Category Archives: rantings of a suburban housewife

about old phoenixville pike and the development plan

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Today 4/3/24

Last night there was a meeting of the West Whiteland Planning Commission. It was the first go round for the proposed development plan.

First of all who would’ve thought that the West Chester University Foundation would be practicing to be a bad neighbor, now that they have been given the Schiffer Farm? It’s very disappointing. Truthfully, also a little surprised the Schiffer family didn’t put more conservation restrictions on the gift. I mean, I get that probably the foundation doesn’t want to be responsible for this entire property, but this one section is so constricted by where it is and problematic before you think about adding houses to it that I just don’t get it.

Before I get to sharing some things, I think people will find interesting or helpful, I’m going to share a video from this afternoon showing rising storm water on Old Phoenixville Pike. Next is a photo with a ruler sticking out of it, indicating 8 inches of flood water on this narrow street this afternoon.

This plan has two parcels in two municipalities. 15 of the acres of this potential development are in West Whiteland. 5 acres are in East Goshen and East Goshen heard the plan recently.

Last night the whole thing got an airing in West Whiteland. [CLICK HERE FOR MEETING PACKET.]

I found it most interesting that the Chester County Planning Commission isn’t in love with this plan. and why I find that interesting is they are so pro development, so that speaks volumes about this plan already.

So here are some of their concerns:

Notes from County Planning Commission:

In #1 “enhancements in affordability” . It doesn’t sound like this development will do that.

In #2 highest priority, land-use objectives listed for this watershed.

In #3 pipeline concerns during construction listed

In #4 access concerns, because only one way in and out

In #7 limit tree removal from woodlands

In #8 stricter DEP or municipal limitations on wastewater and stormwater discharge because protected watershed  

So last evening, the neighbors were tremendous. They spoke so well, and from the heart and intelligent questions, and stated their case. One of the things that kept questioning is this easement where developer wants to build, and it shows up on the West Whiteland as naturally constrained land, The thing about that is, it’s not supposed to be developed. And it floods back there as you can see, so imagine, increasing impervious surface coverage, taking away trees, etc? Do we really think some stormwater management plan that are developer floats in front of the municipality is going to take care of all of it? I don’t think so and maybe that’s just my opinion, but I’m entitled to it.

When is the last time FEMA updated maps around there? Or the vicinity?

I am just here expressing support for these neighbors in West Whiteland on Old Phoenixville Pike and elsewhere around this proposed plan being carved out of now old Schiffer farm land.

This is not a needed plan, it’s just a plan for a developer to make a buck and move on, isn’t it?

Small neighborhoods should not be taken for granted anywhere, ever. These neighbors have been taken for granted already by what has happened so far.

Look at the geology of the area with the schist and karst of it all in our area – affects pipelines, wells, water lines so what will happen with what they want to do if they get this development approved?

Stormwater is already an issue here. Neighbors were saying at the meeting how water also pours off of Route 202. How will filling up 20 acres with McMansions improve that?

Economically viable uses might be the law BUT it doesn’t mean development here will actually be viable. Why do residents in a small, lovely, established neighborhood have to suffer like this? Are they not valuable and in a lot of cases very long term residents?

West Whiteland can be proactive here and could have a sign up for directly affected residents to be notified of every little thing happening because it happened where I came from which is Lower Merion Township.

And because this plan is in two municipalities residents need to watch everything going on in BOTH West Whiteland and East Goshen.

This is not a good plan and the developer also has warehouses planned for the Johnson Matthey parcel that he purchased at West King Road and Phoenixville Pike. And the Weston Property on West King Road may be quiet right now but it is only a question of when the next bad development plan for that property pops up, right?

West Whiteland and her residents and residents in neighboring municipalities of East Whiteland, East Goshen, and West Goshen need to remain vigilant and on alert.

Last night no plan was approved in West Whiteland and nothing has been approved in East Goshen. This is but the beginning, and people need to stay on top of it.

Thanks for stopping by.

a rhyme in time

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Humpty Trumpty lived on a (border?) wall.

We all are waiting for him to have a great fall.

He lies cheats and steals,

He calls them Amazing American deals.

He is nothing but a dictator,

Although he looks like an orange potato.

