calmus Frankel with arson after the July 23rd SECOND destructive fire at 400 Leopard Road in Berwyn, in Easttown Township. The FIRST destructive fire of May1st I guess is still under investigation? There have been no updates that I know of, do you?
Now the preliminary hearing was scheduled in front of Magisterial District Justice Mackenzie W. Smith at his court on 1572 Paoli Pike in West Chester ORIGINALLY on August 5th. It has been CONTINUED to September 9th and she is represented by Joseph P. McMahon of Lancaster, PA.
I have no news on the actual house. I have driven by a few times since the July fire and it is surrounded by chain link fencing and is so sad to see. I do not know if it will ever rise from these ashes, and if they demolish it I hope people document that in photos. It is a great loss as a historic asset.
I don’t have much…yet. But the Uwchlan Township supervisors meeting replay for last evening, August 19th caught my eye. Specifically public comment at the end. I liberated that segment, but if you CLICK HERE you can see entire meeting.
Anyway, the entire area has been all aflutter about actor Mark Ruffalo filming with HBO for something called Task I think? Ok that’s cool and Ruffalo is supposed to be a big environmentalist so why are neighbors upset about HBO and all littering in Uwchlan on Peck Road in Downingtown?
Filming is always disruptive if you live in an area where it occurs. There is no doubt about it. Filming on location is always hard on properties, which is why a relative turned down having their property being part of Oprah Winfrey’s “Beloved” when they were filming in Philadelphia in the 1990s.
Now Peck Road has been a mess because of construction and a little bridge or something. I wonder if it has anything to do with the future plans for Peck Road that the neighbors mention in their comment and for which I found as a preliminary Sketch Plan on Uwchlan’s website?
So I went an looked up where they are talking about and found:
Did you know under prior ownership there was a clean and green designation? Just an aside but kind of sad if it is now going to be a subdivision, right? What happens to those designations when properties change hands anyway? Sorry, I digress.
So while filming and construction has been going on, I have to ask is there still a special needs house on Peck right around there? There used to be. I imagine it has been disruptive for those folks and special needs residents if so…and that include night filming by HBO.
It’s great that HBO films and other people film but if I had to hazard a guess (in response to Mrs. Harding who asked), I would say that the people who got paid for HBO to film would have been whomever owns the old French farm. And if the property is subject to a subdivision, I doubt they would care if a film crew etc. were hard on the property because everything will just disappear if a development happens anyway. Sad but true.
I have included Google street view from August 2023 and one from 2019 of the location that shows before the trees got turned into giant standing toothpicks of ugliness. If neighbors have photos of the filming and trash left behind, I am happy to post and attribute however you would like.
And HBO and Mark Ruffalo if you are out there? Maybe it’s time to make nice with these neighbors around 655 Peck in Uwchlan? After all, they didn’t ask to be part of Hollywood and they certainly shouldn’t have to pick up your trash. That’s not very environmentally friendly of you.
Willistown is churning up like a tropical depression once again. Would that the ill wind that blows no good over there start by blowing some of these charmers to Puerto Rico and they can ship their love of Teslas there by freighter or something?
We shall start with the sewer rats, one in particular, who seems to like bombarding the township with emails. And when he’s not bombarding the township stuff with emails, he’s bombarding the supervisors. Seems like an old man should get a new hobby, eh? He doesn’t seem to get that the actual business of the township should not include constantly babysitting his maniacal bullsheit? Maybe those lovely brown belteds should leave him a pile of manure to shovel?
It’s also like the antics of S & S guy (Sidewalks and Sewers – just felt the need to shorten it) are ramping up. Calgon, take Willistown away….also is he really going to be running for Supervisor?
Now I’m going be honest that this person with this crusade was seemingly only friendly with me as long as I was useful or agreed with him, which does make you feel kind of used as a human being, but that’s on him not me. Hey it’s his jam and when we last spoke he said he was going to be running for Supervisor in Willistown and maybe it’s not the worst idea for him to see how the other half lives is it?
The whole thing with the sewers is, there’s no pleasing some of these people and the person posting about one component of this evening’s meeting is on septic, so he is NOT AFFECTED. Stirring up a sheit storm may not go as well as he thinks right?
The reality is a lot of these municipal sewer systems have deferred maintenance. And people in these townships kick the problems down the curb and apply Band-Aids for decades until they no longer can so then the repairs have to be made, however saying all that….the one thing that these people and Willistown still don’t seem to understand is they DO NOT actually OWN the sewer. they use it and they are billed for their use but it’s kind of like a leasehold thing. It’s not an ownership thing.
None of this is free. And umm developments have helped put more stress on infrastructure and that includes the sewer system.
And then there are sidewalks as an issue.
Sidewalks in some places aren’t a bad idea but the thing that the sidewalk people don’t understand is who all is supposed to pay for it, and why many suggested roads are fakakta. They also want to tell you that grants and everything will pay for it all or get the sidewalks approved and THEN figure out the details but that’s not always true is it and that’s why sidewalks are often a hot topic in communities, correct?
One problem with sidewalks is once they go in they are the responsibility of the property owner who gets the sidewalks plunked on their property that means no municipality and no Penndot is paying for it. they will tell you if it’s in the right away, you won’t pay for the sidewalk, but you will. That’s what residents in Radnor Township and other places have learned.
And then what if there are people that don’t want to give their land to a municipality for sidewalk use? That creates an eminent domain situation. That’s what almost happened to the Hicks Farm and East Goshen.
So, if these are your issues in Willistown, I’m not saying don’t have them as your issues, but I am saying learn and listen, so learn the facts…and avoid peekaboo keyhole blouses as well. But I hear one fashionista is lately obsessed with driving a Tesla cross county and well can we say bon voyage? Is the car named Pinky too?
I will note that the rooster issue and the issue of how many farm animals in a suburban subdivision back yard is a good thing has yet to be addressed so what does Willistown have to lose by dealing with a perennial problem? It’s stupid not to address it.
Also can we chat about something else interesting here? Can you trust someone with sewer antics and sidewalk dreams who was seen cozying up to someone involved with the development of Rock Hill Farm? So is the pretzel logic here big development on that swath of beautiful open space is OK as long as it means a concrete jungle of sidewalks? Seems like selling one’s souls to the devil doesn’t it?
Desperation always makes strange bedfellows….in Willistown.
The Willistown meeting is in person and non-recorded as always at the General Wayne Elementary School this evening at 7 PM. I admit, I have a huge problem with the township, not making an effort to record the meetings and upload them to YouTube or something while their township building is under reconstruction. That’s archaic and not sunshine friendly.
Here’s the link to the entire agenda and bring your popcorn:
