narberth? we have questions….

Posted on September 7, 2026 by carla

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?

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

Posted on September 6, 2026 by carla

new data center math in east whiteland?

Posted on September 5, 2026 by carla

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.

etiquette for the emotionally stunted?

Posted on September 4, 2026 by carla

Well today was a first. I was invited to a potluck funeral at a rather, very Main Line church.

Yes for real.

I am still sitting here gob smacked. Another friend who got the email said they literally sat there reading the impersonal email and felt their eyebrows raised and not going down. Another friend who got forwarded the email is still so angry, I am not sure the top of her head has returned to just above her forehead yet.

The email was completely impersonal. No emotion, it was like a perfunctory to do list….only it’s this email from one of the kids and it is his freaking mother. He is older than I am, and not destitute. She wasn’t destitute. He’s being left a nice inheritance. She adored him. Literally all she ever wanted was for him to spend time with her. And him? Emotionally and deliberately physically remote, yes?

Oh and the stooge getting stuck helping him with a headcount? Wasn’t even really a friend of his late mother. Like quite literally I do not know where she came from. Just a random task rabbit I suppose?

The magic list is amusing. Misspelled family names and mispelled names of generational family friends. And so many people who really weren’t friends. It’s a highways and byways list.

Now just for the humor of it, I went back to the woman’s death instructions as I have a copy. This woman was fairly organized and she began telling those of us who really knew her about her last wishes a few years ago. Even where to find her instructions in the house in case they got lost. Trust me there was never, ever a mention of a POTLUCK. There was a mention of she wanted lots of sunflowers at the church. We’ll see if that happens.

The email was so dear occupant. But that is this guy’s personality I suppose? I actually met the son before I met his mother. Back then he was dating someone I knew a bit. Didn’t care for him. Personality of a piece of cardboard.

Also never cared for the way he treated his mother. He was in my opinion, a prize shit most of the time. He phoned in his relationship, even as she lay dying. And this woman? Like a faithful old dog sitting by the door waiting for the one who left them to come home. Yes that is my opinion, I am not alone in that.

This email had no emotion, no sign of life. Not a kind word about his late mother. Nada. Junk email solicitations have more feeling.

And it was who is coming, and wow have you ever been required to RSVP for a freaking funeral? Yeah that was a first too. Is he selling tickets or something? Should we bring our garden spades as well to help dig the grave?

You don’t have to break the bank for a funeral, but when the departed has made arrangements including financial, what is the big deal? Is that cheap or emotionally stunted? Or both?

This will be a funeral on the smaller side. What would be so difficult about a few sandwich trays? Cookies? Cheese and fruit? Tea? Water? Coffee? Hell you can even get those platters made up at the grocery store, and buy the rest of it. It’s not that hard and certainly less gauche then telling people to essentially brown bag the funeral and reception. Ok yes, I also found it rude. And tacky. And appalling.

But mostly I found it utterly disrespectful to a woman who gave him life that maybe was messy at times, but can we say she did her best? She didn’t grow up or have children in a time that was necessarily kind to women.

I am not going. I had decided this before the dear occupant potluck funeral e-mail, and I knew the decision then was right. I know where she will rest, and I will pay respects privately. But that guy? Hope he chokes on his inheritance.

Opinions make the world go round. Rant over.

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

Posted on September 4, 2026 by carla

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?

Posted on September 1, 2026 by carla

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.

so busy in east whiteland today!

Posted on August 31, 2026 by carla

nothing to see here east whiteland, right?

Posted on August 31, 2026 by carla

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?

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”

Posted on August 27, 2026 by carla

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.

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)

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

Posted on August 26, 2026 by carla

I begin with a stop work order issued today at 4 PM against Sentinel Green Fig re: Data Center in East Whiteland. (Screenshot above.)

Next is a little ditty “explaining” a few things including East Whiteland saying on the record they did not sign NDAs with these data center people. I am glad to hear this.

Next will be some fun right to know dumps. From the EPA and more. Here below is a screen shot of a plan sent to EPA. Which one is this? And still I ask, Foote Mineral, really? Toxic AF much?

And then this one below and next, also EPA I think and how what an amended plan? Not an approved one?

Then I got this email from today:

In case you can’t read, here is the verbiage verbatim:

Subject: Data Center Project | Request for Immediate Review of Permits

Dear East Whiteland Board of Supervisors,

I’m writing to follow up on the comments I made at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday, August 19 regarding the permits issued for the proposed data center project.

