Category Archives: development

is a great valley democrat east whiteland’s shadow cabinet?

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Screenshot from the very public and apparently not very updated. Chesco Democrats website.

Soooo. This is just a funny little post about wondering if Jerry Pyne is East Whiteland‘s shadow cabinet? I am just asking a question. I am not asserting that by design or anything else. It’s just he seems to insert himself often doesn’t he?

So he has an interesting history. He is now the past vice chair of the Chester County Democratic Committee. it’s actually embarrassing for them that he still shows up when you do a Google search as being Vice Chair because the current Vice Chair is Michelle Smith. and truly that is progress. I don’t always agree with her, but I know she does her best and does her homework and has honor. That is also not saying I have anything to do with this because really my opinion doesn’t matter to them. It’s just an opinion.

Anywhoo, Jerry reared his head and sometimes ruddy complexion when East Whiteland residents were gathering signatures to get the question on the ballot of should East Whiteland Township go to five supervisors.

See there’s Gerry directing opinion traffic or trying to.

Jerry likes to mansplain from what I’m told, but he was practically rabid about this not making the fall ballot wasn’t he? And I am sure he is working feverishly to make sure people don’t vote for this yes?

I never actually realized until this morning that he lives in East Whiteland. I thought he lived over the border in Charlestown for some reason but I guess that’s where the other crazy Jerry lives who is the Republican? It’s easy to get them mixed up because they are a type and there’s one from each party in such close proximity to one another right?

Jerry is a committee person for the Great Valley Democrats. His patch is Peoples Light and he is in the first precinct.

This morning, I was chatting with a friend who is a prodigious reader of meeting minutes of multiple municipalities. Truly a research marvel. So she says to me, do you know who your vacancy board person is in your township? And I said no, why?

Then I got the following screenshot:

Oh, and here’s the link in case anyone thinks I’m making it up:

East Whiteland 2026 Reorg.

And there he is Mr. Vacancy Board 2026! I wonder if he has a pretty sash like a prom queen or beauty pageant winner?

Anyway, what does that mean for the rest of us mere mortals ? Simple. If someone resigns or is removed from office or takes a leave of absence or is incapacitated in any manner he’s the guy that gets called up for tied votes. He’s a vote tie breaker.

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/US/HTM/1933/0/0069..htm

Legally, however, he cannot vote himself to be a more permanent supervisor of the board in a situation. The purpose of this position is in part to decide upon a replacement Supervisor should a Supervisor position become vacant. It’s kind of important and people often overlook this spot in township government, myself included. honestly I had forgotten about the position.

It is mostly succinctly put an often overlooked but influential and important position.

https://www.palegis.us/statutes/unconsolidated/law-information/view-statute?txtType=PDF&SessYr=2017&ActNum=0016.&SessInd=0

And what would happen if he somehow came in via the vacancy board while this data center is still being decided?

Another valid question yes?

So he doesn’t want five supervisors as he loses his power right? He doesn’t want five supervisors because he loves data centers doesn’t he? I mean, shall we recall that email that recently surfaced in a voluminous right to know?

Allow me:

That is from 2023 and he was pushing data centers because his excuse? Didn’t want to appear business unfriendly correct?

Now the backup generation they were talking about at the time if I’m not mistaken, was the failed attempt at getting a hydrogen hub immediately over the township borders into West Whiteland with samey same developer yes?

How to Shut Down a Dirty Blue Hydrogen Project

Ahhh yes.

So I have a hypothesis and I’m going to ask another question. Does Jerry Pyne want to be a supervisor eventually in East Whiteland? This is easy way to get noticed via the back door if you are like the vacancy board person or appointed by the vacancy board because someone steps down or leaves or whatever?

That snake is not too subtle in this patch of grass IMHO so people need to keep an eye on him and this is yet another reason why we need to vote for five supervisors on the fall ballot.

Duplicitous is as duplicitous does?

Time will tell but right now I just have questions do any of you?