If we’re not careful this time around,

He will run this country and our rights into the ground.

You don’t have to like my little rhyme,

But this here is MY page and so I will opine.

Oh and I ordered a new T-Shirt:

my inner foodie awakens…

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My husband is always finding cool food things for me to try. And I am very excited about the package that arrived today from American Vinegar Works in Massachusetts!

Here is their story:

Modern vinegar production has come a long way. In our opinion, it has come a little too far. Even ‘premium’ labeled vinegars are often produced at an industrial scale that short-cuts the fermentation process to hours instead of the needed months or years. While the bottle may be pretty, often the end result is a one-note vinegar lacking depth of flavor and overwhelmingly acidic.

We have gone a different way. We have embraced the value of time and revived a production method from the early 1800s to create vinegars that are naturally fermented and deliver complex flavors. All of our vinegars are produced, aged and bottled by us in our vinegar works here in the Bay State. No outsourcing, no co-packing, no short cuts. It takes more effort, it takes more time… but the results are brilliant.

How We Make Our Vinegar

Our process is really unique and we believe it produces the best small-batch American vinegars you will find.

We know we are unique because we literally had to custom rebuild the machines we use by consulting historical records and partnering with local universities. The old academic etching you see at the top of this page is a graphic of how our machines looked when they were invented.

Our fermentation process dates from the early 1800s and this was how many quality vinegars were made centuries ago. The problem is that there was a wave of ‘innovation’ in vinegar manufacturing in the 1900s and this led to faster and cheaper vinegar. You will notice that I did not say it led to better tasting vinegar—in fact quality and flavor both suffered materially and this is how vinegar became the one-note acid bomb we now find in most supermarkets.

Our vinegars are fermented in small-batches and take two to three months just to ferment. After fermentation we age our vinegars for up to one year. Our aging process varies depending on the flavor profile we are looking to achieve. The vast majority of our vinegars are aged in 25-gallon American oak barrels previously used to make rye whiskey and bourbon. Aging in old barrels gives our vinegars complexity but does not add a woody or whiskey flavor. We source all these barrels directly from a craft distillery from our neighbors in New York.

What about ingredients? We only use quality American beers, wines, ciders, and sakes as our alcohol base to ferment our vinegars at our vinegar works in New England. Why? Because the taste of the underlying alcohol used directly impacts the flavor of the vinegar. Beyond that we are focused on creating great vinegars with a sense of place. We do not think there is something better or worse about an American wine or beer versus one from Europe for instance. We do, however, think it is important for real food like our vinegars to reflect where it comes from. In this way American Vinegar Works is building great vinegars on the shoulders of the craftspeople that are creating great and uniquely American wines, beers, sakes, and ciders. We are immeasurably grateful to them.

To find the right beer or wine for our vinegars we go through an extensive taste and test process to ensure it has the best taste profile. 

~ American Vinegar Works

I’m very excited to try these. I will let you know what I think.

Another thing in this independent company’s favor? They sent a thank you note with the order. A little hand written note. Little touches like that make all the difference when you’re dealing with a company.

And here I thought The most exciting food part of my day was making dinner with Vadouvan French Masala Curry!

New York Times review

whichever way the wind blows is wrong.

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“Hey look, we’re having a snow squall!”

“You can’t say that about the weather! How can you say that about the weather you horrible human being!”

The above sounds silly doesn’t it? Sadly it happens every day, especially on social media.

There are people who blather on, including on other blogs, about “civility.” Quite truthfully, they wouldn’t know civility if it bit them on the ass.

In today’s world, civility, really only truly exists if you are agreeing with someone else’s point of view 100%. And it has to be an approved point of view and if any of the great unwashed hordes on the Internet are not comfortable with your opinion, look out.

As a blogger, I have this happen to me a lot. You either are with them, or if you don’t agree with them, you’re against them.… and verbally you will be beaten to a pulp as soon as they are able to get to their keyboard or to their phone, etc.

It’s ridiculous.

Truly.

Usually it’s the Stepford Bobbleheads of Klanned Karenhood, but not always. There are people who just lack basic reading comprehension. Then there are people who just don’t like it because your opinion is different from theirs, or you said something out loud that people think. Or expressing an individual opinion makes them uncomfortable.

