this is why municipalities need ordinances that correct wrongs

219 Namar Avenue, Exton, PA

Namar Avenue in Exton/West Whiteland is one of those little neighborhoods of post-war (as in World War II) housing and earlier. There was a housing boom in Chester County before and following World War II which is how places like General Warren Village in East Whiteland came to be for example, and parts of Northeast Philadelphia too. This house is in Whiteland Crest I believe the name of this little area in Exton. And that area started coming into existence I think in the 1930s and most building was done up to the 1950s at some point.

Sadly this cute area is home to a rather derelict house.

Can you imagine living with this derelict house next door to you? It was sold most recently in 2021. It is the first photo in this post and the two just above.

But if you just Google the address, that house has had a lot going on for years:

I think there is probably a rather sad story here PRIOR to 2021 but the new owners have continued to let it rot since 2021, so what gives?

My point of this post is not all negative. My point actually is there is hope for dealing with properties like this at least in West Whiteland since is West Whiteland is a municipality that approved a property maintenance ordinance in March. Now if that ordinance had been in effect before the property changed hands in 2021, the township would have perhaps been able to help the homeowner find a non-profit group to help them clean up. But since this property changed hands in the fall of 2021 it has continued to dangerously deteriorate, so now this code will also be of help to the neighbors who deserve better than this.

I remember when I first moved to Chester County, in East Whiteland there was a derelict house on Morstein Road. The police had to babysit it because kids kept going in etc. Eventually the family sold it for a two lot subdivision. But if there had been more of a maintenance ordinance then in that township, maybe it would have been different? I also think this West Whiteland ordinance will also address people building structures without permits that require permits. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Along with ordinance like this there should be rental ordinances. Not just life and safety and inspections required when a property changes hands. The developers have introduced so many apartment complexes and developments that are loaded with rentals that it is desperately needed.

And student rental ordinances. East Whiteland is home to Immaculata, as an example. And there is no rental ordinance or student rental ordinance is there?

What made me think about those kinds of ordinances again in particular were comments on NextDoor about Frazer Crossing Apartments which used to be known as William Henry. But I thought about rental ordinances when the whole human trafficking thing happened in East Whiteland. It just made me wonder if there were rental inspection ordinances, would there have been rentals with human trafficking going on? Or would that bad row of houses just past the Wawa at 30 and Planebrook Road exist if there were actual rental ordinances in place?

It’s a shame that we no longer live in a world where people will do the right things, but if people don’t know what the rules are will they do the right thing today? My thoughts on ordinances like this are nothing new. I wrote about the need for rental property ordinances in April.

I see West Whiteland as taking proactive steps in ordinances surrounding property maintenance and rental properties. It’s a good thing, it will create a level and safe playing field. Here’s hoping some of her neighbors follow suit.

Thanks for stopping by.

things that make me not respect people in my own community

Anonymous I am not, no matter what people I choose not to know and interact with say.

And within my own community if I think something is wrong. I stand up and I say so. Anonymous letters using probably someone’s voters list bother me. I received one such piece of mail a little while ago

I do not respect this. If you don’t like something in your community, don’t use a voter rolls list, stand up as a taxpayer and resident and say you don’t like something will we join you or will we talk about it, etc.

Anonymous lost me here. Not because of what bothers them necessarily, but because we as residents don’t know who is behind this mass mailing. How are we supposed to know if these people have our best interests at heart or their own personal agenda?

Well if they want me to listen (and perhaps that doesn’t matter to them) I would like to know which political party donated a mailing list and why we should listen?

Tell your neighbors if you are one of us and why. Plenty of the rest of us, myself included, stand up and are heard. Either do that or sit down.

This could very well be some out of the area slum lord. Or it could be a developer who might not be able to shove as many lemming apartments in.

And as much as I am not particularly in favor of Route 30 being widened, in places it is actually possibly necessary. But there have been meetings about this for years, it’s not a new topic.

This is as distasteful to me as the anonymous calls I received a few years ago telling me it was my job to get up and say the now former township manager wasn’t good, even if that hadn’t been my personal experience, you expected me to go to a township meeting while you hid in the shadows. I wouldn’t carry that water then, and won’t urge anyone to do so now if we don’t know who we are dealing with and why.

So whomever you are if you want community consideration, let us know you are actually one of us invested in our community. Until then, piss off with this throwback East Whiteland political skullduggery.

wtf development proposed AGAIN in east whiteland…

Start around the 1 hour 20 minute mark.

WTF East Whiteland Township? HOW MUCH ROUTE 30 DEVELOPMENT DO WE NEED? MORE FREAKING APARTMENTS?

OH BARF.