Life is very interesting right now.

Life is also not a conspiracy theory until suddenly it feels like one. Seeing that guy’s name next to vacancy board doesn’t help though does it?

and the (political) bullies roll into east whiteland township…oh wait they live here in some cases, don’t they?

as the data center turns in east whiteland

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Oh East Whiteland Township climb up out of the twisted rabbit hole you seem trapped in by choice would you please? I mean does anyone want another Bishop Tube situation? You know that site that is never cleaned up yet the plan(s) keep getting the kick the can down the road treatment for how many years now?

So the other day I popped up a telling email from East Whiteland:

new data center math in east whiteland?

So then I saw this from East Whiteland which must have come out around the same time?

So let’s ponder this.

Let’s chat cap ok?

Isn’t the entire point of a cap to keep the contaminated soil in place? Grading up the land to make it equal to the cap completely ruins the point and the groundwater and storm water run off is going to infiltrate the cap isn’t it?

And maybe they aren’t digging on the cap but isn’t any kind of soil disturbance no bueno? You know like the tire tracks and where they are seen?

And then there is this letter:

I guess I just don’t understand what East Whiteland doesn’t understand, do you? Hope those politicians are enjoying their Waterloo right?

The next meeting is Wednesday, September 9 at 6:30PM at the East Whiteland Township Building (209 Conestoga Road, Frazer PA.) They did not get a bigger space, so pack the room and Zoom.

They will undoubtedly tell everyone that they should not express how they feel if it’s the same as the person before or after. That’s wrong. You have a legal right to express yourself politely.

They will say non residents can’t talk. Also not legally true is it?

They will also probably once again subvert the public record and violate sunshine by cutting out room reactions, comments from the audience, and public deliberations and they can’t do that either can they? (I have now emailed twice about this issue and have received no response.)

Also pay close attention to the public meeting minutes. They are cherry picking reporting who is commenting. Look at July 8 minutes for example- it is like State Senator Katie Muth was never there among others isn’t it?

And has East Whiteland or the data center developer ever said where soil, and fluids, and debris goes specifically? Foote Mineral is still an EPA site after all isn’t it?

IMHO East Whiteland is delaminating and residents are the losers aren’t they?

#packtheroom

narberth? we have questions….

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There’s good old Maggie Dobbs above. She is the current manager of Narberth Borough. I say current manager because they tend to change with the seasons or with fashion trends or something, right?

Her assistant manager is one Emily Pisano formerly of Chadds Ford Township and West Chester Borough with an original background in fashion.

Maybe Emily can give Maggie some fashion tips, right? So Maggie showed up in a post I wrote about manager merry go round in Narberth a while back.

how are things in glocca morra…err narberth?

I started wondering about Miss Maggie again because frankly, Narberth is SUCH a mess isn’t it?

I found her in a podcast…led by the current Lower Merion Township Manager who is like 12.

https://podcasts.musixmatch.com/podcast/pcc-local-time-01hskcbcfd7xdcvvepfy4js3hb/episode/finding-your-place-why-boroughs-demand-everything-01kj98jte8mssv3qj8qt70d36b

Finding Your Place: Why Boroughs Demand Everything. A conversation with Maggie Dobbs

Part of the podcast description caught my eye:

Maggie Dobbs is a trained city planner (Rutgers) who spent a decade writing comprehensive plans across Montgomery County before stepping into her current role as Borough Manager of Narberth, Pennsylvania, a half-square-mile community tucked inside Lower Merion Township just outside of Philadelphia. She arrived after a period of leadership turnover. What she found was not a small job. It was a dense one.

Host Brandon Ford and co-host Nancy Hesshave a wide ranging conversation with Maggie that moves through the real experience of borough management: the math of running a full municipal government — police, public works, library, eleven miles of road — with fifteen people and a fraction of a township’s budget; the intimacy that makes boroughs special and the same intimacy that makes criticism land close to the heart; and the reality that wearing every hat in the building demands more knowledge, not less, than specializing in a larger organization.