Recently, it’s because I have said a bar called the Brickette Lounge on Pottstown Pike in West Whiteland and West Goshen is being a bad neighbor under it’s new ownership. And the funny thing about that is there are plenty of neighbors saying the same thing, but I am the one who is targeted. So is that by design and are people being sent to harass me? It’s not actually paranoia it’s a reasonable question and general curiosity.

I will note AGAIN that no one is asking for them to close. All neighbors want is for them and their patrons to be considerate and not put neighbors or themselves at risk with the crazy parking and post bar behaviors.

The Brickette could actually do all sorts of things to help with the parking issues:

(1) They could obtain use of a satellite parking lot and operate a shuttle to get overflow patrons back-and-forth.

(2) They could do ticketed events on Eventbrite and it’s not because they’re charging a cover charge per se. It’s a means of crowd control and when they sell the number of tickets that meets their occupancy inside for guests, they stop selling tickets.

(3) Along with asking people to carpool and Uber, if people can prove this, they offer them a little incentive for doing so. Like a percentage off a meal or something.

(4) They have folks at the door right? Are they counting the number of people coming in and stopping when occupancy is reached?

But no, I am completely un-American because I’m daring to talk about this. And the more I’m targeted, the more I’ll talk about it because that says to me that there actually is a problem to be fixed. Someone actually rolled up on my blog’s Facebook page and tried to insert an argument literally on the price of eggs into this. I still don’t have the answer to my question which is what does the price of eggs have to do with this issue?

I mean, if I’m wrong, just prove me wrong, right? It’s a simple enough thing prove that everything is being done to try to make sure the neighbors aren’t detrimentally affected, right ? And apparently the only ones who are trying their best are the people at West Whiteland Township. And the funny thing is where this is located, part of the property is also in West Goshen Township so given the number of cars stretching down Pottstown Pike, and into these neighborhoods where is West Goshen on this or don’t they care? Because they generally speaking adopt an attitude of most things where they don’t answer questions and they don’t care, right?

And I’m sure I will take grief for saying that as well. Basically it seems like anything I say is wrong it’s literally like whichever way the wind is blowing is wrong.

So tell me again about all these people who are so concerned about “civility?”

I don’t think people know how to be civil anymore. It’s really hard to have a conversation that’s normal outside your immediate circle, and even inside your immediate circle it’s not necessarily good.

I was speaking to a friend who had to have an uncomfortable conversation with someone, and that person could not listen or be an adult in the conversation and they basically had to flip out and curse. So my friend subsequently said that just makes it simple and she doesn’t want to be around people who behave like that. I actually concur.

When nonsense starts these days, I find myself less and less wishing to try to speak with someone and talk and discuss something rationally. For the most part, when these people come in guns, a blazing, I don’t want to have a reasonable conversation, so there’s no point. So I don’t.

I run a gifting group on Facebook. The gifting group came up in another group, and someone who had been removed from the gifting group chimed in. I basically said to that person they have no personal accountability. They were in the group twice and removed twice. And they weren’t even removed by me.

Next this person goes on this whole mini tantrum about I have to show them when and where exactly and I am looking at what they’re writing and thinking this was almost two years ago and they’re still hung up on it? Just wow.

And it’s funny you try to not react to these things and respond, rationally and levelly. But most of the time it doesn’t matter because sometimes I feel like the more calm and explanatory you are, the more these people just want to argue. so I find myself utilizing one of the best things that you’re given as a tool on social media: blocking. It’s sanity control.

But blocking presents its own issues. I remember a bunch of years ago I was in this community group where I used to live, and when I joined Facebook, there were people I know in the real world that I simply did not care for so when I joined Facebook, I just blocked them because that way we didn’t have to interact with each other.

So there I am in this group, and it was a group I wasn’t super participatory in. Mostly I just read stuff but there was literally this one post someone asking for a plumber, so I added a comment. The next thing I know I have this admin/group page owner contacting me that people are complaining because I blocked them in the group. I laughed, and I said they’re not admins or a group and page owner, I blocked them when I joined Facebook because I chose not to interact with them because I know we don’t get along in the real world.