I am requesting an immediate review of Permit #B-2026-221 and any related permits issued for the 2024 approved Land Development Plan (the “2024 Plan”).

It is my understanding that this Permit should not have been issued without a commitment letter from Aqua specific to the 2024 Plan. It is also my understanding that the Township has not received that commitment letter. If Aqua has provided the required commitment letter, please share a copy with me. If the Township has not received it, I am requesting that the Township take immediate action to suspend or revoke the Permit until all requirements for its issuance have been satisfied.

I am also attaching documents received from the EPA through a Right-to-Know request that raise an additional concern. The documents appear to show that the developer/applicant submitted information in November 2025 (prior to filing an amendment with East Whiteland Township) reflecting the amended project design they are currently seeking approval for, rather than the 2024 Plan previously approved by the Township. Specifically, the submission references shallow foundations, rather than the basements included in the 2024 Plan.

This raises a fundamental question: What plan is the developer currently constructing and obtaining permits to build?

Until the Township can confirm that the work being permitted and performed on the property is fully consistent with the currently approved 2024 Plan, I am requesting that the Township suspend the issuance and effectiveness of all permits issued for work not associated with the 2024 Plan and halt work authorized by those permits.

At a minimum, I am requesting written confirmation of:
1. Whether the Township has received the required Aqua commitment letter for the approved 2024 Plan and, if so, a copy of that letter.
2. Whether Permit #B-2026-221 and all related permits were properly issued based on the requirements of East Whiteland ordinance in effect at the time of issuance and consistent with the approved 2024 Plan.
3. Which approved land development plan and plan revision supports the issuance of each currently issued permit.
4. Whether the construction and foundation design reflected in the EPA submission are consistent with the 2024 Plan.
5. What action the Township will take if permits were issued based upon an unapproved plan or design or without required documentation.

Given the questions surrounding the approved 2024 Plan and the permits currently allowing work to proceed, I believe this warrants immediate attention. Please confirm receipt of this email within 24 hours and provide an update regarding the Township’s review and intended action.

Thank you,

Jessica Larkin

Wowza! The residents of East Whiteland are ON FIRE!

Before I post a slew of documents allow me a couple of gems I saw one of on a right to know and now another one today (and both are on township website as of this afternoon.) Not sure of the who was on first prior because Ginny Keslake has done some calling out on her Facebook page:

2026 permit update dcEAST WHITELAND august 26 update Download

Green Fig Permit Update August 3, 2026 EAST WHITELAND Download

Ginny links:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18mKAXjxpo

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14tM7iGhtB9

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BdaMuHVWW/

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BxjMG1sax/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BgU8XcXii

You know I love a good drone video, here’s a recent fly by of the East Whiteland Data Center Site at Foote Mineral:

So then this showed up in someone’s right to know:

Then these little redacted gems:

Next I will load in all of the various things from people’s FOIA requests to the EPA that I have seen. They are not my work product. These are the residents who are amazeballs. I am only publishing what they received which is public. I would like to know where is the contaminated soil going? 2 stories approved plan drawing states 3 stories (includes basement)?? The approved plan requires them to excavate and move 5,000,000 cubic feet of contaminated soil- their number???Actually there are so many questions, all of or heads are spinning as to why in the Sam Hell is this still a project?

The residents of East Whiteland are on fire. They are amazing. I am in awe.

ED_021284A_00000011_Formal_RWR.pdf july 2023 montros Download

ED_021284A_00000026_Formal_RWR sept 23 montrose Download

ED_021284A_00000037_Formal_RWR.pdf JF Oct 23 montrose Download

ED_021284A_00000049_Formal_RWR.pdf feb 24 montrose JF Download

ED_021284A_00000202_Formal_RWR Jf EPA intake LYd Download

ED_021284A_00000203_Formal_RIF EPA JF LYd2 Download

ED_021284A_00000201_Formal_RIF JF 24 EPA email Download

ED_021284A_00000205_FORMAL_RWR JF emails 25 Download

ED_021284A_00000205_FORMAL_RWR october 2025 Download

ED_021284A_00000206_FORMAL_RIF epa intake Download

ED_021284A_00000206_FORMAL_RIF nov 25 JF EPA intake Download