Hmmm first question: does Narberth Borough approve these outside activities? Or Lower Merion Township for that matter because Brandon Ford is the assistant township manager there right?

Next question: who is this PR stunt really for? Maggie Dobbs or Narberth? I ask because Maggie doesn’t seem to stay places long term does she?

Here’s a salary tracker:

https://govsalaries.com/search?state=pennsylvania&employee=Margaret%20Dobbs

In this podcast which I encourage everyone to listen to they further remark in the podcast comments:

Maggie is candid about walking into a community that had cycled through five managers in four years, what it took to steady that ship, and why her focus is on building standard operating procedures so the day-to-day can run itself. Along the way, the crew explores Narberth’s housing story

https://www.sabinecoalition.com/

So her waxing poetic about this little hot mess of a borough is amusing since The Sabine Coalition exists to protect a park from residential development yes? And there are even more issues brewing in South Narberth, right?

https://ournarberth.com/about/

So yeah Narberth beyond the fluff and circumstance what is going on? Like who is the police chief?

(PS it’s a park)

no more bryn mawr courts: it’s all demolished.

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new data center math in east whiteland?

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Still contaminated right? Soooo
excavating 5,000,000 cubic feet total? Does this mean they’re building up 10ft to get to the 20ft basement? Is that new math for data centers?

Next question where did they put the soil in the debris they removed from this site?

Sooo many questions.

east whiteland united….see you on september 9th!

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East Whiteland United
Neighbors, friends, and community — standing together

https://eastwhitelandunited.com

See you on September 9th! (visit the East Whiteland United website for more information!)

got warehouse potential… in tredyffrin?

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Soooo. There is always something going on in Tredyffrn or somethings going on and they love to fly below the radar. And oh now if you want paperwork etc on some proposed plan on the website apparently you have to file a right to know? Some cockamamie thing about bots an malicious actors? Very Law & Order of them oui?

**Due to recent incidents of scam emails targeting Planning Commission applicants, the Township will no longer provide direct links to application materials, plans and review documents on the agenda posted to our website. All requests for application materials, plans and review documents must be submitted through a Right-to-Know request. This change is intended to protect applicant information and prevent unauthorized access by automated bots or malicious actors.

See that screenshot immediately above this typed line? Message received less than an hour ago.

Hmmm…

So I went searching:

https://www.tredyffrin.org/files/assets/township/v/2/document-central/meeting-agendas/zoning-hearing-board-agendas/2026-zhb-agendas/08272026-zhb-agenda-revised.pdf

Special exception. I thought this site was for an office building originally?

See: https://www.675masstimber.com/

I found that via the Equus website and I have to ask what are the Halloween costumes like for this company? (Equus was a 1973 play by Peter Shaffer, about a child psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious fascination with horses. Equus is also a Latin word for “horse”.)

https://www.tredyffrin.org/files/assets/township/v/1/document-central/meeting-agendas/planning-commission-agendas/2026-pc-agendas/08202026-planning-commission-agenda.pdf

https://www.tredyffrin.org/files/assets/township/v/1/document-central/meeting-agendas/zoning-hearing-board-agendas/2026-zhb-agendas/02262026-zhb-agenda.pdf

So this developer or commercial real estate concern is a pretty big outfit and they have stuff all over. They seem pretty quiet and they just do their thing. They have owned this 10+ acre property since 2019.

At first it seemed this would be office space. But now, they want to be warehouse space? But they need a special exception? And it is kind of next door to an overpriced townshomey kind of place called “Wayne Glen”?

Savvy Main Line in 2018 briefly mentioned 675 Swedesford when talking about ‘Wayne Glen” beginning construction:

Another Wayne Glen neighbor is still on the drawing board. If township approvals come through, Equus Capital Partners will build a rather unique five-story office building on Swedesford Road next year. Constructed from mass timber, it would be built entirely on spec (no signed tenants).