Well, the woman who runs this group says to me you can’t block people in my group. And I said I am not blocking the people who run the group, I am blocking people I don’t wish to interact with because it’s always negative, and I learned that not from social media, but from encountering them in the real world. Her reply? They’re giving her a hard time so I can’t be in the group if I am going to block them. I just laughed at her with the absurdity of it, and that was the end of my participation in that group, and I haven’t missed it for a decade. And I still block those original people that I blocked when I joined Facebook.

And that brings me full circle to people on social media. There are so many people that think you should just have a conversation with them whether it’s via comments or they are messaging you or trying to call you. These people in a lot of cases have zero boundaries.

Sociologically, this is fascinating. There are people that I have blocked on one social media outlet who will try every single other outlet to try to connect with me. And why do they have to even connect with me? We have no commonality and we don’t need to be friends.

Remember the good old days before social media when you could just choose to pretend people weren’t around, and they weren’t in your world and that was fine and everybody went about their business?

And don’t get me started on creepy “influencers.” I am not talking about the Bravolebrity tarts or rejects from Batchelor / Batchelorette Island who are being paid to post something they probably don’t actually use is marvelous, I am talking about these people who are hangers on often on the fringes of our communities who do this all of the time. And a lot of the times I don’t even understand why they would be considered an influencer and what exactly is an influencer?

Aren’t we all influencers in our own right based upon what we like and don’t like? Or are we not allowed to say unless some company is paying us for our perspective or we have a gizillion followers that may or may not be purchased?

It’s a very weird world we live in, and then there’s the Internet and social media. Maybe we were better off before in some regards in spite of all the things that are helpful about the Internet and social media?

I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But what I do know is somebody somewhere will have a problem with this post.

Have a great evening!

what is up with the doe-si-doe case (or cases) in chester county courts? why has no one in the mainstream media covered it?

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Way back in August, 2023 I posted about an interesting legal case popping in Chester County involving a Radnor Commissioner named Jack Larkin who is a lawyer.

radnor township commissioner named in litigation filed in chester county

Someone asked me today whatever happened with that case? Honestly, I have no clue, I forgot about it, so I searched the dockets. There seem to be two cases on the dockets. One under Judge Deb Ryan and one under Judge Nicole Forzato:

Larkin-1Download
Larkin-2Download

So there above are the docket notes on the case(s), since it appears to be two separate things with two different judges?

Now interestingly enough when I first wrote about this I did not know what school was involved. It’s Liberty University in Virginia. When the original Title IX case was active it was big news on AP and in higher ed and in Virginia. It never really made the news here. I found that curious because it’s a Main Line lawyer who is a politician (Commissioner) in Radnor Township. Usually that is big news around here, right? But nope, oddly silent.

Also interesting? Radnor Township still hasn’t updated his bio to reflect where he actually works these days….and he switched jobs almost two years ago, so why rush?

Anyway, I only know the cases appear alive. His lawyers seem to be listed on the dockets. It’s seemingly a non-story here, but when the original Title IX popped it made news elsewhere. Below are the links to those articles.

Have a good evening.

https://wset.com/news/abc13-investigates/attorney-jane-doe-lawsuit-ousted-employee-part-anti-liberty-university-conspiracy-court-document

https://wset.com/news/abc13-investigates/their-goal-is-not-to-destroy-liberty-university-attorney-says-plaintiffs-want-change

West Chester law firm gets high-profile sex case at Liberty University

https://www.wdbj7.com/2022/05/11/liberty-university-jane-does-settle-lawsuit-over-title-ix-cases

https://www.npr.org/2021/10/16/1046686032/liberty-university-students-file-suit-claiming-school-culture-fostered-sexual-

Women settle lawsuit against Liberty University

https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2022/05/12/liberty-university-partially-settles-title-ix-lawsuit

EXCLUSIVE: Plaintiff in Class-Action Lawsuit Accuses Liberty U of ‘Retraumatizing’ & ‘Insulting’ Jane Does
Liberty Students’ Teal Ribbon Campaign Shows Solidarity With Sex Assault Victims

https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-lawsuits-virginia-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-eeec81ef316f9fc531c4c999a5a6a7cc

https://www.wfxrtv.com/news/local-news/lynchburg-central-virginia-news/rape-survivor-hopes-lawsuit-against-liberty-university-will-help-protect-other-women

https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/05/11/lawsuit-filed-against-liberty-university-by-12-jane-does-settled

https://www.law.com/thelegalintelligencer/2023/08/14/gawthrop-greenwood-hit-with-suit-alleging-lawyer-botched-plaintiffs-sexual-harassment-claims

hey starbucks and kimco you called the police on girl scouts? SHAME ON YOU!