I mean seriously what is this bullshit?

This is planned for the Clews and Strawbridge property. 310 Lancaster Avenue Malvern/Frazer. Otherwise known as where the 18th century farmhouse has been rotting for YEARS and YEARS.

People time to contact East Whiteland Township. Go to meetings. Like yesterday. Chester County is going to sink under the weight of development. Our infrastructure can’t support this, our school districts can’t support this, we can’t continue to live like this.

If you live in East Whiteland Township or drive through this area or live in a municipality on either side of this area, please contact East Whiteland Township. It’s time for us to start standing up for what we want in our community and not just standing idly by like a bunch of sheep.

Stop the madness. Slow down development.

Supervisor E-Mails:

slambert@eastwhiteland.org

rorlow@eastwhiteland.org

pfixler@eastwhiteland.org

Township Manager:

sbrown@eastwhiteland.org

Assistant Township Manager:

cricardo@eastwhiteland.org

Be polite but if you OBJECT, PLEASE speak up.

NOT RELATED but Also don’t forget about the FIRE at a new construction site in West Whiteland on Lancaster Avenue right near Church Farm School. It was May 5th. As described by West Whiteland Fire Company:

At 8:18AM The West Whiteland Fire Company was dispatched to the 800 block of E. Lincoln Hwy. in the new neighborhood under construction for a commercial building fire. The West Whiteland Township Police Department arrived to find heavy smoke showing.

Employees tried to extinguish the fire with an extinguisher prior to calling 911, unfortunately giving the fire time to grow. Initial arriving crews stretched two hand lines to the first and second floors. Crews found fire coming from the floor of the second floor. An attempt was made to extinguish the fire, but the fire had already spread throughout the void space between the two floors. Due to collapse concerns crews were ordered to evacuate the building. The fire continued to grow rapidly and reached gas lines. Eventually the fire reached the attic space and caused a collapse of the HVAC system on the roof into the second floor. Crews then went into defensive operations with master streams. The fire was placed under control in just under an hour and a half. Crews cleared the scene at 1 PM after extensive overhaul.

Thank you once again to our mutual aid partners for your assistance at todays fire. Lionville Fire Company, East Brandywine Fire Company, First West Chester Fire Co., Engine Co. 51, Goshen Fire Company, Uwchlan Ambulance Corps, Good Will Fire Company #2 of West Chester and East Whiteland Fire Company.

Also, a big thank you to The Paoli Fire Company and their crew for standing by while we operated and helping our crews get the apparatus cleaned and back into service.

~ West Whiteland Fire Company 5/5/23

dear willistown, if someone dumped strange chemicals on my property, can guarantee happiness wouldn’t abound

So does anyone recognize that broad side of a barn or the logo on that tractor thing?

Well, apparently, if it’s something weird that will happen, it will happen in Willistown Township.

A friend has come to me asking if I recognized anything about this tractor like the logo and she knows it’s grainy because it’s from a security camera. Here is the tiny video. The video was taken May 3, 2023 at 9:50 AM. This video was taken on their property on Creek Road. They think that this vehicle came from Wildwood Drive.

The homeowners here were not home. They were out of town. They had not contracted with anyone for any sort of work on the property. And as far as they have been able to ascertain neither have their neighbors.

They went to the Willistown Police Department via phone because they were out of town when the security camera went off. They filed a police report right then, but right or wrong, recounted to me that they didn’t feel taken seriously, or the person taking the report didn’t understand how bad this could actually be.

Not only was their lawn completely turfed, and I have photos to post next, there is this smell emanating from where whoever this was dumped whatever it was and people need to know what the chemicals are! And yes the smell is still there! And it’s now days later!!

Now my friend does appreciate that Willistown sent an officer to check it out, however, this is something that is kind of a big deal potentially. Like many of us they are on a well. Like many of us, they have pets that could be potentially fatally sickened from whatever was tossed on their property. The officer who responded did not seem to get out of their vehicle?

This dumping event is SO not OK. Not only does this person not know what chemicals were dumped, but whoever the company is and employee totally ruined her lawn. She and her husband feel utterly VIOLATED and environmentally conscious Willistown Township needs to get on the stick here.

If you have any information, leave a comment, and or message any other kind of proof to this blog’s Facebook page. I will pass it along to the homeowner. If you saw the truck carrying this weird little tractor thing and Bubba in his big blue suit, also helpful information.

Illegal dumping is actually a crime. And this counts is illegal because they didn’t authorize any work or anything.

If you are media, and you would like to be connected to this person, you can similarly contact me and I will pass your information along to them.

We have enough environmental hazards on a daily basis without some thing that is intentionally bad news like this.