But now warehouses? Does anyone really think a new development with high-ish price stickers will want to be next door to a warehouse? I found a current real estate resale listing for a place in this development. Listed a handful of days ago at $895,00.

https://www.homes.com/property/164-rehoboth-rd-wayne-pa/szfs4kvynevfn

Warehouses are the new townhouse or condo or apartment building IMHO. What will this warehouse be used for? Could it be a gateway to a data center? Those are questions that have to be asked. It’s not bein paranoid, look no further than Limerick. The demolished Hood Mansion a historic asset that was on the Underground Railroad for a warehouse and now it’s a data center plan site is it not?

Shocker Tredyffrin, once again your slip is showing. Maybe you all wish to talk about this? Especially with that development next door?

I have no horse in this race, so Tredyffrin residents if interested will have to go ask questions at meetings, but warehouses? How many of those does any are need next to residential?

It’s a fair question.

nothing to see here east whiteland, right?

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First photo below is a really, really, really big pole, isn’t it? This is the data center on Foote Mineral superfund site. I think that photo was taken from a drone in April maybe? I don’t drone all I know is it was before May I guess?

Oh April was so busy right?

So East Whiteland Township Supervisors , WHO PUT UP THE GIANT POLE?

Whose pole is it?

PECO Says not them responsible as per some PUC something and data center didn’t have a permit to erect it so is it a magical beanpole? Where is Jack and the Giant?

EAST WHITELAND UNDER WHAT MAGICAL PERMIT WAS GIANT POLE ERECTED?

Another #nancydrewmystery

https://www.puc.pa.gov/pcdocs/1875820.pdf

But hey there is that super selective stop work order right? So effective right?

the everything but the kitchen sink post about the east whiteland data center.

It’s really great how they’re not digging in the EPA site right? Like there’s nothing in the air nothing to worry about nothing to see here right?

This was a couple of days ago:

And this is this morning:

This morning 8/31/26 – look at all of the electrical in the background

But there is nothing to see here right?

welcome to north wayneunk: where a small twin home magically becomes a “townhouse”

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How do you know Main Line real estate prices are crazy? Look no further than 256 Willow Avenue in North Wayne in Little Chicago. As in North Wayne, Delaware County, not far from the Wayne train station.

I actually know this particular street fairly well, and even when it used to have more rentals than it does now, it was a super cute little neighborhood in North Wayne in Radnor Township. Emphasis on little. This was a workingman’s neighborhood that sprang up as twins and small single homes after the Wayne Natatorium was finished circa 1903. So that would be early 20th century. Most of the twins were I believe what they called stick frame construction maybe?

Yes literally this street was once a huge outdoor swimming pool, fed by underground springs and the Gulph Creek which runs behind one side of the street. This is literally where I got the historic marker approved at the edge of Cowan Park on Radnor Street Road at Willow Avenue. Creek and underground springs exist still today.

Old storm photos Willow Ave Wayne PA
Gulph Creek

Willow Avenue is NOT a million dollar neighborhood or anything close. It’s just a nice little middle class neighborhood with a park at the end of the street. Again, twins and small singles. Definite stormwater issues because well (again) this was built on the site of the Wayne Natatorium, for which they did not bring in water, it was the springs and the creek.

The flooding issues go way back, but you can see it referenced circa 2018 in this article:

Radnor declares disaster from flooding

Poplar Avenue which is kind of “above” Willow and one street over during 2018:

Now literally, Hurricane Floyd in 1999 pretty nearly killed this little street and many others. But the Floyd flooding almost killed this street. I think back then there was talk of FEMA coming in but has been so long, right?

Anyway, why am I visiting this today? Easy an alert came up for a TOWNHOUSE on Willow Avenue in Wayne PA for….wait for it…. $735,000.00 ! (When this house last sold it was for….$325,000 at end of 2025 and looks like settled in 2026?)