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Video came from dad and Philadelphia Magazine posted it. Dad got video from LMPD apparently.

Just when I thought Lower Merion couldn’t get any more ridiculous…well it IS a full moon…but I digress…. Anyway, a Kimco Realty babe at Suburban Square (using that term very loosely) called the police on GIRL SCOUTS SELLING GIRL SCOUT COOKIES IN A LITTLE RED WAGON in Suburban Square ! Picture of a red wagon below for illustration.

Yes, this really happened. So imagine my horror when I saw this in Philadelphia Magazine and a big HT and thank you to Victor Fiorello for covering this :

NEWS

Suburban Square Calls Cops on Girl Scouts Selling Cookies

Only on the Main Line does a dad request police body-cam footage from a Girl Scout cookie incident.

by VICTOR FIORILLO· 2/27/2024, 12:16 p.m.

Suburban Square Calls Cops on Girl Scout Cookie Sales

It’s that time of year: Girl Scout cookie season! ….Most of these Girl Scout cookie sales you see go off without a hitch. But that wasn’t the case on a winter Wednesday earlier this month at Suburban Square. That’s the very Main Line-y shopping center in Ardmore.

Ardmore resident Eric Lowry showed up outside the Starbucks at Suburban Square with his 13-year-old daughter…Between his two daughters, Lowry has been helping sell Girl Scout cookies for close to 10 years. And he says he’d never been told that the girls couldn’t sell wherever they chose to. They’d even sold at Suburban Square in the past.

But on this particular day, an executive with the Suburban Square management group, Kimco Realty, approached Lowry and his daughter and asked them to move. “They said we had to stop selling cookies because we were standing on private property,” Lowry tells me, insisting that the specific spot they were on was not private property, but public. “They threatened to call the police as some kind of intimidation tactic.” Lowry flat-out refused to move and dutifully documented the encounter on his cell-phone camera.

At some point thereafter, the Suburban Square executive relocated to a different part of Suburban Square. There, she spoke with officers from the Lower Merion police department who had arrived on the scene. As seen on police body-cam footage that Lowry later obtained and published on YouTube (yes, this guy actually jumped through the required hoops to obtain body-cam footage from the cops), the Suburban Square executive explained her dilemma to police.

Part of that dilemma, it becomes apparent, is that Lowry’s Girl Scout cookie setup was outside of Starbucks. And Starbucks is a Suburban Square tenant that sells cookies, so the Girl Scout cookies were presumably creating a business conflict. She said that Starbucks was “freaking out.” (A manager at that Starbucks told me they have no comment on the matter.)

And Starbucks is TOTALLY part of this and they don’t want to comment? The big enormous coffee company couldn’t handle little GIRL SCOUTS pulling a little red wagon? They viewed them as competition we guess? Yo David and Goliath, Starbucks? Remember how that sitch turned out? I will be honest, I do not buy anything from Starbucks and have not for years. Their coffee always tastes burnt and they are overpriced on everything.

So Starbucks is no stranger to controversy from coast to coast, and aren’t saying anything according to Philadelphia Magazine. If I still lived in Lower Merion, truthfully I would put THAT Starbucks and Suburban Square on my skip it list. (They get all touchy when you say “boycott” so I would merely spend my money elsewhere as a personal choice.)

Part of the problem I have with this after watching that video that Philadelphia Magazine got from the dad (body cam footage I guess which is technically public information if you want to pay for it, which is what the dad did), is the whole misconception by Kimco’s doofy chick on camera talking about the sidewalks as if it was their private street? Really? I thought St. James place in Ardmore has been a public street in Lower Merion Township since the 1930s? And sidewalks are not public any longer? And Coulter Avenue is a public street too, right? Does Kimco own the Lower Merion roads/ streets now? Very confusing and am I suffering from bobble head disease? I sure hope not.