UPDATE – following screenshots sent by a Nancy Drew doing sleuthing- not me FYI:

dear world, not having fun

The view from my window. I love the view but people, this virus completely sucks. I feel like hell.

Another fever overnight. The kind where your joints hurt and your eyelids feel hot.

Oh and the cough. My ribs hurt at this point and for COVID it’s not too bad in the cough department. I also don’t dig the congestion. I am so congested that if I bend over so my head goes lower than my shoulders, it is the worst feeling of just pressure you can imagine.

And I wake up every couple of hours during the night, I know that my COVID is relatively mild since I have all shots available, but wow this is so not fun.

My husband is thankfully fine, but he gets to do lockdown too.

I pretty much figured out where I came in contact with someone with COVID. It was high school reunion that for the non denominational private schools around here this past weekend. My own reunion year a couple of years ago didn’t happen because of COVID, and I knew people who were coming back this year, so I wanted to see people. I mean don’t you just miss seeing people?

So yes I believe I picked up COVID at the Shipley reunion weekend Friday events because I literally have not been in other crowd situations even if not so crowded. And I wasn’t anywhere leading up to this event. Has anyone else ‘fessed up getting COVID last weekend? Or am I the only one who was honest? I get the COVID is everywhere, but given that I have pretty much been an immunocompromised homebody since COVID started, that is the logical point of origin.

Slight pity party of one here. It’s my birthday week and no herb sale Thursday in Historic Yellow Springs Village and no art show plus the things we were invited to this coming weekend.

I think part of the problem with this virus is the stigma one feels when you contract it and have to tell people you were around to get tested and then there are the people who don’t tell you they were exposed or who go out sick. And then there are the people who could get vaccinated and just didn’t. They didn’t want their rights violated during a pandemic, a public health emergency but it was OK if they made others sick. And I am unapologetic about my perspective.

Yes I wear the scarlet C for COVID this week. I know some people think it’s funny, but it’s really not. I don’t wish this on anyone.

I still have almost no speaking voice. That was the first thing that happened incidentally that made me wonder if I had COVID. I never lose my voice. I am still just so tired. Fever at night and I should buy stock in paper companies that make tissues and more.

And I keep reminding myself I have a relatively mild case of COVID compared to others I know. I am also glad my mother is visiting my sister on Mother’s Day because I would not be able to see her.

I may never know who actually gave me COVID, but whomever they are I wish they had stayed the hell home last week.

Well I am making tea with fresh mint and ginger and then I’m going back to sleep.

Be well and enjoy the beautiful day.

when the COVID bug bites

Well, it finally got me. I have been careful since Covid appeared on our scene and this weekend I was exposed to someone with it. I have no idea if it was someone who was unvaccinated and carrying it or just dumb luck.

I have had to tell everybody I know that I was around.

I did four things this weekend, and literally I have not done that since 2019. I have been absurdly careful, almost paranoid at times.

I woke up early this morning finding it hard to breathe like I had a cold. My voice is pretty much gone and when I have it, it sounds like Kermit the frog lives in my body.

Now I am achy. And my eyelids feel kid sick hot. Everything in my life now grinds to a halt. No herb sale at Yellow Springs on Thursday or Art Show. Also no gathering Friday or Saturday and I actually had plans. And Mother’s Day is Sunday, but my sister has mommy custody. Thank goodness.

I do have my sense of taste, however.

I made it this long so that’s a pretty good lucky streak. Look for those of you out there who think this virus doesn’t exist or it won’t strike you, it got me and again I have been extra careful for three years because I am a cancer survivor and patient.

I feel like crap but mostly I feel kids sick. I don’t know how else to explain it other than it’s reminiscent of how you felt when you got sick and your mom took care of you when you were little.

I have had to tell so many people because I saw so many people over the past few days. And right or wrong I feel like some people are mad at me for telling them. Like I did it on purpose.

God damn it. Sign me pissed.

#missing on friday: have you seen this boy from west bradford?

Missing. This is brand new, and I was contacted by the boy’s mother and asked if people could kindly share this. He is from West Bradford. He is in the category of endangered person because he is slightly on the spectrum but high functioning.

He is a nice boy. He is nonviolent, but because he has slight challenges, he might be extra wary of strangers BUT he likes to talk about dogs and animals .

He goes by Jon or Jonathan.

He has been missing since May 3 when he POSSIBLY went for a walk and didn’t come home. I say possibly because no one really is sure what happened.

Please keep your eyes peeled and if you see him call 911.

Keep this boy and his family in your prayers. We want him to come home soon so please share.

Thanks!

unacceptable behavior

I have been hearing so many similar bad tales from realtors I know from all over the region, that I feel compelled to write this post. And it’s about behavior.