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/256-Willow-Ave_Wayne_PA_19087_M31264-13267

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/256-Willow-Ave-Wayne-PA-19087/9422431_zpid/?

Old listing:

https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/pa/wayne/256-willow-ave/pid_68685206

Granted it looks better but it’s NOT a townhouse, it is a TWIN. A little 2 story twin in Little Chicago. A lot of those twins had shared attics too at one point in time, didn’t they?

It’s obviously a flip:

So it looks like on this small street, four properties are still rentals and one is commercial. And then there are the gargantuan things built on the corner of Plant and Willow Avenues where the scary houses once stood. Now granted, it’s great not looking at those (photos to follow), but these townhouse things are huge and out of character and no one can seem to really park in their driveway which makes going by on Plant Avenue a bit of squeeze at times. (see https://designhomestudios.com/portfolio/industrial-chic/ where you literally don’t see how big they are considering where they are squeezed into)

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Then you see some other OLDER listings here and there which give you a flavor of the street:

https://www.redfin.com/PA/Wayne/258-Willow-Ave-19087/home/39142824

So yeah, lovely little neighborhood, but close to a million because of those ridiculous townhouse condo things at the site of scary house? I mean even the twins that replaced the twins that caught on fire years ago are overinflated:

Blaze leaves two Wayne families homeless

Of course this is a small street, narrow with a dog leg that had a limo bus catch on fire in 2014 and crash into what was once the Wayne Natatorium clubhouse and caused quite the fire.

Limo bus fire ignites home in Wayne

I like Willow Avenue, always did because I just have always liked these small neighborhoods in Wayne, as well as the similarly sized ones in Lower Merion or even the Village of Berwyn, Haverford Township, or Malvern Borough. BUT, and it’s a BIG BUT, they are now overpriced and what once were more working people’s neighborhoods that became starter homes or downsizing senior abodes are just well….OVERPRICED.

Here is who is listing the overpriced 256 Willow Avenue, Wayne, PA of it all:

Our Team

Never heard of her, but that is not saying much because there are just so many Realtors but if I quantify that, never heard of this firm. Some seem to have come out of LV Homes. Anyway I found one thing for this listing going back to June, 2026 so it has been sitting. According to Zillow the price was cut $20,000 as of August 11, which means it was originally listed for $755,000? Ummm yeah that is definitely an LOL meets eye roll, meets how much in Little Chicago?

Oh and the address listed on property records for this property looks like a Mailboxes etc or whatever address?

Anyway, this gave me quite the giggle. It’s a small twin and they want how much? Maybe they will get it, but all of these people who overpay because of the way these properties are overinflated? Will they ever get their money out?

One final note for the record: I think most houses are overpriced and overinflated these days. I also am not a fan of speculative real estate types pricing people out of areas. But truly for this street and others in North Wayne? Pay attention to the storms.

https://chestercountyramblings.com/tag/north-wayne

Can Radnor fix its flooding problems

https://www.radnor.com/government/departments/engineering/stormwater/stormwater-management/stormwater-forum

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/radnor/supporting-north-wayne-flood-reduction

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/radnor/root-of-north-wayne-s-problems

Natatorium blaze history ‘gone up in flames’
On Place and Loving Lil’ Chicago
Development comes to ‘Little Chicago,’ where change is seldom
Flood Wreaks Havoc in Wayne

the curious case of chaumont drive in radnor township

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I know very little of Chaumont drive other than it is off of Conestoga Road Villanova (Radnor Township) and properties back up to Newtown Road. Chaumont was once part of an estate or estates – again don’t know for sure, but it seems like 512 Chaumont Drive was the “big house” of it all when it was originally subdivided? That was the estate known as “The Peaks” and it was the personal residence of Arthur Ingersoll Meigs, a renown architect who designed among other things, Goodhart Hall at Bryn Mawr College. He was a partner in the firm Mellor and Meigs, which you will find in Radnor Historical Society archives. Mr. Meigs wife was Harriet Geyelin Meigs, a favorite of early 20th century society pages as she was among other things a debutante circa 1913 but I digress. All I know about this place is there was an estate sale/auction in 2024.