Of course what really piqued my interest here, is I actually know who the dad is. I knew Eric Lowry peripherally from when I was active in Ardmore and lived in Lower Merion Township. He’s a very nice man with a nice family. Active in the community. Helpful. And he is a very peaceful person, so Ms. Kimco 2024 must have been something special for him to go buy body cam footage etc. (Lower Merion charges for the privilege and it’s more than the cost of a couple of boxes of Girl Scout Cookies.) Also if Ms. Kimco 2024 was recorded by him during their interaction, there is no expectation of privacy in a public space and that took place on a public sidewalk. I guess she gets that now?

Of course also as per Philadelphia Magazine, now Kimco seems to have issued a cover their ass statement. They will give them a booth but they have to fill out a form? Does everyone do this with Girl Scouts? I simply don’t know but honestly? Those people were hostile towards kids selling cookies? The hell with them. I feel utterly disgusted by this example of stupid human tricks.

Please note, I do not have a problem with Lower Merion Police Department here. I feel for the officers that had to deal with the Kimco people. Lower Merion Police Department did not cause this, Ms. Kimco Realty 2024 and apparently Starbucks did. And as for Kimco, their statement to Philadelphia Magazine IMHO is not an apology, and there should be one. That entire Girl Scout Troop in my humble opinion deserves an apology spa day in Suburban Square with lunch on Kimco as far as I am concerned. And Kimco can certainly afford it.

This just blows my mind completely. It’s mean. Again, no tables or booths, they were pulling a little red wagon. It doesn’t get cuter than that.

Support your local Girl Scouts and help these kids meet their cookie goals. And support your local coffee shop and let chain Starbucks sit. And maybe trade in Suburban Square for Main Street Ardmore which is always more user friendly.

Again, please support Girl Scouts selling Girl Scout Cookies. It’s as American as Apple Pie. Calling the police on little girls selling Girl Scout cookies is NOT.

And I will tell you that if you don’t wish to bring Girl Scout cookies into your own house because you don’t eat them or whatever you can buy them as a donation and the Girl Scout troops will give them to people who need a little extra treat in the community.

This opinion is brought to you by the First Amendment.

Thanks for stopping by.

so what’s up with this restaurant and the emperor’s new clothes event?

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So I used to hit up Autograph Brasserie once in a while with my friends to have lunch in Wayne. It’s a pretty place, and if you’re visiting the shops where the restaurant is located, it’s one of the local options. I really liked this place for lunch, I have always been less enthusiastic about it for dinner. Mostly it’s the bored poseur factor and at lunch all customers seem treated more equally than dinner. I also don’t care about specialty cocktails, I am the occasional glass of wine. They did have decent mocktails last time I was there for lunch, however.

But it’s not a bad restaurant. I don’t want anyone to think that.

However, after seeing this on Instagram, I have to tell you they sound a little desperate.

I mean, honestly, why does this restaurant need a legend in his own mind to promote them? Is business that off?

No one much has commented on it save you know who and people who wonder WHY they are doing this (screenshots all below,)

Like I said, I don’t get it and what do they get out of this? This guy is not a native Main Liner from a known family with history, right? This guy isn’t actually famous, right? And is he actually an “influencer?” He’s a dude who self-brands as a public figure on social media but heck a house plant or pet could be one too, right?

So Autograph how is he compensated? Sorry not sorry but normal patrons, even occasional patrons like myself, are turned off by this. Ick factor and all. Now it actually doesn’t matter if I patronize them or not, but they should care enough that people question this whole set up, right?

I can spend $45 better than this. So dumb. Sign me not interested in buying the emperor new clothes.

This post is bought to you by the First Amendment and public social media posts.

when a historic site has a federal designation and a designation as a historic house museum, it deserves respect and reverence, not dress up games.

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First of all, I will observe that I do not think Historic Harriton House had a large visitor turnout for their “Harriton History Open House”. Mostly the only photos you see are adults playing dress up. 