It used to be if you saw a house that was for sale that you thought it was adorable you might drive-by and you might take note of who the listing was with and the phone number. But you wouldn’t trespass onto the property. Not one toe.

Today, it’s like all boundaries and manners and social norms are out the window. If you have a for sale sign on your property, people trespass. I have heard of stories that people look up from whatever they are doing in their kitchen or sitting in their family room, or even working in their garden to find strangers looking in the windows, even attempting to enter the house if the doors open or garage door is raised. Even walking onto decks!

What is it people don’t understand about what the word trespass means?

tres·pass ˈtre-spəs -ˌspas. : an unlawful act committed on the person, property, or rights of another. especially : a wrongful entry on real property.

And the thing that is even more astounding is that sometimes the people doing the trespassing are realtors. And sometimes realtors with their customers in tow.

So that is to say they are just arriving unannounced and uninvited without an appointment. Forget about the ethics of it, it’s also illegal to trespass.

And properties that are for sale often have these lockboxes with a key inside. I’m also hearing the stories of realtors purposely jamming up the boxes so other realtors can’t get in on the appointment after them. And then they’re also the stories of the realtors who show up in a time slot that has been reserved for someone else, and just kind of piggyback on whoever else is showing the house in that moment, and not waiting their turn.

And then, when you want to look at a house and you have a realtor today, most of the appointments are made online with whomever has the listing. So you have a couple different scenarios. One scenario you have is when a realtor wants to sell it within their office and they just block out appointments to keep other companies out. Another scenario that you have is when a realtor from the outside who blocks out several appointments although they only actually have one client at one time coming through not multiple. And that’s also done to keep people out.

It seems since Covid the real estate industry has gotten even more uncivilized than it occasionally used to be. You have a lot of people who decided they were going to become realtors during this time and they really don’t have the experience or the polish so they really don’t know how to behave. And then you have the super aggressive house hunters.

And then there’s just the general lack of manners that people have when simply contacting a realtor. I keep hearing all of these stories told to me about realtors getting phone calls at one in the morning from other realtors and people who want to see a listing and they’re all within the same time zone so you can’t say that somebody was calling from California and messed up the time zone. And if they don’t get what they want, when they make the phone call or send a text, they’re just terribly rude, and even use quite the colorful combinations of profanity.

Along with the late night phone calls and text messages, come the early morning phone calls and text messages. Since when does anyone think unless it’s a relative bleeding on the street or in the emergency room that it’s OK to call someone before 6 AM for example?

This is why people used to do a lot of quiet listings. That is to say a property was for sale, but there was no sign out front. I think it’s almost worth developing as a new real estate trend. This is also why some realtors don’t want to do open houses anymore.

Moving is stressful. Getting your house ready for sale is also a stressful and often quite an emotional time, so for people to be so rude as to just stroll up a driveway and peep into windows and worse because they know there’s a sale sign out front is wrong.

And I encourage people who are selling their properties to just call the police when they see these people trespassing. Let them explain to the police and get charged with trespass.

I also think phone etiquette needs to be adhered to. And who is anyone to call up a realtor and berate them on the phone because their listing sold fast? I mean for real?

I think this is happening often enough that one would wish that the local and regional boards of realtors would act on this, but they are not.

Life is stressful enough without jerks like this.

coincidence, conspiracy, coordinated, or all unrelated in a world gone mad?

Wheeeeeee. World gone mad. Not fun. Crazy every day. Today crazy included events at two West Chester Area School District schools, and one event at a Tredyffrin Easttown school. Last week a similar brand of crazy at a Great Valley School District school.

So it has to be wondered about, doesn’t it? Why now? Random acts of a similar nature or some weird thread of coordination not yet apparent? You know like a Tik Tok challenge or something?

Why Chester County schools? So many questions, so many fears on the part of parents and teachers.

TODAY:

LAST WEEK:

oh my gosh “professor” you’ve been found out!!

There is this guy running for school board in the Downingtown Area School District. A nouveau politician who scrubbed all old social media and now he has a page where he’s like a drag version of Michelle Obama except more like her evil twin who is a member of Klanned Karenhood, right?

Well the professor from Gilligan’s Island has more credibility and now others are realizing it because why? Oh yes when politicians try to use local issues for political personal gain, well….people notice….and they don’t like it…..shocker, right?

People in DASD if you vote for him, you deserve what you get. That is all.

Politics is like spy vs. spy and the guy who always wants to tell you he’s by far the smartest guy in the room, generally speaking is not. And that’s something where he’ll say I am going low but last time I checked he wasn’t an air traffic controller.

Happy Sunday.