Anyway, infill development on Chaumont drive was late 20th century. Like 1970 through 2003. The home people are concerned about in the video I am about to share is 506 Chaumont Drive, which was a Robert Bruce build in the late 90s according to Philadelphia Magazine.

So the recent Radnor Township meeting had an item under “Old Business 6.A. Discussion on 506 Chaumont Drive Matter“. This was the August 17th meeting. There was no real presentation by the commissioners in Radnor, but there was significant comment by a resident of Chaumont Drive named Gregory Stagliano. Mr. Stagliano appears to be a retired attorney?

Main Line Media News only picked up Mr. Stagliano’s comments earlier in the meeting over the controversy surrounding a new proposed district court planned for it appears to be a more residential area in Radnor. A smart reporter would check out whatever from Chaumont Drive.

Public opposition to new district court in Radnor grows

However, I found Mr. Stagliano’s comments over the property circus on Chaumont courtesy of a Mr. Elebah who is his neighbor next door at 506 Chaumont more interesting perhaps? Mr. Elebah seems to be quite a business and real estate investor? So I am guessing he just wants to do what he wants to do?

Below are screenshots off of Google that show the property in question in 2012, 2023, and 2024. I also found the Philadelphia Magazine article about 506, and some real estate things.

https://www.phillymag.com/property/2015/05/12/villanova-luxury-homes-montangelica

https://www.redfin.com/PA/Villanova/506-Chaumont-Dr-19085/home/39144735

This house indeed used to have fabulous landscaping and why has it been scraped clean?

Google 2012
Google 2023
Google 2024
Old listing I found on Compass

Mr. Stagliano remarks in his comments how the township manager Bill White doesn’t seem to know his name? Does Mr. Township Manager know anyone’s name or actually help residents? Mr. Stagliano has been emailing Jack Larkin (AKA the one who likes eminent domain powers? Or is he better known for that whole Liberty University thing?)

Anyway, if you listen to the video which is an excerpt from the meeting, this house and it’s new dweller just makes you wonder doesn’t it? Like how does an property get scraped bare like that? The prior owners worked so hard on gardens.

I don’t get people who just clear lots of everything. Just do not.

The video also had Mr. Stagliano remarking about a property which abuts on Newtown Road having issues with this current owner of 506 Chaumont. If I can look up all of these properties, so can the media.

I quite simply do not get how Radnor Township can IGNORE so much?? In my opinion, which I can have, it looks terrible. And if neighbors are having issues in this upscale neighborhood, what gives Radnor Township? Supposedly this is mentioned in whatever The Radnor Gazette is, but I can’t find it?

I was also fascinated how checked out Radnor Township Manager Bill White appears?

I will also note I found reference to this 506 Chaumont in biggish Democrat fundraiser a few years ago? It was referred to as Elebah Manor? Seriously, it was publicly available on Facebook and Instagram, so were any Radnor Democrats at this event or just big Philly ones?

Maybe politics has nothing to do with this, but given the Philly presence is there a presumption on how things are done when you are a McMansion dweller who relocated from elsewhere to Radnor?

This is definitely a curiosity. But shall we start the odds on does Radnor actually do anything here? Is Kevin Kochanski the head of planning and zoning in Radnor when he is not off playing soldier of whatever retiring? I heard a rumor? This is his responsibility isn’t it? I mean how can he leave that poor codes man to deal with all of it? And what is up with Jack Larkin? If something is funky there on Chaumont Drive, does he not have the ability to act along with the rest of them?

This is very curious….but will anything happen? Will this be a case of whose property rights matter more? Will; this be a case of Radnor pussying out and saying the neighbors have to deal with this themselves? Is Radnor just trying to make this out to be a 2026 Hatfield vs. McCoys?

Time will tell.