And about that dress up and ummm the fact that Harriton House is categorized as a Historic House Museum. One would HOPE that meant not playing house with precious antiques? Apparently not.

Look at the two photos immediately above. I do not even remember when I took above left. Please note photo on right which is a screenshot from a PUBLIC social media posted Sunday. If you zoom in on my photo (left), it says “DO NOT SIT”, nor are you supposed to monkey about with the petite antique side table. But photo on right, shows adults at the direction of Mrs. Puddle Duck the current executive disaster, err I mean director, frolicking on the antiques??? Are they even allowed to do that as far as their insurers are concerned?

But wait, there is more….

Below on left this time is a screenshot of a publicly posted social media photo posted Sunday as in yesterday. On the right is another one of years ago (I have taken hundreds of photos of Harriton and the fair, and notice the RED RIBBONS on the chairs? That means what class? Oh yes, DON’T SIT ON THE ANTIQUES IN THE HOUSE MUSEUM, correct? I mean can’t that person play their recorder or fife or whatever standing up?

Now then there is the kitchen. I was allowed to play with some dressed up kiddos circa 1976 or so, which although after 1973 when it went national, was an utterly different era. But today? Walter Staib uses the kitchen as a focal point in his PBS television A Taste of History series , but I bet he has some ultra bullet proof insurance to do so? But yesterday? It was dress up shlubs in the kitchen, so was there even special event insurance? Was Lower Merion Township ok with this after the executive disaster, err director’s first jam après the palace coup at Harriton replacing the man who literally made Harriton House what it became through 46 plus years of devotion, knowledge, and brutally hard work at times? As I heard it told there may have been a little fire in the colonial beehive oven because someone didn’t know how to use it and lumpy baking disasters? Below is a screenshot from January 2023 that shows the singed spot rather well doesn’t it? I mean I know that beehive door cover thingy had been rebuilt and was quite lovely before, right?

Harriton-National-DesignationDownload

So yes, I did look up the National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form from 1973. This house is locally, state, and federally recognized. It’s also in a category of a historic house museum which mean randos playing reenactment dress up kind of should not be lounging on the furniture, nor should the furniture be moved around a great deal. That is only preservation common sense, isn’t it? And doesn’t the 2022 IRS Form 990 value the antiques at over $500K? Also they probably kind of like shouldn’t touch historical documents up in the office area on the second floor unless you are wearing those museum grade cotton protective gloves either, right?

Here is a nice history from the Lower Merion Historical Society about Harriton:

Harriton House's history is America's Heritage

I would send you to the Harriton House website, but it has been pending a make over as per their words since 2023. I mean how hard is it to launch a website these days? Not very, but hey what do I know, right? I mean if you can’t launch a new website in colonial garb, Benjamin Franklin might be rolling in his grave or something, perhaps? Gosh am I being sarcastic? Sorry…but not really. It’s just how I feel about WHY they still don’t seem to have an updated website that functions well.

So what does the executive disaster, err director actually do all day? Does she come to Harriton every day? Look, I get as the now not so new girl (well it has been two years) she wants to make her own mark “storming the castle”, and I have no problem with living history days but Harriton House is like a giant ball of antiques, some probably close to irreplaceable, so if she only used her brain for more than dress up opportunities?

I have been struggling with how I now feel about Harriton House since they shoved the former executive director out not so long after his wife died. He was planning on retiring, but it’s always felt like some on that Harriton Association board just knee capped him and we can have that opinion, right? I mean how many days was he given to clear out 46+ years?

Part of the issues Harriton House faces is it’s definitely hard to be a small non-profit in the current environment. But it also means that the board of the Harriton Association has to be more hands on, and they need a change in leadership. The person at the helm should step down. I am also allowed that opinion. They have created the air of insular. With the former executive director there was more interaction and co-mingling with other non-profits. That is necessary for survival. The financials at the end of 2022 according to the IRS Form 990 don’t paint a pretty picture. What will 2023 say? I saw losses from beginning of year to end of year, increased expenses and salaries and for what? Also not to be petty, but 2020 was COVID right? They had HIGHER contributions than 2022 and line item 22 wasn’t showing a loss at end of year, either….so let’s see that means what exactly? That they can’t blame COVID or the former executive director?

I think Harriton House is continuing to slide down. And that is truly heart breaking and a goddamn waste of so many decades of honest hard work. And playing dress up and play acting on the literal antiques of a historic house museum is just bullshit. Also have they found a suitable tenant for the rental property attached to the historic house yet? That has been empty since when? September, 2023? That’s a significant amount of time to lose rent on the best rental property they have isn’t it?

At the very bottom, I will show you photos of the Harriton House I love. Hopefully it finds it’s way back there. But it won’t happen with the current executive disaster, err director and it won’t happen if the current chair of the Harriton Association doesn’t have the grace to step aside for other leadership.

Have a great week ahead. Avoid historic preservation disasters like randos playing dress up and frolicking among the antiques etc.

Cheers!

990-2020Download
990-2022Download

penndot needs to revisit the ship road couplet in west whiteland.

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Resident submitted photo

I don’t even know where to start with this Ship Road Couplet, other than so far all it’s doing is giving residents heart attacks because of all the people going the wrong way.

I am generally not a giant proponent of things designed by PennDOT, because so often it doesn’t necessarily fit the area they plunk stuff into.

In my opinion, right or wrong, the Ship Road Couplet is why the people who live near Route 352 and West King Rd. didn’t want PennDot to have their way with a traffic circle there a few years ago.

I have been on it once and I didn’t like it. And the reason I didn’t like it is because of people going the wrong way on it and that’s scary. So honestly, I have avoided it ever since.

As is the case with many things PennDot, they engineer things and that’s that. However, I do know that West Whiteland has additional signage and maybe some lights or something arriving soon but it’s just problematic. I know the supervisors there aren’t going to like my opinion on this, but it’s my opinion.

I think this whole couplet was designed solely to facilitate a developer and a development that residents in West Whiteland and elsewhere didn’t want there. It’s a crappy looking development and it’s all about adding more density to an area, bursting at the seams, and then a developer pockets the money and moves along to the next project. Of course, in this case, one of the projects is the land he bought at King Rd and Phoenixville Pike and possibly behind the homes on Old Phoenixville Pike, right?

I also have to ask did the developer kick in any money towards this intersection improvement? I remember when Conshohocken was being redeveloped, developers had to help facilitate road improvements and that included signals, road improvements and a new bridge at one point.

So to me, this was a traffic solution especially designed for a developer and development, but did it really need to be that? It’s kind of like zoning overlays that are designed for developers. I think those are a bad idea too, but you that’s another topic for another day.

Residents have pointed out flaws in the design, even on Route 30. On Route 30 it’s with the turning going straight, etc. and there’s this weird dip or maybe a pocket in the road. So wait until it gets icy if somebody’s going too fast right?

Below for illustrative purposes, are 4 photos that are on Google. Top left is what it looked like before the couplet went in. Top right is a review of the Wawa that’s really a review of the couplet. Lower left taken three weeks ago shows you how freaking unattractive the whole thing is from an aesthetic opinion along with how lame directional curb cuts are. Bottom right is just how big the Wawa is, basically.

Now I have looked at this Wawa, and they have sort of angled curb cuts, but quite frankly, not angled enough to keep people from going the wrong way. I think they need to be angled better, and I think there needs to be one of those little concrete bollard things to prohibit people from turning the wrong way. This is not the first Wawa that has had to revisit curb cuts. I seem to remember a Main Line one having to do it at one time and I think it was the one on Bryn Mawr Avenue and Haverford Road.

All people do is go to the wrong way on this. And I think part of it is all the map programs haven’t caught up with this road “improvement.” and I went on Google just today to see if they finally would have pictures of what the couplet looks like on Google and they do not. PennDOT did a typical pat themselves on the back but not much else.

So PennDOT? Tag you’re it. And I hope you like the photo a nice business was kind enough to share with me today. I think it sums the situation up perfectly: Happy New Year To All Except The Ship Road Engineer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Click here to read

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

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

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

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

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

And then there is this about apartments:

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

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

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

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

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

And this timely find of an article:

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

991 Fairview

984 Henry

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

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

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

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

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

Only time will tell.

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

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